Why did you choose to Home School your children?

At one point I thought homeschooling was only for religious isolationists and off the grid hippies. Had we not moved it probably never would have crossed my mind. Then I was faced with the decision on how to best help my son when the elementary school was failing him. He was in the highest math level in 5th and 6th grade and didn't even have a basic understanding of fractions, percentages or decimals. He was in the 2nd highest reading level in 6th grade and wasn't allowed to check out books from the library over a 4.5 grade level and was being taught from an out dated 5th grade textbook. When confronted with the his lack of knowledge and falling test scores (he went from scoring in the 90th percentiles at his old school to dropping a good 5-10 points each year at the new elementary) the principal insisted that they were teaching what was needed and that the problem was with him. They insisted that he needed to be put on ADD meds. The pediatrician ruled out ADD and asked the school to test for learning disabilities (going on their position that the material was being taught and that he just couldn't comprehend it). The school insisted that they didn't test for LD until I pointed out that the mother of a classmate of DS's was a psychologist that did the testing for the school system. The principal then insisted that the school didn't have time to test every student so it was up to me to get him on meds first and then if meds didn't help they would have him tested. I was even told I needed to change pediatricians and that they could give me a number of a Dr that would call in the prescription without examining DS. I stormed out of the office. Now I wish I had accepted the number so that I could report the Dr. After that meeting I stared looking into the elementary school's record and found that over 70% of the students from that elementary school needed remedial or special education in middle school. It was pretty clear that the school was not teaching, and the students were suffering because of it. Also during this time the school system lost accreditation for a year and then was placed on probation for 2 years.

DD is 8 years younger, so she was not in school during this time. We enrolled her in a private preK the first year that we homeschooled DS. The original plan was to ask for a waiver to get DD in a different elementary school. We also planned to just homeschool DS for middle school to get him caught up.

DD's birthday is just a few days before the cutoff and she is small for her age. Due to this she was behind her classmates in fine and gross motor skills and had trouble keeping up in preK. Her preK teacher recommended that we hold her back because of this. The teacher felt that DD would be bored if she repeated preK since she was academically on track. The teacher was the one to suggest we homeschool DD.

So we went into our 2nd yr of homeschooling determined to get both "caught up" and then enroll them in public school. As the 2nd yr progressed we found that homeschooling really fit our family. At the end of that year we decided to give it a go again for the 3rd year. By the end of the 3rd year we were hooked. I also found out that the department of Ed was telling prospective teachers that they wouldn’t have to worry about teaching at the elementary school that DS attended. All they expected was that the students left alive every day since the majority of the students were African American or Hispanic. That right there pretty much sealed the deal for me and I vowed my children would never attend the local public schools.

There are multiple reasons. If I could find an affordable school that offered a good education, it would be a lot easier for me to send my kids to school! So far, that has not happened. I have lived in 3 different states since having children, and as the years pass I find public AND private school students getting less educated. In the state in which I now reside, there are FEW junior high and high school students that even READ fluently. [There aren't many adults either, just for the record.] There are NO teen ps students that I have met here that have a decent vocabulary - they cannot understand what I would consider a 'normal' person to understand. Now, if they can't read well or understand all the words in an ordinary conversation, how good do you think their writing, math, science, and history skills are? And yet in junior high some of these kids are being told that they are doing high school work. Ha, it could be true, unfortunately. I am just using a normal hs curriculum, but when I last had my kids tested with a standardized achievement test, they were ages 10 and 11. They scored like the average high school senior would have scored if taking the same test. I am not saying I am a masterful teacher or the curriculum was perfect - but obviously what my kids are receiving educationally was waaaay above what the average American child receives.

My children have always been homeschooled, and you are right- they do not lack opportunity for socialization. They have plenty of acquaintances and many friends. We have to turn down stuff or we would not have time to do lessons and/or relax!

The first time homeschooling crossed my mind as something other than an opinion of it being radical, was as I watched live coverage of the Columbine tragedy with my young daughter in my lap. I did not choose to homeschool that day, but it certainly made me think of it as an option. Columbine is a "good" school, and I assure you none of those students there that day or the parents of the victims would have ever thought something like that would happen there. I was recently reminded of my thoughts that day as my husband and I watched an episode of "I Shouldn't Be Alive", where two survivors from that day gave first hand accounts.

As my daughter neared school age, we were stressing because we knew we did not want her to go to our local schools- they are the worst in the district, which is one of the worst in the state, whichi s one of the worst in the nation. There ARE good teachers in our local schools, there ARE good schools in our district and there ARE good districts in our state- they are not all bad, but I just felt we were sending our daughter to the worst of the worst if we sent her there. The local private school's tution rivaled that of college. As well, because of the home environment, she was beyond Kindergarten level anyway. We were going to sell our home and move to the neighboring district, with good schools that both my husband and I went to. Homeschooling again surfaced as an option...

As we looked for a place to move to, we decided to homeschool for Kindergarten. We could not find property we liked enough to sell our home for, and at the same time we saw how much we loved homeschooling and recognized many other benefits. We decided to stick with it. I am glad we did not move now, because that district is having a lot of issues with overcrowding because of how popular their schools WERE- and now those schools are not as ideal as they once were.We are Christians, but that had nothing to do with our initial decision to homeschool. We certainly do like being able to have Bible lessons, and we also study other religions.

The benefits we have found in our years of homeschooling are such that I hope they never have to enter public school, as I think it is very limited in what they can offer/provide, where our resources are unlimited

She is now a 7th grader, and I also homeschool her 5th grade brother (I have two younger children who are not school age yet). It is not for everyone, but it works for us, and is great!

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First: I have nothing against homeschooling. I completely support a parents right to homeschool or choose any other type of education for their children. What ever type of education they choose, they shouldn't be subject to the judgment of other parents who make other choices. My complaint about it is that it isn't right for us. Most parents who I know who choose to send their kids to school feel as I do.

We don't homeschool our kids because it isn't the right choice for our family or our child. Our reasons are this: My husband and I both work. It isn't by choice as some would insist; our income is down with the recession; both of us have taken salary cuts and cuts in work hours. In order to pay the bills right now, it's work or loose our home. End of story. My oldest would have been old enough to be home alone with her studies, but she preferred not to be. She enjoyed what school had to offer her in terms of sports, student government, and electives. She took four years of Spanish, calculus, physics, chemistry, AP Biology world history, AP US history, AP psychology, read Shakespeare ...to quote you, need I continue? I won't because it really doesn't make a difference. She just started at a nationally ranked top 10 public university, so I don't feel any more justification is necessary. The admissions officers liked what they saw. That's what matters in terms of her future career plans. Our younger daughter isn't old enough to be home alone and we don't have the family who could take on the job of homeschooling. She is thriving in school as well.

Homeschooling or not, it's a personal family decision. My SIL homeschools her kids and I'm glad for her. I am not glad that she doesn't miss an opportunity to put us down, and more importantly, our children, for our choices. She is quite sure of herself (narcissistic really) and very willing to tell me that I really don't have to work, that her kids are academically and socially superior etc. We're not the type of family that sends a detailed Christmas letter bragging about our kids, so my SIL is going on her stereotypes of schooled kids and her assumptions about mine. Seriously, my opinion of her kids doesn't matter and hers of mine doesn't either. But I have to say that if her kids are learning their manners at home, they'll need a remedial course when they leave home. Everyone knows schools aren't perfect, some are awful, but the ones we chose are the best choice for us and our children. And only my husband and I can judge that for us. As for homeschooling, I don't think it's perfect either. I think it's what you make of it either way.

As for the social issue, that's a non-issue. Many of the homeschooled kids I've known are quite active socially and in the community. Like schooled kids, some more than others. There is nothing they can do I don't do with my kids. We go to museums, libraries, aquariums, the grocery store. My oldest did volunteer work and held a part-time job in the summer. My oldest took private piano lessons for several years. Our younger daughter is in girl scouts and on a youth athletic team. School is not the end of their learning or socialization. It isn't for most of the kids I know in the community where I live. (High levels of education & income...too bad ours isn't right now.)

Our choice is our choice. I'm glad you're happy with yours.... sincerely. Now, is it time to stop worrying about why I choose what I do, if you want others to do the same as to your decision to homeschool? I would say so.