Post by 110304 on Apr 27, 2013 23:44:33 GMT -6
This site makes me so sad. Reading these posts make me sad.
A little background before I get to my question... I am a homeschooling mom with three young kids. We've homeschooled since day one. We use a secular, public school equivalent curriculum. While we live in a religious area, we try to combat those views the best way we can while still being involved. The views in our area might be stronger in the homeschool world, but it's really not a whole lot different in the public sector. It's difficult to get away from. Unfortunately the area we are located has some of the worst schools in the US, our county is the lowest funded in the state. That being said, we're friends with several local teachers and my kids best friends go to a fairly good magnet school.
We are on a single family income, my husband is in the PD and doesn't make a lot. But we work hard to make sure we can afford a good curriculum, sports, classes, activities and everything all the other "normal" kids get during their school day. We talk to our kids every year before we spend a crap load on their curriculum to make sure we're all on the same page. We go over our concerns and things we like and make a list. They are still young, but we take their opinion into consideration.
Not every day is fun. Sometimes attitudes are terrible. Sometimes work, like regular life, is boring and hard. Sometimes one student, just like in traditional school, gets all the attention. But there are good things too. It's the good stuff that keeps us going.
We want our kids to be happy adults. Go to college, get jobs, or start families. We want them to do what's right for their own families, we don't push one type of lifestyle over another. What works for us might not work for them.
Socially my kids were born quirky. My oldest is a tomboy and has been teased by her public school peers in the past. My middle child is very feminine, loves to dress in dress shirts and ties and while he's still little and the girls adore him, I am sure the boys will start to question him in the future. I want both my kids to be free to be who they are (within reason of course).
My question to all you, what would have made it better for you? I haven't read everything, so I don't know the back stories if there are any. I don't know if there was abuse or indoctrination. If there wasn't, was there anything that could have changed your childhoods for you? I have this fear that my kids will come to a place like this and talk about how much they hated homeschooling. Or that they hate us for ruining their lives. Is there anything that would have changed your minds?
A little background before I get to my question... I am a homeschooling mom with three young kids. We've homeschooled since day one. We use a secular, public school equivalent curriculum. While we live in a religious area, we try to combat those views the best way we can while still being involved. The views in our area might be stronger in the homeschool world, but it's really not a whole lot different in the public sector. It's difficult to get away from. Unfortunately the area we are located has some of the worst schools in the US, our county is the lowest funded in the state. That being said, we're friends with several local teachers and my kids best friends go to a fairly good magnet school.
We are on a single family income, my husband is in the PD and doesn't make a lot. But we work hard to make sure we can afford a good curriculum, sports, classes, activities and everything all the other "normal" kids get during their school day. We talk to our kids every year before we spend a crap load on their curriculum to make sure we're all on the same page. We go over our concerns and things we like and make a list. They are still young, but we take their opinion into consideration.
Not every day is fun. Sometimes attitudes are terrible. Sometimes work, like regular life, is boring and hard. Sometimes one student, just like in traditional school, gets all the attention. But there are good things too. It's the good stuff that keeps us going.
We want our kids to be happy adults. Go to college, get jobs, or start families. We want them to do what's right for their own families, we don't push one type of lifestyle over another. What works for us might not work for them.
Socially my kids were born quirky. My oldest is a tomboy and has been teased by her public school peers in the past. My middle child is very feminine, loves to dress in dress shirts and ties and while he's still little and the girls adore him, I am sure the boys will start to question him in the future. I want both my kids to be free to be who they are (within reason of course).
My question to all you, what would have made it better for you? I haven't read everything, so I don't know the back stories if there are any. I don't know if there was abuse or indoctrination. If there wasn't, was there anything that could have changed your childhoods for you? I have this fear that my kids will come to a place like this and talk about how much they hated homeschooling. Or that they hate us for ruining their lives. Is there anything that would have changed your minds?
