by "zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
Published 05/22/2017 at 07:45
by "zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
Published 05/22/2017 at 07:45
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STARS: 3
It was... interesting... to say the least. Especially as one who has been in public schools his entire life. Anyways, I saw these four books that caught my attention there; I’m guessing they are part of a certain curriculum, which is admittedly pretty neat.
The pros of homeschooling is that the kids can choose a certain curriculum. Which is cool and neat, especially if it involves car or small engine repair. The cons are that the social groups with the homeschooled students are dependent upon your geographic location... and I’m rural. There’s a lot to take in, and this decision isn’t easy; it’ll affect my kids and a choice like that is never a simple binary one.
Anyways, it’s good to know that the homeschool curriculum involves small engine and car repair.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/22/2017 at 08:10, STARS: 2
Just my two cents as a non-parent:
Assuming you’re considering doing that through secondary school, be conscious of potential issues when it comes to college. Especially in terms of a record for grades and letters of recommendation. If I had kids and home schooled them, I’d enroll them in a community college as soon as possible in order to ensure that they have letters of recommendation.
"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
05/22/2017 at 09:05, STARS: 1
Good points. This is all new to me, so I’m trying to keep up with all this new information, and trying to make an informed decision.
"Little Black Coupe Turned Silver" (littleblackcoupe)
05/22/2017 at 09:19, STARS: 0
How rural are you? How far away is the school?
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/22/2017 at 09:20, STARS: 1
I’ve heard from multiple people that they love having home schooled kids as students, because they often work harder. But of course, there’s also a stigma, because it’s assumed that the majority of parents are fundies who are afraid of their kids finding out that Jesus didn’t ride a dinosaur into Jerusalem.
I would also be very conscious about seeking out independent advice about homeschooling and planning. In my experience, lots of families that homeschool tend to be VERY defensive about it (not without valid reason), and considering that it’s your kids, you don’t want to make significant life decisions based on advice from someone who desperately needs to believe that they’ve made the best choice for their kids’ future. I mean, someone might tell you that your kid will definitely have their pick of Ivies, but unless they’ve already sent kids through to college, that’s going to be as much for their own peace of mind as yours
"Transit" (gear-chip)
05/22/2017 at 09:24, STARS: 1
If you can’t find a co-op or homeschool support group in your area, look for extra-curricular activities that your kids might be interested in. Mine are in a local youth orchestra, and we have friends in a community theater. Also, see if you have friends or neighbors that might be interested in teaching a subject in the evening or on a weekend - there might be a retired engineer down the street that would love to teach math.
The thing I’ve noticed with my kids is that the whole concern about socialization is a huge lie. They’re learning to interact with mostly adults, whereas their peers are learning to interact with 30 other kids and one adult in a classroom.
"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
05/22/2017 at 09:28, STARS: 0
I’m on the ridge of farm country, but there are two schools within 10 minutes, because my house is between the two towns. A lot of the neighbor kids/teens are homeschooled here though; out of 17 kids 12 are homeschooled. I keep hearing displeasure with the local schools too, so I have to go investigate that.
But talking to one of the neighbors, the closest homeschool groups are 40 minutes away, which isn’t convenient.
"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
05/22/2017 at 09:34, STARS: 1
I help out with the youth at church, half of them are homeschooled for various reasons. The other half go to the public schools, and they aren’t crazy for it either. I keep hearing that the local schools are not the best, with many problems in it. I’m planning on meeting the schools too, to talk to them and investigate.
"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
05/22/2017 at 09:38, STARS: 0
See, I enjoyed communicating with other teens, some of my best memories. I feel bad about taking that away from them. We attend church too, which helps with socializing.
"Autofixation" (Autofixation)
05/22/2017 at 09:39, STARS: 1
I own the one in the bottom right, the Auto Fundamentals. I picked it up purely for self education. Very informative, I’m about halfway through it. Very good for teaching the basic theory of operation of all the systems of a car. It is outdated with today’s new technologies though.
"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
05/22/2017 at 09:42, STARS: 0
Heh, that’s ok, it’s not like I can afford a modern car, lol.
"MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner" (montegoman562)
05/22/2017 at 13:11, STARS: 1
Hey man, just to throw in my 2 cents. I’m a public school kid all the way from kindergarten. I plan on putting my 2 into public schools, but we also moved to the town we’re in specifically because of the schools. There were some other benefits but the schools were top of the list. (I even lost a bigger garage! The sacrifices we make! haha).
I’ve also been a swim coach and swim instructor for a large portion of my life. Stopped a few years ago when we had our first child but I can tell you about my experiences with the kids.
I know you’re very aware of making sure the kids have homeschool groups to interact with, but I guess all parents aren’t. Every kid I taught swimming to, whether it be competitive swim team, or just lessons in general, seemed to not be at the same level socially as the public/private school kids. They had trouble with confidence and were quite shy.
If you keep them involved in groups and sports from a young age I’m guessing that would all be a lot better.
We all know there’s pluses and minuses to all of our decisions. Just wanted to let you know what my personal experience with home schooled children (of various ages from multiple familes) was to help you balance the scale and make the right choice for you and your family.
"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
05/22/2017 at 13:20, STARS: 0
Honestly, the shyest homeschooled person I’ve ever met is my wife. I’ve literally had people ask me if she actually talks, lol. She’s getting better though. I’m second in command for the teens at church, and half of them are homeschooled; they are pretty social.
I do agree with the groups though, getting them involved. Being social is an important part of life if you ask me.
"MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner" (montegoman562)
05/22/2017 at 13:32, STARS: 1
Yep, and you’re right in the center of social for a lot of the people in your circle so it might not be a huge concern for you. Just wanted to share the experiences I had without putting a bias on it so you had all the info.
I think the problems I saw were definitely kids who got out there too late in the game.
"wiffleballtony" (wiffleballtony)
05/22/2017 at 14:15, STARS: 1
We will probably do home schooling. However my wife has a masters in Art History.