Where is everyone? It's gone too quiet in here.

[1moregirl]

Just checking in to see how everyone is doing but noticed there's been no activity here for a while. MrsG - how are you going now? Anyone else ttc?

[atomic sagebrush]

this time of year is often rather quiet! hope everyone is doing well

[Faithinpink]

Hi 1moregirl hope all is good for you.. how u holding up with the 6weeks school holidays ..im going nuts lol
:fight:

[1moregirl]

Thanks for letting me know Atomic. Yes I guess it is school holidays in many parts of the world isn't it? That will account for keeping us Mums busy and off the iPad (most of us anyway. ;)

Faith - lovely to hear from you. I have actually been loving having the kids at home and dreading them going back to school. We have had a lovely pool set up in the backyard that has a small filter and I put a bit of chlorine in it and we have (the kids especially) been living in it just about every day. Plus my 'baby' is going to be doing 4 yr old kindergarten this year (3 days a week from 9am - 2pm) so I'm still trying to get my head around that. I am thinking that I will have to do some sort of paid work for at least 2 of those 3 days that he is at kinder, otherwise I will just be sitting at home and missing my children. Sometimes I hate being conventional and wonder why we all have our beautiful children and then send them off to school where their teachers get to see more of them than we do? I know it's just what we do and it's good for them socially as well. I have often thought of keeping them at home and schooling them myself, but then I worry how they would mix with their peers and make friends and learn independence. Plus, would I be keeping them home to home school them for my benefit or for theirs? And how would I earn an income? Sometimes I think I would love to have a home with quite a bit of land so we could have lots of animals, homeschool the kids and earn an income from home all the same time. I don't know.....

[cosmosis]

I asked myself the same question for years. What's the point of having them if you send them off for somebody else to raise? It made me very uneasy, but I sent her anyway because that is what we do. I'll tell you what though, the socializing part of school is really and truly over rated. It was the socializing that didn't allow me to focus on my true potential at school and I see the same pattern in most kids.

My DD has been homeschooling for almost a year now and she loves it. She gets all her school work done by 11:00AM, takes a big nap and then gets to do what she loves which is arts, crafts, reading and of course playing with her dolls. We also get to do things as a family at times where most don't, like movies on a Tuesday afternoon.

There's alot of curriculums that are online and children can work quite independently. Its really a matter of figuring out a system that works for you and your family. I do encourage you to follow that inner voice :) it is VERY satisfying. <3

[djmommy]

I asked myself the same question for years. What's the point of having them if you send them off for somebody else to raise? It made me very uneasy, but I sent her anyway because that is what we do. I'll tell you what though, the socializing part of school is really and truly over rated. It was the socializing that didn't allow me to focus on my true potential at school and I see the same pattern in most kids.

My DD has been homeschooling for almost a year now and she loves it. She gets all her school work done by 11:00AM, takes a big nap and then gets to do what she loves which is arts, crafts, reading and of course playing with her dolls. We also get to do things as a family at times where most don't, like movies on a Tuesday afternoon.

There's alot of curriculums that are online and children can work quite independently. Its really a matter of figuring out a system that works for you and your family. I do encourage you to follow that inner voice :) it is VERY satisfying. <3

Totally agree with everything!! I am in my second year homeschooling and I love it as do my kids!! For me I couldn't send them to school, but it is not for everyone. Maybe give it a shot, you may surprise your self. My kids socialize a lot with other homeschoolers and sports and activities!

[atomic sagebrush]

:agree: some of you know this already but I also homeschool. I homeschooled my older boys (one is in college now and the other is saving money for school) and now do the younger 3 as well. :) We have our rocky moments but overall it's really rewarding.

Personally we never had any issue with homeschooling and socialization. I was tormented in school and it took me years to become functional and to undo the harm that was done. My older kids lived in a small town, had friends and sleepovers and all the normal stuff, and did theater. now we live very, very far in the country so it's been much more of a challenge, but they play together and with their cousins when we can. In many ways they are better socialized than I was at that same age (because I was an only child).

[1moregirl]

Wow! That is really interesting! Did any one of you have parents, family members and/or friends that questioned you about homeschooling or gave you negative opinions about it? My parents, for one, would be totally against it and would say they believed I was keeping them at home for my own selfish reasons. Plus, my other question for you that concerns me, is how do you yourselves earn an income if you are at home every day homeschooling your kids? I am a trained primary school teacher, yet I dread the thought of teaching other people's kids every day when I would much rather just be with my own. I really need to be earning money, yet I'm not sure how I could do that whilst homeschooling our kids as well. Any ideas? Plus, I question my own motives for wanting to homeschool. Am I wanting it just so my kids are staying home with me every day? Maybe this is not a good thing in that the kids and I would be too dependent on each other? How will you guys cope as Mums one day when yuor kids are all grown up and move out? I just don't know. I am in two minds really. I am worried I am wanting it for selfish reasons, since I am sad my 'baby' is heading off to 4 yr old kinder this year. I won't have any more babies at home to take care, or to keep my company every day. I do have one sister who would also love to homeschool her kids but she sends them to Steiner school instead. Anyway, I will look into it a bit more online and just see. Atomic - how did you go homeschooling your boys through VCE (secondary school and years 11 and 12)? I also worry that we would go stir crazy being in our own huose so much if I was homeschooling our kids and that they wouldn't get as much time to interact with peers.

[MrsGoodies]

Interaction with peers is overrated imho.

The purpose of 'socialization' is to be able to function in society and interact with people from all walks of life and *all age groups*..... How placing thirty 6 yr olds into a classroom teaches them this is beyond me! Are other 6 yr olds going to train my child in etiquette and proper manners when they lack these basic skills themselves? Its like putting thirty puppies into a room and expecting them to potty train each other

At least 100 yrs ago children were in 1 room school houses and learned to interact with all age groups. Now children are segregated by age until they are adults. They only do everything with their peers and are bullied by older groups and in turn bully younger groups.

The only other place this happens in society other than schools are prisions.

.

[1moregirl]

So MrsG - do you homeschool your boys as well then? Still waiting for answers to some of my questions. How can you earn an income whilst homeschooling? What if your kids enjoy school (mind do, especially one of them)? I'd love to hear some answers and get some ideas and suggestions. I Am a fully trained and qualified primary school teacher yet I'm not keen on going back to that anyway and spending time with other people's kids when I'd rather be with my own. My two kids currently go to a catholic school and it's been a great school. I just really miss them when they are at school and wonder why we all have to follow the educational convention of sending our kids off to school. I'd love to a have a huose with quite a bit of land and quite a few animals as well, a huge veggie garden and homeschool the kids and have them helping indoors and outdoors whilst learning stuff as well at the same time. I don't know. I'm a typical Libran. Always in two minds about things. In 2 minds about ttc and about the educations of our kids.

[nuthinbutpink]

Interaction with peers is overrated imho.

The purpose of 'socialization' is to be able to function in society and interact with people from all walks of life and *all age groups*..... How placing thirty 6 yr olds into a classroom teaches them this is beyond me! Are other 6 yr olds going to train my child in etiquette and proper manners when they lack these basic skills themselves? Its like putting thirty puppies into a room and expecting them to potty train each other

At least 100 yrs ago children were in 1 room school houses and learned to interact with all age groups. Now children are segregated by age until they are adults. They only do everything with their peers and are bullied by older groups and in turn bully younger groups.

The only other place this happens in society other than schools are prisions.

.

I think the curriculum has advanced now though and requires more from the kids. By watching and imitating others, young children learn how to interact socially. They learn acceptable and unacceptable kinds of behavior. Not all 6 year olds behave badly. My son listens and is doing very well in school. He does, in fact, model what other students should act like. My daughter, however, needs to see what her peers are doing and I hope that she does learn from them. It is very important to see how a typical 9 year old behaves. I would never think of keeping her out of school and missing that social interaction.

The biggest example, by far, that our kids have is how their parents behave individually and to each other and by watching their older siblings(if they have them). The home is where most behavior is learned and copied.

And puppies will learn from one another, actually. So do cats. It's called socialization. They go through an imprinting stage from 8-12 weeks and what happens during that time will determine how their temperament and how they react to things. So, socialization for our 4-legged friends is just as important. The analogy you use would not be appropriate because someone does have to learn what is appropriate behavior before others can be taught. There is usually a leader or two in the class. The rest can learn by example if they so choose.

[MrsGoodies]

And puppies will learn from one another, actually. So do cats. It's called socialization. They go through an imprinting stage from 8-12 weeks and what happens during that time will determine how their temperament and how they react to things. So, socialization for our 4-legged friends is just as important. The analogy you use would not be appropriate because someone does have to learn what is appropriate behavior before others can be taught. There is usually a leader or two in the class. The rest can learn by example if they so choose.

I was referring to puppy school actually where every puppy is with their handler and learns basic etiquette such as following beside while walking, keeping pace, not pulling on the leash, coming when called, and other basic comands.

puppies would never naturally learn this from each other.



If you see a well-behaved 9yr old, it is because that 9 yr old is immitating an ADULT - not typical 9 yr old behaviour.

For example: you observe a child in a restaurant shuffling in their seat, screaming/giggling/talking loudly, making spitballs with the napkin, teasing siblings, whining, being rude/ignoring the server, .....this child is displaying perfectly normal childish behavior.

Then you observe a child sitting quietly in a restaurant, eating with a knife & fork, speaking in quiet tones, saying please & thank you to the waitress....that child is immitating what an adult would do.

If you then point to the well behaved child and say to your own child "see that girl/boy sitting quietly over there? You need to behave like that" what you are really saying is "that child can behave like an adult so you can too"

My children have never learned proper etiquette from their peers...ever. Yes, they can mimick each other but I want them to learn how ADULTS behave and interact with each other. I spend a lot of time correcting inappropriate behavior and "but so-and-so does it so why can't I?" more than anything.

[MrsGoodies]

So MrsG - do you homeschool your boys as well then? Still waiting for answers to some of my questions. How can you earn an income whilst homeschooling? What if your kids enjoy school (mind do, especially one of them)? I'd love to hear some answers and get some ideas and suggestions. I Am a fully trained and qualified primary school teacher yet I'm not keen on going back to that anyway and spending time with other people's kids when I'd rather be with my own. My two kids currently go to a catholic school and it's been a great school. I just really miss them when they are at school and wonder why we all have to follow the educational convention of sending our kids off to school. I'd love to a have a huose with quite a bit of land and quite a few animals as well, a huge veggie garden and homeschool the kids and have them helping indoors and outdoors whilst learning stuff as well at the same time. I don't know. I'm a typical Libran. Always in two minds about things. In 2 minds about ttc and about the educations of our kids.

I think as their mother, you know your child best.

Every situation school or homeschool has pros & cons. The negatives of school are primarily social/mental whilst the homeschool negatives are mainly financial.

Jobs that can be done at home would be

*bookkeeper
* consulting
* day trading (if you are financially minded)

You could also work PT on evenings and weekends.

If a child really liked school, (which is a lie...they like their friends, playing a recess etc...never the actual schoolwork itself) then you should just ask them.

Basically, if they had a choice would they rather spend a couple hrs in the morning doing schoolwork at home and having the afternoon free for themselves....or spend an entire day at school?

Only you can decide what is right for you and your children. My only point being that if you do choose to send them to school, 'learning to socialize' shouldn't be one of the reasons since far superior socialization skills would be learned and taught at home..

[atomic sagebrush]

Wow! That is really interesting! Did any one of you have parents, family members and/or friends that questioned you about homeschooling or gave you negative opinions about it? My parents, for one, would be totally against it and would say they believed I was keeping them at home for my own selfish reasons. Plus, my other question for you that concerns me, is how do you yourselves earn an income if you are at home every day homeschooling your kids? I am a trained primary school teacher, yet I dread the thought of teaching other people's kids every day when I would much rather just be with my own. I really need to be earning money, yet I'm not sure how I could do that whilst homeschooling our kids as well. Any ideas? Plus, I question my own motives for wanting to homeschool. Am I wanting it just so my kids are staying home with me every day? Maybe this is not a good thing in that the kids and I would be too dependent on each other? How will you guys cope as Mums one day when yuor kids are all grown up and move out? I just don't know. I am in two minds really. I am worried I am wanting it for selfish reasons, since I am sad my 'baby' is heading off to 4 yr old kinder this year. I won't have any more babies at home to take care, or to keep my company every day. I do have one sister who would also love to homeschool her kids but she sends them to Steiner school instead. Anyway, I will look into it a bit more online and just see. Atomic - how did you go homeschooling your boys through VCE (secondary school and years 11 and 12)? I also worry that we would go stir crazy being in our own huose so much if I was homeschooling our kids and that they wouldn't get as much time to interact with peers.

Yes, people tell me it's a bad idea all along and always have. But they had no qualms about sending me to public school to be mocked and ridiculed for 13 years, so it was easy enough for me to ignore it. :)

I (perhaps obviously) earn an income on here now (and am so very thankful to be able to do that). Prior to that, my husband and I ran a business we would actually take our older sons to while we worked and they did most of their school there. I also worked at a dog kennel near our house for a couple years in the mornings, and then did school in the afternoon when I got home. Boys were older then and more able to do their work on their own.

My older sons ARE already grown and moved out. It was very difficult at first but has gotten easier over time. I do believe, based on what I've observed from my MIL, stepmother, and my own mom, that we get to a certain age and it's easier to let the kids go off to do their own thing. The older ladies I know seem very happy traveling, going out to lunch, doing their own thing with hobbies and stuff. I suspect it may be a natural progression as we get older where at some point we enjoy having that time for ourselves.

My sons did high school type classes as they got older and then they took a test we have in the US that gives them the equivalent of a high school diploma. Then my older son went on to college (took tests and stuff for that.) My younger son is working and saving money to go to a trade school - he's always been less studious than my older son.

They don't get as much time to interact with peers. Some people think this is more important than others. My older sons, like I mentioned, we lived in town then and they had plenty of interaction. My younger kids, we're going to have to make more of an effort with like I said. But they all seem perfectly normal - when we get together with other people, they aren't shy or weird or anything. I was def. painfully shy and weird as a kid and I went to public school. to some extent may just be the individual child. :)

[atomic sagebrush]

So MrsG - do you homeschool your boys as well then? Still waiting for answers to some of my questions. How can you earn an income whilst homeschooling? What if your kids enjoy school (mind do, especially one of them)? I'd love to hear some answers and get some ideas and suggestions. I Am a fully trained and qualified primary school teacher yet I'm not keen on going back to that anyway and spending time with other people's kids when I'd rather be with my own. My two kids currently go to a catholic school and it's been a great school. I just really miss them when they are at school and wonder why we all have to follow the educational convention of sending our kids off to school. I'd love to a have a huose with quite a bit of land and quite a few animals as well, a huge veggie garden and homeschool the kids and have them helping indoors and outdoors whilst learning stuff as well at the same time. I don't know. I'm a typical Libran. Always in two minds about things. In 2 minds about ttc and about the educations of our kids.

If my kids enjoyed school, I'd have a hard time pulling them out. Personally, I hated it, and my kids have never gone to school and I don't know what their reactions might be. I do know that they like having the free time that they wouldn't otherwise.

I am lucky that I do have land and garden and hopefully this next year, we'll be getting animals. But I actually think that in a city is a superior place to homeschool because you can do the co-ops and activities - libraries, museums, etc. Being in the country can actually make it a bit harder than in the city. :)

[skillet04]

I home educated my first from k4 through 7th grade. I was a sahm (worked part time jobs a lot though) until he was 9 and his dad decided after 10yrs of cheating on me that he wanted to be free of me and so i had to go to work full time....still home educated my boy though as he stayed with my mom while i was at work and i left him assignments and we went over them, learned something new, and gave "homework" for the next day when i got off work. When he was 10.75 i remarried and inquired via the local police if he could stay home alone while i worked and it was ok to do... i worked 4am till noon so we did schoolwork together after lunch. Then came "jr high" and i was pregnant, working full time, taking a full load of college courses and home educating ... my son started slacking off and i was unable to make him do his work....then little bro was born and even though i loved my accounts payable job i had promised my new husband before we ever even got married that i would stay home with any kids we were blessed with (because i had been told 8 yrs prior i may never have another child so i figured it was a moot point) ... so now i was home with a high needs newborn and trying to home educate my oldest who was still refusing to do his work, he said he was doing his assignments but at test time would break down and admit he had not done anything.... so for 8th grade he was sent to a Christian school... he is there this yr too for 9th grade although i have no fear about teaching high school as i am a 4.0 gpa student even in college and hey i can read and learn with him if need be or find a tutor or co-op class etc lots of options. Now he has decided that next yr he would like to try online schooling and i am thrilled to have him home again and i am ok with some online teacher making sure he gets his work done.
But yes, sometimes in order to be a homeschooling mom you might have to put your own career on the back burner....but with every choice, the career world will always be out there and lots of people can do the job, but your children are only at home with you under your influence for a short while. I have to remind myself of a quote i heard long ago, "women can have it all, just not all at the same time." Because like i said, i really loved my job but have been given a new assignment for the time being ;)

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[MrsGoodies]

I hear you skillet,

Getting jr high boys to do school work is frustrating for me too!

My son avoids English & science like the plague....too much reading he says....i struggle to motivate him....all he likes to do is sports & video games (if he could get a job doing this problem solved, right?)

[amelia]

Fascinating conversation guys...I have always thought that homeschooling would be superior; it's just the money and time that's the issue. A lot of the newer private schools around here, such as Khan Lab School and AltSchool are trending in the direction of what homeschooling is like (more individual and self-paced). I'm planning on sending my kid(s) to a bilingual school. A second language is something I can't provide by myself. We plan to supplement the school math curriculum as neither of us are impressed by the math at schools around here (and we grew up here!).

[MrsGoodies]

Good idea Amelia...i supplement math also.

34475

[cosmosis]

Wow! That is really interesting! Did any one of you have parents, family members and/or friends that questioned you about homeschooling or gave you negative opinions about it? My parents, for one, would be totally against it and would say they believed I was keeping them at home for my own selfish reasons. Plus, my other question for you that concerns me, is how do you yourselves earn an income if you are at home every day homeschooling your kids? I am a trained primary school teacher, yet I dread the thought of teaching other people's kids every day when I would much rather just be with my own. I really need to be earning money, yet I'm not sure how I could do that whilst homeschooling our kids as well. Any ideas? Plus, I question my own motives for wanting to homeschool. Am I wanting it just so my kids are staying home with me every day? Maybe this is not a good thing in that the kids and I would be too dependent on each other? How will you guys cope as Mums one day when yuor kids are all grown up and move out? I just don't know. I am in two minds really. I am worried I am wanting it for selfish reasons, since I am sad my 'baby' is heading off to 4 yr old kinder this year. I won't have any more babies at home to take care, or to keep my company every day. I do have one sister who would also love to homeschool her kids but she sends them to Steiner school instead. Anyway, I will look into it a bit more online and just see. Atomic - how did you go homeschooling your boys through VCE (secondary school and years 11 and 12)? I also worry that we would go stir crazy being in our own huose so much if I was homeschooling our kids and that they wouldn't get as much time to interact with peers.

My family doesn't know. I'm not close to almost anyone these days (sadly) and when my mom asks about school, I'm honest and tell her what progress she's made, but she has no clue its all at home LOL. She wouldn't support it.

My brother knows and he supports it, so does my best friend.

You have to learn to pick your battles. I married out of my culture and changed my religion when I was 19, and that is when I decided I wasn't going to live my life based on ANYONE'S opinion. The marriage didn't work out and everyone was like "I told you so" but I continued what I started and eventually found somebody else and am finally getting to make the life I wanted for myself.

You have a profession, and you can use that from home. One of my clients is a teacher and recently started to homeschool her children AND got a work from home position teaching.

Personally, homeschooling makes it easier for me to have a career. I became a holistic practitioner after 7 years of studying and personal experience and I have been coaching for 3 years now. I took a break from coaching very recently and am now focusing on content (blog & podcast), in the meantime I'm TTC and plan to have a large family (God willing), so naturally my career will take a turn.It is quite exciting.

The majority of leaders, game changers and important folks in history have been home schooled, check out this website which lists everyone by profession: Famous Homeschoolers - Famous Homeschool Parents - Homeschooled Entrepreneurs (http://www.famoushomeschoolers.net/entrepreneurs.html#.WHtk9RsrI1J)

Even Elon Musk (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk), owner of Tesla Motors and SpaceX pulled his kids out of the most prestigious private school in California to homeschool them and now provides a homeschool environment for the children of SpaceX workers.

So it isn't some new age hippy trend as many people like to think :) sending kids off to an institutionalized school system is very recent. Food for thought.

[atomic sagebrush]

I hear you skillet,

Getting jr high boys to do school work is frustrating for me too!

My son avoids English & science like the plague....too much reading he says....i struggle to motivate him....all he likes to do is sports & video games (if he could get a job doing this problem solved, right?)

They go thru a phase from about 11ish thru 14ish where it's like pulling teeth. (this is true of public school boys too, though!!) it's not anything you're doing wrong, just the way it seems to go. I found the carrot-stick approach worked best, where I controlled the access to the "good stuff" and then doled it out only after the work was done. People were often annoyed with me LOL but we did get through it eventually.

[atomic sagebrush]

Fascinating conversation guys...I have always thought that homeschooling would be superior; it's just the money and time that's the issue. A lot of the newer private schools around here, such as Khan Lab School and AltSchool are trending in the direction of what homeschooling is like (more individual and self-paced). I'm planning on sending my kid(s) to a bilingual school. A second language is something I can't provide by myself. We plan to supplement the school math curriculum as neither of us are impressed by the math at schools around here (and we grew up here!).

It's not better or worse, it's just different. We have bad days sometimes and things we could do better on. But that's true of any person's education really. I sometimes think people compare an ideal public school experience vs. homeschooling and ignore the reality that most public school kids are not making good grades, not taking advanced placement classes, and so on. So anything homeschoolers aren't completely outpacing the public schools on is seen as a failure of homeschooling. But I think it's too much pressure on the kids to expect them to be brainiacs when they wouldn't have been at public school, either, if that makes sense. I personally think the homeschoolers who turn their kids into geography bee winners and spelling bee winners are way worse and more dangerous to the children (downright abusive in some cases IMO) than any perception that homeschoolers aren't learning enough. Not sure that makes any sense LOL but it does in my mind.

[MrsGoodies]

Thanks Atomic.

Good to know this is just a phase as my oldest starts high school soon and I am worried he won't even graduate if he continues being this lazy!

I block the good access also (someomes I feel so mean) but it seems to be the only thing that works. I've even disconnected the playstation and taken it with me when I run errands so he doesnt play games all afternoon when I'm gone.

[atomic sagebrush]

Haha yes, I completely remember those days!! But, they did what they did, even when it wasn't as MUCH as I wanted them to do and thought they were capable of, and even tho I hated that they didn't live up to their potential in those years and wasted time, they both turned out perfectly fine and are both motivated and hard working responsible guys. Even though I wanted to rip my hair out at times. :)

[1moregirl]

It's been really interesting reading all these comments but I still don't know what to do. I don't really want to be making the decision to keep them at home and homeschool them if I am doing it for my own selfish reasons of wanting to keep them with me because I miss them when they are at school. Does that make sense? My 8 yr old has been saying he would love to stay at home and be homeschooled because he is not that keen on school. Yet my little girl loved her first year in prep last year and says she is looking forward to going back this year (but I think that is mainly because she misses her friends and wants to see them again). Plus my little 4 yr old is literally 'chomping at the bit' to go to kindergarten and I just can't refuse him after my older two went to kinder. There is soooo much about the schooling system that I don't like....some of these things might seem quite trivial to some people, like a class of 20 odd kids sharing pencils, textas, etc and hence germs as well. Plus my son says that at school they only have cold water to wash their hands and most of the time the soap has run out. How in hell does this help to prevent the spread of germs. Last year my son missed the last 2 weeks of school because he got sick and the poo samples we had sent off by my doctor showed D. fragilis (a parasite infection) so he got put on 2 different types of medication to clear it up, one of which (Flagyl) made him feel even worse so I had to take him off it and I don't even know if we got rid of the parasite. He just told me he is not excited about going back to school because he often feels sick at school. He is a sensitive kid, always has to have his water bottle with him and just doesn't seem to enjoy school. I guess if they were at home you could get them in out-of-school activities more as well. My little girl is desperate to get back into ballet. I have had extreme anxiety issues again since just before Christmas and had to increase my medication (I don't know if it could be part of perimenopausal symptoms, but I have had to totally dismiss my thoughts of ttc again because it just increases this anxiety). I am used to being at home with at least one child for the last 8 years and I hate the thought of not having any of them at home with me. I don't relish the thought of going back to work either. I dread the thought of teaching other people's kids when I would rather be with my own. What if I choose homeschooling and it just makes the kids and I more dependent on each other? I think most of my reason for wanting one last baby was just so I had another one to stay at home with. So would I be doing it for the right reasons? Please advice me.

[cosmosis]

So what if YOU want to be with them more? How is that selfish? You carried and gave birth to them, they are part of you and even if you had not given birth to them, people have children to RAISE them, to ENJOY them and to have company!

How can that even happen when a child is gone for 8 hours out of the day, not including commute and after school activities? The parent is also gone for 8+ hours of the day, they get home, do homework, have a quick dinner and off to bed. Where's the bonding time? Everyone is always rushing around.

I personally got tired of missing out on my daughters development, she was also starting to get grumpy and her focus was going from learning to what her friends were wearing, buying and saying. I hated the fact that lunch was only 30 minutes and she'd come home with most of it every day so she rushed her breakfast to get to class on time and rushed lunch and often didn't eat until the end of the day. Those are terrible habits to instill in a child and they become worse once they are adults. This go-go-go, 24-7, high stress and poor eating is killing us and I didn't want to be a part of that when my life's work is about UNDOING that kind of damage to our generation.

She didn't have any time to do things she loves. She really developed as an artist in the last year, its amazing. Initially she was sad that she was leaving her friends, but being at home with her parents is much more valuable to her. She socializes when we go do community activities etc, and quite frankly she would much rather stay home and read. She reads at least 1-2 books per week and she'd read more if I let her lol.

I missed my daughter dearly and she missed me. I felt a big sense of guilt sending her away to school and now, even though she annoys me sometimes (and I annoy her LOL) we both have a big sense of comfort and contentment. She will be 10 soon and already can make a few recipes, makes her own breakfast, learned gardening, sewing and how to clean properly. She makes all of her dollhouse furniture out of cardboard and other materials and paints them herself. There's no way she'd have time to learn all this while in school.

If your kids are open to it, give them a chance to try it out :)

[1moregirl]

Thanks Cosmosis. That is fantastic advice! I totally understand and agree with all yuo say about rushing about to get them to school and poor eating habits. I think at our kids school they have about 10 minutes to eat their lunch and then they have to go outside and not get to finish eating it. And the fact that they don't get to wash their hands properly before eating. My 8 yr old son even told me his teacher would not let them go and wash their hands properly prior to eating. i was thinking that I would at least like to just try it out with them and see how we go. I will have to let them start this year off at school (because I have paid a deposit on a poodle puppy who we are getting around 17th Feb and my Mum is loaning me some money to buy it because it is expensive and I am not working just yet. If I was to tell my parents that I am homeschooling our 2 older children she may well not agree to give me that loan). I am going to let our 4 yr old go to kindergarten 3 days a week because he is really excited about going and our two older ones went and I don't want to deprive our 4 yr old of that opportunity. What do you guys think of this plan? It's also just until I can work out a plan for paid work I can do as well and fit into a homeschooling schedule. I guess since I am a qualified primary school teacher I could do some tutoring from our home in late afternoons or evenings. It's just a dream I've had for a while now. A huose with some land, animals, big veggie garden, and educating our kids myself at home. I feel the same as you Cosmosis....the kids can learn soooo much more from us at home that they couldn't and don't at school. Learning about animals and pets firsthand, learning about plants and growing vegetables, sewing, knitting, cooking, as well as curriculum stuff they learn at school. And they get to work at their own pace. Please keep giving me yuor advice because every little bit helps.

[atomic sagebrush]

I think it would be a very hard thing to do to take children who are enjoying school, out of the school, and also hard to keep one child home whilst sending the others. That would be a tough thing, I think for the whole family unless you and your husband were completely on the same page. :) I do know some people who have taken their children out but it's usually been over some personality or religious conflict with the school and both parents were on board with it. I think it would be a difficult road to make that decision unless you two were fully on the same page.

[atomic sagebrush]

something that occurs to me is that you may actually want to set yourself a goal of doing school at home a couple days a week where you do try to teach your little fellow something particular (like, set yourself a goal something that a 4 year old could learn but may be slightly hard, such as telling time, or whatever) and see if you even like it. It's a different dynamic than a classroom setting and sometimes it can be harder than a person might think. The classroom is different because it's a bunch of kids doing roughly the same thing, but when it's at home and it's Mommy and toys are everywhere, kids play up a bit more and it does get rather frustrating from time to time. :) I often have to clean the entire room before school because I do not have a dedicated classroom, and so I have to make sure all toys and distractions are out of sight!!

[MrsGoodies]

I've always sent all of my kids to Kindergarten because it was only a half day, the class size was small (12-15), and I could never be bothered to teach them Alphabets, shapes, seasons, calendar, how to hold a pencil and write each letters & numbers.

I found the year of K got them into 'school mode' where they could sit quietly in a chair for 20-30 min.

Another plus.....after spending a year 'getting up for school' and dealing with rude/misbehaving classmates, i found they were begging me to stay home by Grade 1.

[atomic sagebrush]

Interesting take on that!! I have had my fair share of kids complaining when I think to myself "if they had had to get up and go to school even for a week they'd be singing a different tune." :)

[1moregirl]

I've always sent all of my kids to Kindergarten because it was only a half day, the class size was small (12-15), and I could never be bothered to teach them Alphabets, shapes, seasons, calendar, how to hold a pencil and write each letters & numbers.

I found the year of K got them into 'school mode' where they could sit quietly in a chair for 20-30 min.

Another plus.....after spending a year 'getting up for school' and dealing with rude/misbehaving classmates, i found they were begging me to stay home by Grade 1.

That's really interesting too MrsG. Thanks for that. You sound a bit drawn to homeschooling yourself, but your boys do go to school don't they?

[1moregirl]

I've had a few interesting discussions with DH recently and I was completely surprised and taken aback when he said that he thought me homeschooling the kids was a great idea. I was like, "what?" It's the first time in a long time we've actually agreed on something. Lol! Our little 4 yr old will still do his kinder Year because our first two did it and he is sooooo excited. It's not definite that the older two will be homeschooled just yet need to do a trial run for say a week and see how we go with it. Atomic - I know it won't be as easy as teaching a class full of 20 something students (which I have experience with, being a trained teacher), as your own kids often muck around and misbehave for the parent, lots of toy distractions, plus me myself as the educator staying organised and motivated and 'on task' myself. In some states in Australia home school teachers are checked up on and have to submit curriculum planners, etc, but in Victoria they don't have that. But I just believe that with me teaching them and just the 2 of them it will be of such benefit and they would have more of an opportunity to become further ahead in their own skills than they would at school. I have jotted down many ideas to implement such as a trip to the library once a week to borrow books and have a lesson, get a pool membership and give them a swimming lesson once a week. They will get a proper Spanish lesson from myself and their Daddy (Daddy's first language is Spanish as he is Colombian). I want to teach them cooking, gardening (vegetables as well as different types of plants), sewing, knitting, crocheting. Our little girl will still take up ballet again and our boy can choose something whether it be soccer or karate, eg. I am feeling really inspired by it and am finding my anxiety is lessening. There is sooo much crap going on out there in the world (the latest being a "drug-crazed" 26 yr old man driving down a busy mall in our city centre killing 5 people and injuring dozens more - you may have read about it on news) - very disturbing. One of my friends and her 2 daughters witnessed some of it whilst in lockdown in a shop. One couple lost their 3 month old baby boy (was flown from his pram) and their 2 yr old daughter in a serious condition. Last year in our area numerous schools received false bomb threats and our kids' school was practising regular evacuations as a precaution. Another reason to homeschool. I have never taken my 3 kids on my own for a trip into the city and I fear now I never will either out of anxiety for what can go wrong. Sorry for rambling. Also, I'm just about to O, although this morning's test was negative, we BD last night and I'm not actively ttc but not preventing it either.