Any homeschoolers here?

[crazy4strays]

I'm a homeschooling mama. I've been homeschooling all the way through. My oldest is in 4th grade now and my middle child is in 1st grade. It's challenging, but rewarding. One benefit of homeschooling is that we're home all day long to give attention to our fosters and resident cats!

Anybody else?

 

[Willowy]

I was homeschooled. More on the hippie unschooling side though :lol3:. I did go to public school for 3rd and 4th grade (when my youngest brother was born) but he never went to public school. I don't think homeschooling is best for every family or every child though.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I am homeschooling my kids. DD is in Kindergarten this year. I love that I get to be home with them and watch them grow and learn. Its challenging in different ways than I imagine sending my kids to a traditional school would be; but I'm enjoying it so far. Its intimidating in some ways too. I spent so much time chosing kindergarten curriculum. Im sure next years curriculum will be more challenging too!!

 

[swampwitch]

I wish. Our daughter has always been a very social animal, and being an only kid it just wouldn't have worked for us. Her schools were not that great, either, there were some good teachers but mostly not. She's in grade 12 now and we are still tutoring her (precalc at the moment) because she's not getting the information she needs in school. But the social part has been so important to her there was no other way.

I'm certified to teach regular and special education and it would have been so easy to home school her! As it turned out, she has learned some valuable skills, especially how to get along with unreasonable people in authority, and how to learn the material despite the teacher. 

 

[Kat0121]

Nope. My only human child is 20 and a junior in college. She went to public school and did great. She's still doing great. Don't mess with success. That's what I say. Me trying to teach her math (especially the more advanced stuff) would have been like trying to teach a cat to sing opera. It might make noise but it wouldn't be anything anyone would want to hear. 

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Both of mine went to public school with the exception of a two-year period when my younger was battling osteomylitis.  During that time he was homeschooled with the assistance of a homebound teacher who came in for math and science, my weaknesses.  He did very well in both arenas, although my guys were so outgoing that homeschooling really wouldn't have met their needs in other ways.

I am thrilled that, in NC at least, there is now a website for homeschooling that follows the public school ciriculum.  It is called K-12, I believe, and I know it is available in several states.  What a godsend to parents who want to homeschool but are a little timorous.

 

[handsome kitty]

I had a hard time potty training my kids.  Homeschooling them would have been a train wreck.

We had good public schools and they were all bright enough to be in advanced classes all the way.  I can't complain.

@sarthur2 homeschooled and so does @sweetlynn86

 

[MoochNNoodles]

 
I had a hard time potty training my kids.  Homeschooling them would have been a train wreck.

I'm finding potty training harder than homeschooling. 

 

 

 

[crazy4strays]

LOL!!

FWIW, I had 2 kids who were exceptionally difficult potty trainers and one kid who was very easy, so I think that a lot depends on the child's temperament rather than what the parents did or didn't do.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

LOL!!

FWIW, I had 2 kids who were exceptionally difficult potty trainers and one kid who was very easy, so I think that a lot depends on the child's temperament rather than what the parents did or didn't do.

So far I'm 2 for 2 on the difficult trainers!  Well; DD was easy once she got interested in it.  That just did't happen till she was not quite 3 1/2!  DS just doesn't care.  In another couple of weeks here I'll have been changing diapers for 6 years straight.  I'm over it. 

  I told him I'm sending him to potty training boot camp.  I just need to find one.  He just looks at me like I'm nuts.  Sometimes the temptations I've dangled in ftont of his face to motivate him ALMOST work.  

The schooling really has been easier! 

 

[lonelocust]

I was homeschooled as a child but am childfree myself.

 

[crazy4strays]

So far I'm 2 for 2 on the difficult trainers!  Well; DD was easy once she got interested in it.  That just did't happen till she was not quite 3 1/2!  DS just doesn't care.  In another couple of weeks here I'll have been changing diapers for 6 years straight.  I'm over it. :doh3:   I told him I'm sending him to potty training boot camp.  I just need to find one.  He just looks at me like I'm nuts.  Sometimes the temptations I've dangled in ftont of his face to motivate him ALMOST work.  

The schooling really has been easier! :lol3:

Oh I hear you! By the time that my oldest was trained at 3 1/2, it cost us carpet replacement! My 2nd kid bowel trained easily at 2 1/2 and then peed his pants for years.

It was a real shocker when my 3rd kid switched to panties day and night one month after turning two.

One thing that I did with my youngest child is have her watch the Bear and the Blue House potty training episode and that seemed to help cement the concept.

My oldest kid, who was such a hard potty trainer is now in 4th grade and reading at least at a 6th grade level.

 

[catlover19]

I'm finding potty training harder than homeschooling. :lol3:    

Potty training is so hard so I can imagine. My daughter has been trained during the day for about a month now. She almost had it over the summer and then went back to diapers. I told her she can't go to school if she doesn't use the potty and that finally motivated her to learn.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We have a video called "Potty Power!"  

  And an Elmo one since he used to be very into Elmo.  DS knows what to do; you just have to take him.  I've taken him and then found him wet again 10 minutes later because he didn't let it all our.  He's gone #2 a few times; but I think he's not comfortable with the idea of that yet.  For a long time he refused to wear pull ups.  He'd kick and scream!  Now he will at least use those.  And he often stays dry when we go out running errands.  But at home; forget about it.  

Maybe these late trainers turn out to be the smart kids?  

DD was finally motivated when she saw a new girl her age going into the 3-5 year olds class at church; but she couldn't go because she needed to be trained.  DS is still stuck in the nursery too.  And almost a head over everyone else in there. 

 

Back to homeschooling for a second; how do you deal with all the curriculum options!?  I'm starting to think about next year since we are about half way through the math text book and further through the reading.  (I figured we would finish this reading program early since it's more of a pre-reading.)  The math options are the hardest for me to consider.  It just seems like there are quite a few different theories on how to teach math.  DD is doing pretty good with most things.  Some take time to sink in.  I chose a spiral program for K math because she gets frustrated doing the same thing all the time.  I can see the growth when we come back to things again.  I'm just not sure what we will do next year.  I want her to have a good foundation so math isn't such a big struggle like it was for me! 

 

[crazy4strays]

I ended up picking a curriculum on the recommendation of a friend. I primarily use Christian Light Education, except for Science. For Science, I prefer Apologia.

I really like CLE's Reading and Language Arts programs especially. The Reading program was super effective on my oldest who's now 9 and a huge bookworm and very advanced in reading. My 6 year old is in the learning to read process using it now.

I like how their language arts curriculum combines spelling, handwriting, and grammar in one easy to use curriculum for my 4th grader. I'm all for simplicity. It would drive me crazy to have to pick out 3 separate curriculums for those subjects.

 

[lonelocust]

Back to homeschooling for a second; how do you deal with all the curriculum options!?  I'm starting to think about next year since we are about half way through the math text book and further through the reading.  (I figured we would finish this reading program early since it's more of a pre-reading.)  The math options are the hardest for me to consider.  It just seems like there are quite a few different theories on how to teach math.  DD is doing pretty good with most things.  Some take time to sink in.  I chose a spiral program for K math because she gets frustrated doing the same thing all the time.  I can see the growth when we come back to things again.  I'm just not sure what we will do next year.  I want her to have a good foundation so math isn't such a big struggle like it was for me! 

I very very heavily recommend Saxon Math for the math curriculum. I used several others before we switched to this. It has very good explanatory openings so you can re-learn the math you need to teach.

http://www.hmhco.com/shop/education-curriculum/math/homeschool/saxon-math-homeschool

I have a bachelor's and master's degree in math and dropped out of a math/computer science PhD. I tutored math throughout university and a few times when I needed a break from more stressful jobs. I've tutored homeschooled, private, and public schoolers as well as university students. For elementary to high school these are by far the best books I've seen.

The practice is also very good for continuing to practice what the student has already learned while introducing a little of the new thing. It keeps the student from forgetting what they've already learned, from being frustrated at too much that's hard because it's brand new, and from getting bored doing the same thing over and over.