Homeschool Community

Why we started is very much the same reason as why stuck with homeschooling--because we thought it would be a better life--more relational, more warm,  more able to adjust to a child's needs--more learning together--more able to combine daily life and learning-- more time for life--didn't want a child to become a commuter at such an early age--wanted to offer more hands-on learning--wanted to pass on our faith--wanted to live in the grassy, sunny slow lane of life!

 I'm hoping to homeschool my daughter from the beginning of next school year (February in Tasmania).  The main reasons we've decided to go this way are:

1) My daughter is socially isolated in our small school.  She is a very strong individual and doesn't "fit in".  But this school is the ONLY PLACE she has ever had a socialisation problem.

2) The school is not challenging her academically.  She usually finishes work well ahead of her classmates, and when she asks for extension work, she either finishes that too, or the teachers don't have anything!  Her science teacher has been promising to give her some extra work around Leonardo Da Vinci's anatomy work (my daughter is artistic), but he's been "going to bring the books" for her since MARCH!

At least if she is at home I know that I will give her enough work to keep her interested! 

Hi there,

 Our family visited Tasmania in 1995--it was wonderful!!  So beautiful!  We loved that in Tasmania you can stand in one place and see a beach, a farm field and a mountain--all at the same time!!! (The location I'm thinking of us is the beach near "The Nut") 

 Our daughter too, is artistic.  Homeschooling created lots of opportunities for additional art lessons and art experiences.  Art seemed to become a part of so many other subjects as well.  All the way through fifth grade she would often illustrate the numbers in the work she was doing for math--drawing flowers on the numbers--things like that.  Because we had the time, she could. I think it's great to let children combine interests like that.  One very math-oriented friend of hers wrote a college application essay, very imaginatively, about numbers.  Being able to remove the boundaries between subjects is one of the reasons I think homeschooling is great!!!

I am homeschooling because, due to last year's unfortunate circumstances (my child was previously in an indifferent foster care system) she had been in trouble and was "sentenced" to the "bad kids" school.  Over the summer, she came to live with me and made a complete 180 turn-around.  BUT the school system still insisted she had to finish her term at the "bad kids" school.  The knuckleheads! It put her so far behind at her new high school!  By the end of the first term, her grades went from AB honor roll to Fs and Ds!  She totally lost interest in school and her self esteem was virtually non-existent.  I couldn't get any help from school personnel and DCF was oblivious.  Being a former high school teacher, I decided I had to step in and take over.  I have no idea how it will turn up but I KNOW it's the best thing for my child.  I will cross the bridges of obstacles as I get to them with a positive attitude! 

Hi genihanna,

So you're homeschooling a foster child?  What a gift you are giving to her!  We have done foster care and were going to hs a 16-year-old we had for quite a while, but then her placement changed.  It would have been such an awesome situation for her.

My hat is off to you!  Did you have any trouble getting "permission" to homeschool from your state or agency?

christinefield

Actually, Christine, Bree (short for Brianna) has been my goddaughter for all of her life so I didn't just meet her.  Because of this, guess what?!  At our last court hearing, the magistrate asked if I would like to adopt her and I smiled from ear to ear!  We begin the proceeding on Jan. 22nd.  So, she's not going anywhere and DCF looks at us as one of their very few success stories!  Besides, they know how hard I fought to keep her from going to that "bad kids" school - I knew it would be detrimental, but couldn't get an exception made.  Unfortunately, what I predicted came true - her grades plummetted and she started getting in trouble - skipping, being tardy, talking back (she would ask questions and out of frustration and dissatisfaction, smarted off.)  It wasn't going to get any better and we all knew this was the right thing to do.  They're behind us all the way!  Chalk one up for our side, huh?! 

 Hi!  There are several reasons we decided to homeschool our two boys.  First off, I had a hard time getting pregnant, so I couldn't just hand him off to a complete stranger for 8 hours a day, five days a week.  Next, I didn't have children for someone else to raise.  Also, I have been teaching them since birth and no government is going to tell me that I have to put them in PS.  I have done a good job so far why stop now.  No one knows my children better than me.  I know their strengths, their weaknesses, their pros and cons, and when to go and when to stop.  The only reason I have my two boys is because of God, and to put them into a system that He is not welcome in is just preposterous.  I am excited, scared, proud, worried, ecstatic, confused, flustered, flabbergasted and in awe all at the same time when it comes to homeschooling and at the same time my kids homeschooling me.  I learn so much from them that homeschooling is not just for our children but for our families to grow and prosper as a unit.  Why would I do anything else?