Reluctant Homeschoolers trying to decide the best route...

[yellowheart]

I have a couple of years to make the decision, but, I'm essentially trying to pump myself up to homeschool our two children. The oldest one is only 2 1/2 so we have a little while to decide. Although DS could really benefit some structured learning now...that's for another thread. I'm not all that excited about HSing at this point to be quite honest.

Our options are the following. Keep in mind that I work PT. 2 months out of the year 35-40 hours a week and the rest of the year is around 20 hours (sometimes less). I set my own schedule.

1) keep the current job and homeschool
2) keep the current job and send children to public school and do damage control after hours (the slacker in me REALLY wants to do this)
3) find full-time employment and send the children to the private Christian school down the street.

Our church home is heavily populated w/homeschooling families. Probably 65-70%. So the support to HS is there. So is the underlying pressure to HS. And, if you don't HS its almost assumed that you will send the babes to the Christian school. Public school? Gasp!! for even thinking about it. Of course, this is rarely vocalized but you can tell the mindset is there.

Any thoughts? You would be helping two families. I am asking for myself as well as another family in a similar situation.

TIA

[BHope]

I would suggest, since you have time, to not hem yourself into any set decision. I was adamantly against homeschooling -for our family- until recent years. Turns out, we did a modified unschool preschool program, and would do HS for Kindergarten in the fall if it wasn't for a really great opportunity we have to send DD1 to a charter school we really like.

Definitely check out your options, but keep in mind that you and your husband are the authority on what is the best choice for your family.

[Quiteria]

James 1:5-8
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Currently, I feel led to put dd in public school. Not sure it will be forever, but right now, she has access to an occupational therapist and additional extra one-on-one help on handwriting. The evaluation process took a long time, but it was free. By contrast, I tried getting it done outside the school system, and it cost hundreds of dollars through the hospital OT, after insurance even. :/

I believe very strongly in Christian school. I taught in one. But right now, dd is being helped very much in public school...God specifically led us to this school in kindergarten via circumstances mostly out of our control. For example, we live closer to a school with larger class sizes, but dd was picked at random to attend this one b/c of busing issues. :shrug3 And we were going to move to a different town, but the potential landlord stood us up, so here we are in this district instead. :shrug3 I will admit that I didn't much like her kindergarten teacher :shifty, her first and second grade teachers have been WONDERFUL about getting her referred for help and working with her and so forth. And even the kindergarten teacher did start the evaluation process and give us some things to think about...I just don't care for her strict style, nor did my dd respond well to it :O But there wasn't anything evil yet, nothing I couldn't do damage control for. Not true everwhere, but it has been for us. :heart

I'd love to send her to a Christian high school. Or theoretically, I could hs, since I'm qualified as a high school teacher. :P~ But right now, she is being blessed there in a public school, with resources that my local Christian school doesn't have. Even with a best friend. I know some private schools have arrangements to use public school special ed services for things like speech therapy, or have great art programs or share sports programs, etc., so maybe you;ll be led that route, or maybe God will give you motivation to hs instead and just take vacation during those 2 busy months instead of traditional summer...but sometimes there is blessings even in public school if God leads you there.

ps when we looked into potentially homeschooling, I considered doing a public online charter to keep *me* accountable, give us structure and curriculum.

[yellowheart]

I must also add that I'm not the most organized person on the face of the earth. This has DH concerned. He doesn't doubt my ability to teach the children, but, is concerned about all of the "organizational" aspects of HS. My HSing friends laugh about this! Anywho....I'm going to have "prove" in advance to my DH that I'm up to the task at hand should we decide to HS. Hmmm...maybe that's the true issue...I don't want to get organized!! LOL

[Quiteria]

I must also add that I'm not the most organized person on the face of the earth. This has DH concerned. He doesn't doubt my ability to teach the children, but, is concerned about all of the "organizational" aspects of HS. My HSing friends laugh about this! Anywho....I'm going to have "prove" in advance to my DH that I'm up to the task at hand should we decide to HS. Hmmm...maybe that's the true issue...I don't want to get organized!! LOL
that was very much one of my struggles, too :blush

[AugustMama]

I've been back and forth on the homeschool issue for a while myself. :smile Most of the time if I'm doubting the decision to homeschool, it's because I'm doubting myself and my abilities (I'm a bit of a slacker and disorganized too.) My oldest is 3.5 so I haven't officially started homeschooling yet but for now that is where I think we're headed. For me, it is because I see the value in homeschooling over every other option for our family. We can't afford private school and the public schools here are pretty bad. With homeschooling I will have control over what my kids are being taught, plus I can tailor it to their individual learning styles and temperments. However, I don't work outside of the home so your situation is a bit different. My advice is to do lots of research on your options, pray pray pray, and try not to be influenced by "what everyone else is doing." Good luck!

[veggiegirl]

Since your oldest is only 2.5, I would not worry about it too much. You have at least 2 years to decide anything and a lot can change in two years. I would just research some options for when the time comes and keep praying about it. HUGS!