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Anybody Ever Home School Their Child?

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Heather

MyPTSD Pro
Don't know if this is the proper place for this... But am putting it out there has anyone ever homed schooled their child(ren). If so, how did you do it. Where do you begin. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I've been writing a lot about what has been going on with my daughter and she wants me to take her out of school and home school her. She has to see the girl that abused her everyday. They go to the same school.

Unfortunately where we live there is only one 5th - 6th grade school in our district. I mean who wants to go to school and see the person that abused them, it's a constant reminder.
 
Homeschooled for 5 years, was perhaps the 4th/5th best thing ever (following my kiddo, sex, love&laughter...yep. That high up on the list) Loved and adored it. Would still be HS'ing now if not for divorce, although this would be the last year we'd have been doing it, most likely. As he'd be moving into Community College next year (if your daughter is approaching highschool? Look into Dual Enrollment. Generally starts age 14-16 & is free 100 & 200 level college).

Where did I start? Research. I haven't kept my hand in the past few years, so there may be -probably are- some totally new resources out there, but here's some to get you started.

Know your state's laws (the entire website is amazing -info overload- but the basic breakdown of each states laws? Priceless) a2zhomeschooling via Anne Zeisse laws by state, province, or country
http://a2zhomeschooling.com/regional/us/homeschool_laws_by_state_province_or_country/

DESCHOOLING... The second most important thing, IMO. (And not to be confused with Unschooling...oh boy! Jargon. :wtf: I know. Don't stress about it). You'll find mention of it in virtually every starting homeschooling info anything out there. Average rule is 1 month per year of away-schooling. More on that here: Homeschooling Mom Homeschooling 101 Deschooling
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/homeschooling-101/deschooling/

Probably has the most non-biased breakdowns of the most popular homeschooling philosophies I've come across, along with great resource listings in each : Homeschool Diner; Homeschooler's Guide to the Galaxy (Don't Panic ;)) http://www.homeschooldiner.com/guide/intro/main.html

A Few Big Names In Homeschooling

- HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association) http://www.hslda.org

- John Taylor Gatto - The 6 Lesson School Teacher http://www.cantrip.org/gatto.html.
& his own website https://www.johntaylorgatto.com

- Cathy Duffy / Cathy Duffy Reviews http://cathyduffyreviews.com

- Anne Zeiss http://a2zhomeschooling.com


Humor.

THE BITTER HOMESCHOOLER'S WISHLIST
by Deborah Markus (formerly 'The Bitter Homeschooler' of Secular Homeschooling Magazine) This list has been pasted to the fridge of almost every homeschooler I've ever met. It's pure gold :D

THE BITTER HOMESCHOOLER'S WISHLIST by Deborah Markus

1. Please stop asking us if it’s legal. If it is — and it is — it’s insulting to imply that we’re criminals. And if we were criminals, would we admit it?

2. Learn what the words “socialize” and “socialization” mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you’re talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we’ve got a decent grasp of both concepts.

3. Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize.

4. Don’t assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.

5. If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a “reality” show, the above goes double.

6. Please stop telling us horror stories about the homeschoolers you know, know of, or think you might know who ruined their lives by homeschooling. You’re probably the same little bluebird of happiness whose hobby is running up to pregnant women and inducing premature labor by telling them every ghastly birth story you’ve ever heard. We all hate you, so please go away.

7. We don’t look horrified and start quizzing your kids when we hear they’re in public school. Please stop drilling our children like potential oil fields to see if we’re doing what you consider an adequate job of homeschooling.

8. Stop assuming all homeschoolers are religious.

9. Stop assuming that if we’re religious, we must be homeschooling for religious reasons.

10. We didn’t go through all the reading, learning, thinking, weighing of options, experimenting, and worrying that goes into homeschooling just to annoy you. Really. This was a deeply personal decision, tailored to the specifics of our family. Stop taking the bare fact of our being homeschoolers as either an affront or a judgment about your own educational decisions.

11. Please stop questioning my competency and demanding to see my credentials. I didn’t have to complete a course in catering to successfully cook dinner for my family; I don’t need a degree in teaching to educate my children. If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and-spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can’t teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there’s a reason I’m so reluctant to send my child to school.

12. If my kid’s only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he’d learn in school, please understand that you’re calling me an idiot. Don’t act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.

13. Stop assuming that because the word “home” is right there in “homeschool,” we never leave the house. We’re the ones who go to the amusement parks, museums, and zoos in the middle of the week and in the off-season and laugh at you because you have to go on weekends and holidays when it’s crowded and icky.

14. Stop assuming that because the word “school” is right there in homeschool, we must sit around at a desk for six or eight hours every day, just like your kid does. Even if we’re into the “school” side of education — and many of us prefer a more organic approach — we can burn through a lot of material a lot more efficiently, because we don’t have to gear our lessons to the lowest common denominator.

15. Stop asking, “But what about the Prom?” Even if the idea that my kid might not be able to indulge in a night of over-hyped, over-priced revelry was enough to break my heart, plenty of kids who do go to school don’t get to go to the Prom. For all you know, I’m one of them. I might still be bitter about it. So go be shallow somewhere else.

16. Don’t ask my kid if she wouldn’t rather go to school unless you don’t mind if I ask your kid if he wouldn’t rather stay home and get some sleep now and then.

17. Stop saying, “Oh, I could never homeschool!” Even if you think it’s some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you’re horrified. One of these days, I won’t bother disagreeing with you any more.

18. If you can remember anything from chemistry or calculus class, you’re allowed to ask how we’ll teach these subjects to our kids. If you can’t, thank you for the reassurance that we couldn’t possibly do a worse job than your teachers did, and might even do a better one.

19. Stop asking about how hard it must be to be my child’s teacher as well as her parent. I don’t see much difference between bossing my kid around academically and bossing him around the way I do about everything else.

20. Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing, aggressive, anxious, quiet, boisterous, argumentative, pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny, or loud because he’s homeschooled. It’s not fair that all the kids who go to school can be as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of anything but childhood.

21. Quit assuming that my kid must be some kind of prodigy because she’s homeschooled.

22. Quit assuming that I must be some kind of prodigy because I homeschool my kids.

23. Quit assuming that I must be some kind of saint because I homeschool my kids.

24. Stop talking about all the great childhood memories my kids won’t get because they don’t go to school, unless you want me to start asking about all the not-so-great childhood memories you have because you went to school.

25. Here’s a thought: If you can’t say something nice about homeschooling, shut up!
 
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Friday, I wish I had a copy of "The Twelve Days of Homeschooling" that my homeschooling group wrote way back in the day. And oh my god, #20--I worked at a museum where some parents claimed the reason a group of children couldn't form an orderly line to pet the rabbit was because they were homeschooled. But all the other wild children unable to form an orderly line from public school were just being kids, I guess? Particularly funny since all the exhibit employees were homeschoolers volunteering their time to run the place. :rolleyes:

I was raised a homeschooler, from forever until taking college classes at 13. AMA (ask me anything)! I grew up in a state where (secular) homeschooling is really popular, so I knew tons of homeschoolers who did very individualized and varied models of homeschooling, from unschoolers to the highly structured (with equally varying results).

#21 is kinda true... :whistling: :D
 
I homeschooled my two boys the whole way through. Youngest graduated from High School last June.
PTSD came along 6 years ago and made it more difficult, but not impossible.

I'm in PA and the homeschool law here is one of the most involved in the US. It just got a bit easier in 2015 (my last year of compliance! but enjoyed the reprieve all the same ;))

It's not for everyone (it took me a long time to realize that) but if you have the motivation to do it, you will do fine. Everyone has their own style. An involved parent is what it takes, no matter how you do it. Just remember - everyone has gaps in their knowledge, you and your child don't have to teach/know everything.
@FridayJones has a great list above, start there and the more you read the more you will find :) Good luck!

You could see if there is a homeschool group or family in your area. You can get a lot of relevant local info that way.
John Holt is also a great author on schooling vs education.
 
Found a place for Nicole:). It is everything she needs. A nurturing environment, with caring people. They will help create a curriculum that will meet her needs and will even work with me on tuition fee.

We are going there together tomorrow.
 
Yay for the both of you, this should really become a safe bond with you both. I am so relieved and thankful that you finally got a break and that your daughter is so happy and excited. I think a lot of good will come out of this one for you guys. Really happy for the both of you. hugs.
 
@gizmo Spent 3 hours at the center today. Nice, warm, inviting atmosphere. Nicole was very happy. We sat in on two classes. She was very excited about class called "brain café" where they discuss the inner-workings of a persons mind and why people behave the way they do. Very interesting.

She will return tomorrow: They have a sewing class in the a.m. and the afternoon there's an hour of reading and a writing class. Also Director will work with her one on one to see where she's at academically.

Looks like a go! Am very excited.

We left and Nicole was BEAMING! She is excited to go back and I haven't seen her with this much enthusiasm in a long, long time. My child has her spark back! We both have found our "muchness".

Good place to be.
 
Sometimes I really hate my mother. Told her about this and all she did was put doubt in my mind.

She wanted to know: do they give tests? Are there report cards? what about s.a.t.'s? If it's only 4 days a week she won't meet the 180 days required for school!
If she tries to transfer back to public school, she'll be lost.

Where's the support? Should I keep her where she is, miserable and crying every day? No other public school in district to put her in. Private Catholic school won't take her.

This is the best place for her. This is where she needs to be. Why can't my mother be supportive and understanding of what we're going through?

Her granddaughter was happy and excited for the first time in months? Doesn't that count for something?

I think it counts for EVERYTHING! God, I hate my mother sometimes.

Got so mad at her, I hung up the phone.
 
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