When Should You Choose Public School over Homeschool?

You guys are so right. We continue to vote in leaders who are directing this nation away from true freedom in the name of equality. The sad part is that equality does not mean treating everyone the same. It is giving everyone what they need to succeed. That may not be the same for every person. I believe that self-government is the best type of government and that the more outside government you impose, the less self-government people will exercise. Continue to pray for this nation and for the future of our children's children.

Debra

Wow Mikki! It always amazes me when they try to take away the right of parents to homeschool. Especially considering the great success that many homeschooled students have at the higher learning level. In fact, the valedictorian of my class at Mary Washington College was a girl that was a year behind me in age, but had skipped a grade through homeschool (she'd been homeschooled her whole life, and as far as I know, her mom wasn't a "certified teacher"). And MWC was a VERY competitive college.

In fact, there is nothing that I learned from college that a concerned parent couldn't learn just by googling "learning methods for ADD/ADHD" or whatever challenges and exceptions their child faces. Legislation to take away the rights of concerned parents has no place in this country where freedom is supposed to be treasured.

Smart move Elsie,

My biggest fear when CA went through it's most recent ban on homeschooling was that if our efforts to overturn the ruling failed, I would be stuck between a rock and a hard place because I am not a certified teacher. My hubby and I were actually preparing to move at a moments notice if it failed. We are that serious about homeschooling!

Having a teacher's certification really adds a relief when those issues arise

Mikki Hogan
Publisher of UniqueParenting.com

JaMae-That's a good point. I'll have to look into it. I know that VA is better than some others, but who knows how much longer that will last--we're voting in more and more leaders that are against individual rights. Thankfully, it won't take much for me to re-certify as a teacher if they do pass a law that homeschool curriculums need to be overseen by a certified teacher...That perk really influenced me when I chose that career path--I had a family in mind

Hi Elsie,

Another thing I think you should consider when thinking about homeschooling are the homeschool laws. Some states are pretty strict and I would think that you want to be sure you are willing and able to comply with them. I know here in WV there is a lot of technicalities to comply with, not such a huge task but there are many factors to consider. PA is pretty strict (they think parents don't know how to provide a proper education it would seem), I'm not sure about Virginia. But have a look at those. The HSLDA link Mikk posted has a place to read up on your states laws. So be sure to take that into consideration when you are making your plans!

Debra-That school sounds like a really neat option. I wonder if there is something like that around here. There is a private Christian school in the area that is a classical school...I definitely know I want Aiden studying a classical curriculum, whether I homeschool or send him to a private school.

Mikki-Thank you for the feedback. I do know quite a few homeschooling families in our church. They have a co-op that they run where parents take turns teaching. There are also a lot of activities in our area for homeschoolers. Aiden went to an open gym that they hold one time with a friend of mine and evidently loved it. I might take him next time so that I can check it out and start networking and find out what's available around here. I'll also take a look at the link you've provided. Thank you!

I do know that I don't like the public schools for the same reasons that you don't like them. I live in a busy suburb with plenty of community activities and sports, so I think it is definitely possible for me to homeschool. It might just come down to cost. If we can afford the classical school when we get to that point, we'll put him in, if not, we'll homeschool. The evil part of me wants to homeschool just b/c my MIL had an absolute FIT a few years ago when I told her we were considering it...But that's just my obstinate self...If I homeschool, I want to make sure I'm doing it for all of the right reasons and not just to prove to my MIL that I can do it. That's why I'm trying to consider all of the angles and the pros and cons. I want to be certain of our decision for his schooling...Guess I have some praying to do

Making the decision to home-school, in my opinion, is just that - Making the decision. Debra is right that homeschooling may not be right for all parents, some do not have the ability to home-school. But I believe any parent that truly wants to home-school their children, regardless of learning abilities or personalities, can in fact successfully home-school their children if they make the decision to do so.

Just like any area of our lives, the mindset we have for the situation has a huge impact on our success in that situation. It is no different for teaching our kids at home.

One thing I see in both yours and Debra's concerns is the need, or desire to have your children around other children. This is a huge part of development for sure, but I think there is often a misconception by parents when it comes to homeschooling. I want to share some ideas on that first.

Ways to involve your children with other kids their age:

* Take advantage of your church community. Most churches host activities outside of regular services. Make it a point to attend the family oriented events and get your kids connected with other children of like beliefs.
* Find other homeschooling parents in your community and plan play dates with them. Most areas host a homeschool network that schedules field trips and other events for getting kids around other kids and providing a complete schooling experience. A good resource to find this information is at http://www.hslda.org.
* Keep in mind that controlled peer interactions are often healthier for your child's development than the unmonitored interactions they face in school.

Getting Time away from your kids:

* A lot of home school networks in your community offer a time swap where parents take turns 1 or 2 days a week being the host of a group tutor session. This allows the kids to experience learning in a group environment and gives the homeschooling parent a break every now and then.
* You can make arrangements with other family and friends (especially other homeschoolers) to supervise your child's learning day at their house while you soak in the tub and get the house work done.

Concerns of your child listening to others better than mom:

* Keep in mind Elsie, that this is true for all children, not just yours.
* You can reduce stress by establishing home-school hours and designate a location of the house for school. During those hours you are not mom, rather the teacher. Make that clear and follow through.
* As your son grows older he will develop a more disciplined approach to listening to mom and respecting school rules. In most cases formal schooling doesn't need to begin until about 8 (that doesn't mean you don't teach them, just no need for formal education)

Your child learns better by mimicking others:

* Taking advantage of home-school networks will help to provide the necessary and appropriate peer interaction to assist in your son learning from peers.
* You can contact your church community and see which other parents are homeschooling and establish a group learning session a couple days a week on your own.
* If you know other families wanting to home-school you can set up a group homes-school at one or the others house and share in the teaching responsibilities, providing a peer for him to observe.
* You can be the one he learns from. One of my favorite times with the kids is role playing what they are doing. Not just showing them on the board, but actually role playing (I am the new student) This also lets them teach me, and they think it is soo funny when I don't know how to add, or write, or whatever it may be.

When you are making the decision to home-school or not always weigh the reasons you want to homeschool, ALL of them. What motivates me to home-school is a combination of:

* Negative influences in the schools
* The dumbing down of education (in both public and private)
* Our own personal beliefs in family values and religion (a factor for both public and private)
* Unique and individual focused curriculum for my children (I have two gifted students, 1 with multiple learning disabilities) I wanted the BEST options for them, not what was the "best" the school could provide (both public or private)

For us the final decision, and what was best for my family was to home-school. The alternatives simply don't take ALL my motivations into consideration. So sit down and think that part through. If home-school is the answer then make the decision and you will succeed at it. Always be flexible, constantly open to change (a real tough one for me, I hate surprises and like everything planned perfectly, yet it is still manageable. I simply make new plans) and focus on your children throughout the education process and it will be a joy for all of you.

Finally take it with stride. Every year you become more experienced with homeschooling and more efficient. One benefit to starting at the kindergarten level is you don't have to go through the "unschooling" process (where your child has to adjust to not being in the classroom and still do school) and the lessons are light. You have freedom to practice and find the best match without losing valuable education time!

Mikki Hogan
Publisher of UniqueParenting.com

Hi Elsie,
You bring up a great point. I would love to homeschool all my children but I also want for them to not only be around other children but to participate in plays, special programs, sports, etc.. I also would like to have a break for myself to do housework and to relax without the kids.

In my city we have a great alternative school called Cornerstone Academy (http://www.cornerstone.st/index.php). Students attend school three days a week and home school two days. I believe this is where we will end up placing Joakim when the time comes.

Although I am a fervent proponent of stay at home parents and home schooling parents, I also agree that it is not for every personality (adult or child). The bottom line is to stay involved in your child's education. If you send him to school, know the teacher, review the curriculum, meet the staff, volunteer, etc.. A visible parent is a great influence.

Debra