I need homeschooling advice!

I hate public school.. hate it, hate it, hate it. I’ve been saying for about 3 years now that I want to homeschool Sebastian, now 8. So, what’s the problem? I work from home and have an almost 2 year old sitting in my lap 99.9% of the time. My job requires that I answer a lot emails every day, take phone calls, research and test products for review, write proposals, prepare marketing campaigns, etc.. Oh, and my other job (you know.. the mommy job) requires that I cook, clean, and bathe the kids. UGH!

How does a mom get it all done? I can say all day that I will come up with a routine for Sebastian, Madelyn, and I that will make working, keeping house, and homeschooling happen but I have no idea what that routine would possibly be. Am I being un-realistic in thinking that it could be done? I have to work, I have to pay attention to Madelyn, and I would have to help Sebastian with his lessons and take him places so he will have some social interaction with other children.

I can’t really explain why I don’t like public school. Maybe it’s the lack of individual attention or the lack of communication between the school and parents. I don’t know if I just want to shelter Sebastian from bully’s even though he doesn’t seem to have a problem with bullying, or if I feel like he is not getting a great education in public school. Could I do a better job than his teachers? I don’t know.

If you homeschool or have homeschooled PLEASE let me know how exactly you managed. Email me at alicia @ themommyinsider.com or leave your thoughts via a comment below.

If Sebastian’s teacher is reading, sorry.. it’s not you!

Thanks for reading and letting me vent. Enjoy the new product reviews below.

6 thoughts on “I need homeschooling advice!

  1. First of all, ignore the teacher that made that rude remark. Teachers/Administrators do NOT want you to homeschool as they lose out on federal money.

    As a mom that runs a business, has been a sah/wah mom for over 20 years, and HOMESCHOOLS a special needs child, I think you should at least try it. What have you got to lose? I was so tired of listening to the negativity and what my daughter couldn’t do and would never do, I decided to homeschool. The very BEST DECISION that I ever made. Why? She was NEVER going to learn to read or do math and the list goes on and on. Guess what? She can do all that stuff and more.

    There are many books available to homeschooling moms for more information, organizations, conferences that you can attend to look at and purchase materials, etc. Again, you have many options available to you.

  2. Yikes! That was harsh. In honor of this reader, most likely an ex-reader now, I will post a notice on the site stating that I am not perfect and that I can still home-school even if I make occasional spelling and grammar errors.

    I appreciate the emails and comments I have received about this post and hope they keep coming. I am still trying to figure out how I would manage my time if home-schooling Sebastian.

    Thank you!

    Alicia

  3. You should not even consider home-schooling your child when you have no idea how to appropriately use an apostrophe. Really.

  4. Stumbleuponed your blog. To answer your question a lot depends on your style and personality–if you are a control freak who needs to be totally involved in every step then no, it isn’t likely it will work because the “must do everything he would be doing in Public School the same way” type barely has time for all they think should be in home school. However, if you are more laid back, can accept that learning is everywhere and that playing with legos, watching movies, playing outside, and reading or listening to books all have educational value and are willing to allow your child to learn via his interests, then absolutely.

    I home school my three (10, 8, & 6) and have since my oldest was born. I work from home–web design, server maintenance, artist, and part time researcher for an antique appraiser, as does my husband who is a programmer.

    The kids are with us 24/7, most of their learning occurs via conversation, books on cd or reading,classic and educational movies, projects of their own making. I read aloud to them in the evening, we often take walks together when I need a break, they play lots of computer/video games, read and play outside. They seldom watch tv because it is not nearly as interesting as all the other stuff they do.

    My point is that they are learning constantly. I would have to fight them really hard to keep them from learning–but that is because they aren’t worn out from sitting at a desk all day and being told what to learn. When we tried doing school that way they were sick of learning after an hour and would go veg out somewhere.

    You might check out http://lifewithoutschool.typepad.com and http://justenough.wordpress.com/.

  5. Hi. I was just going to say that I was home schooled in high school. I know that’s a ways off, but thought I would give you my 2cents.

    Being homeschooled prepared me for college so much more than my public school counterparts. I was able to do my reading, and assignments, without the
    constant reminding of “teachers”. I had a lot more responsibility for my own education and my own actions. There was a lot more independent study time, so to speak.

    I would think that an 8 year old would also benefit from this. I truly believe that sometimes homeschool is not only more beneficial to children, but that leaving them in public school can become almost negligent to their development.

    I hope you can find a good situation for your son. And I love your site!

  6. My friend and several other business owners in her area had the same problem- they had businesses and families to run out side the public school systme and schedule. They formed a home school co-op. It gave the kids a chance to socialize in an educational environment. They created a system of dues that paid for guest speakers and tour guides on feild trips and mega art supplies for collaborative projects.

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