What is your single most important problem in home schooling your kids?

Question

What kind of help would you most welcome to home school your kid better?

What grade is your kid in now, by the way?

Answer 1

The first two posters - ha ha - cute. Anyone who homeschools knows you don't! The vast majority of those who homeschool, take on way too much in the way of athletics, homeschool band, volunteering, 4H and so much more. We have all we can do to rein in our active little learners. After all, our time is flexible . . . and it is so easy to try to take on one more really interesting activity or project.

So, to answer the question, as asked, MY biggest problem is that my housekeeping is a real challenge. We have a small house, way too much stuff, no dishwasher (our water in this rural area is so hard that it ruins dishwashers and I can't afford to put in a softening system) and off and on I go back to teaching other people's kids and have all of this school stuff that I can't part with. So, it seems like we spend too much time cleaning house when we should be getting started on schoolwork.

My solution that is "sort of" working, is that we are doing part of our curriculum while we work. Right now we're studying the classics. The ones that I read aloud, for them to write essays on and participate in a discussion group, we do while they wash dishes and clean up the kitchen.

So, the kind of help I would most welcome is housecleaning help, very regularly. I am a single mom, so I am the provider as well as the teachermom.

Incidently, one of the posters mentioned grammar. I think that one of the best grammar programs out there is Rod and Staff. One hardback and answer key per grade (just share or pass the book on to the next one) is all you need. It is excellent, and covers everything in logical, sequential order, with plenty of repetition. It is from a Christian company, though, and some may not want to choose that.

Answer 2

Well, unlike a lot of people who have already answered, I don't have problems finding curriculum, since we unschool. Some of the biggest challenges I face right now are having enough new books around to keep up with my 7 year old's reading habits. She will finish 2 chapter books a day, so it can be difficult! Trying to answer questions posed by a 6 year old that you would expect from a much older child can be a daunting task as well. The other thing I sometimes struggle with is helping them to realize that, occasionally, I need some down time ; )

Oh, and we don't do grades, but if they were in school, my girls would be in K and 2nd.

ADDED: I totally agree with teachermama on the housekeeping! Your house sounds like mine: too small, too much stuff, no dishwasher. Makes it quite a challenge to keep up with it all....

Answer 3

I don't think either one of the above posters actually homeschools based on their answers. We have to actually make an effort to stay home - if we took part in all the activities availlable to us we'd never get any "schoolwork" done. Social contact is NOT a problem. Instead of constantly being told to sit down and be quiet (no talking to your neighbor!) the way I was in public school, my children are encouraged to talk with and interact with many different people. (not just the same kids from their neighborhood within a couple of years of the same age!).

They have encountered difficult folks - not necessarilly children, and if they needed help dealing with them, they could come to us for guidance. We let our children solve their own problems as much as possible, but they are still children. Dumping them in the deep end of the pool isn't the only way to learn to swim - having help from mature, well-adjusted adults when dealing with difficult situations is an advantage. Being left to play Lord of the Flies with all of your peers - how is that better???

As far as what problem I have encountered, I would say two:
1. The lack of truly EXCELLENT science curricula. I am biased as a scientist, but I have only found one series I like, and I've looked at a LOT of them. The series I like is for the elementary/middle school years and is called Real Science 4 Kids.

2. Choosing a grammar curriculum. I have started to look, but have yet to find one I like. I just started though, so I think I will have more luck finding it than science. There are MANY more choices for grammar.

Answer 4

I was homeschooled for the last two years of high school. In the real world (at work, shopping, at the library, when I applied for college and got accepted, etc.), I didn't have a problem with people being judgmental. They looked at me and realized, hey, this girl is normal. On here, however, people who don't even know me, criticize me for being homeschooled. How ridiculous is that?
Other than that, my biggest problem was scheduling. I got done with my last two years of high school in 9 months, and I probably could have finished sooner if I had given myself more of a schedule. I just did homeschooling basically as a part-time job. Everything else came first: work, hanging out with friends, reading, listening to music, etc. You get the picture. I should have given myself more of a schedule than I did.
I don't think I would have accepted any help at the time. I am in a career program now (distance education), and while I don't have a very structured schedule, I do make sure that I get a little bit of schoolwork done each week. I'm moving quite fast now, so I don't think I really need to schedule myself any more than I am.
I do, however, wish that people who don't even know me would stop assuming that I am socially damaged. I'm not. I have my friends from school still, but I also have more friends now. I learned how to overcome my shyness. I had always gotten good grades, but after being homeschooled, I got straight A's. People need to realize that, while homeschoolers used to suffer socially, people now recognize the need for socialization. Most homeschooling parents try to get their children to be social (most don't have to try). As I said, in the past, the social aspect was a problem, but they have done everything in their power to fix that now. I was probably too social. And honestly, when I was in public school, I rarely got to talk to my friends (3 minutes between classes, ocassionally in class, and at lunch). I am much more social now.

Answer 5

"Most important problem"? Do you mean biggest problem? Finding French homeschooling resources (I don't mean as a second language). I'm not sure I would welcome any specific help; I already get help for the odd things that happen because I'm part of a few different support groups.

My kids are in grades 1 and 4.

And socialization is NOT a problem. There is a ton of stuff going on through homeschooling or community groups.

Answer 6

Finding the time to do all the awesome field trips that I want to do.

My children don't have "grades" but this year after their birthdays (which are all right around the corner now!) they are 11, 10, 5, 4, 2 and 1 yrs of age

Answer 7

In one year the average child increases 1 1/2 to 2 years worth of public school education.
I have had full time 16 year old students with 4.0 gpa's in college. So homeschoolers are doing something right. This same student had her BSN when she was 22. Amazing!

Answer 8

My son is in grade 5.The biggest problem in our home is our extended family all thinking they know better then us.They express their opinion on what he needs to be doing and how many hours he should be doing it.My son has a variety of major health problems that have been getting worse over the past few years. While he attended public school untill this year,that wasn't an option this year.Instead of seeing his strenths the only make him feel bad about his liking to be homeschooled.I keep him away from them as much as possible but it is still hard on him.

Answer 9

curriculum!! they are all so so so exspencive. the problem is if you spend all that money and the product is not what you exspected, or it doesnt meet your needs then o well. not to mention you spend $200 for a year of school and never need it again. (need i remind you most home school familys are single income) sigh but i supose in the end it is worth it to have you child with you andknow what they are learning. (or not having to learn)
so yeah, sorry bit of a soft spot right now sorry bout the tangent.

PS~ o n spelling, can you tell it might be something i have a hard time with :)

Answer 10

It will be interesting to see how the responses detailing perceived problems from posters that do NOT homeschool their children (or possibly do not even have children) will compare to the parents that were able to read the question correctly and actually do homeschool their children....
I have homeschooled for five years now. The largest problem I face I do not consider to be the "most important" problem.
The largest problem, hands down, is judgment, criticism, hostility, anger, discrimination, and prejudice against my family simply because we exercise our freedoms and choose to school our children differently than others.
The most important problem, actually is something much much smaller, and it is balance. Yep, balance.
Balancing the teacher me and the mom me. And balancing the mom me from the wife me. And balancing the wife me from the me me. Balancing homeschooling and volunteer work. Balancing socializing and school work. AND CONTRARY TO WHAT PEOPLE SAY, MY KIDS GET TOO MUCH SOCIALIZING, OK? Sheesh, you should see my calendar, I'm a taxi service! And balancing my desire to be helpful to people and my need to protect our school time from people that assume "since I'm home all day, I can do this one thing for them because they really really need my help" oy!
That's my most important problem. Dealing with all the different things I need to be to other people while maintaining my own identity and making sure our days are spent learning and not socializing or volunteering.

(oops almost forgot) my children are 2nd and 9th.