I'm a homeschooling mom AMA

[Anonymous]

So I am opening myself up to questions in hope of dispelling some of the myths surrounding homeschooling as an educational choice. I would especially love to hear from anyone who is considering homeschooling but has questions about logistics.

Some preemptive answers:
My husband and I are educated.

I have a bachelor's degree and several certifications in my field (yes I work part time). My husband has a master's and additional certifications in his field.

We have 2 children in elementary school and have been doing this for 4 years.

We are a church going family, but that was not our primary reason for homeschooling. We now live in an area with a great Catholic school that we would take advantage of if it was.

Yes we teach evolution. Yes my kids are well socialized and are far from isolated.

Ok go.

[Anonymous]

Do you vaccinate?

[Anonymous]

What does your daily “teaching” schedule look like?

What are annual teaching expenses like?

Are you in the DMV area?

How are the kids socialized?

I’ve thought about homeschooling and working part time from home.

[Anonymous]

Why do you home school? Concern over education quality at your local school options or do you worry about their interactions with other children?

Do you worry they’re missing out on mainstream life experiences?

[Anonymous]

Why are you homeschooling your children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you vaccinate?

OP here-- Yes

[Anonymous]

I think about homeschooling sometimes. I remember school feeling really scattered because just when I started getting into one subject it was time to switch to doing something else.

I can see there being a lot of opportunity for kids to really focus on their passions without constant distractions like a traditional classroom. The part I worry is how to implement structure and discipline.

[Anonymous]

What are you using for writing this year? Do you like it?

— another homeschool mom who isn’t loving our current writing curriculum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you homeschooling your children?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does your daily “teaching” schedule look like?

What are annual teaching expenses like?

Are you in the DMV area?

How are the kids socialized?

I’ve thought about homeschooling and working part-time from home.

OP here-- daily teaching schedule-- on non-co-op days, I teach/children work from about 8-1130/12. That includes a little break time here and there to let them unwind (I work in the morning for an hour or two and then after lunch during homework time, so about 4 hours per day). After lunch, sometimes they have a little 'homework' if they didn't finish all of a targeted lesson. On co-op days we are out of the house all morning and they just have some math and reading to do after lunch.

Expenses-- a few hundred a year, but I know plenty of people who do it on far less by taking better advantage of the library.

Socialization-- a very active co-op that meets with activities 2-3 times per week and includes plenty of time for unstructured play (in addition to classes) as well as team sports and community activities. They have friends who are homeschooled, privately educated, and publicly educated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think about homeschooling sometimes. I remember school feeling really scattered because just when I started getting into one subject it was time to switch to doing something else.

I can see there being a lot of opportunity for kids to really focus on their passions without constant distractions like a traditional classroom. The part I worry is how to implement structure and discipline.

It really is great for pursuing passions and working at a personal pace. Structure/discipline is very important to my husband, so we make an extra effort to include it in our homeschool. We have a dedicated classroom where the children have lessons. As they are getting older, they have homework and more independent projects to teach them time management, etc. It is a personal thing that is definitely possible in a homeschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think about homeschooling sometimes. I remember school feeling really scattered because just when I started getting into one subject it was time to switch to doing something else.

I can see there being a lot of opportunity for kids to really focus on their passions without constant distractions like a traditional classroom. The part I worry is how to implement structure and discipline.

It really is great for pursuing passions and working at a personal pace. Structure/discipline is very important to my husband, so we make an extra effort to include it in our homeschool. We have a dedicated classroom where the children have lessons. As they are getting older, they have homework and more independent projects to teach them time management, etc. It is a personal thing that is definitely possible in a homeschool.

Sorry-- the above answer was from me-- OP

[Anonymous]

Do you know there is a homeschooling forum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you homeschooling your children?

+1

OP here

We started because we lived in an area with terrible schools but loved the area otherwise. We have since moved. We now live in an area with decent schools and a great local Catholic school but continue to homeschool because:

a) Homeschooling is giving my children an excellent education. They receive a rigorous classical education that is just not available in schools. They learn things like diagraming sentences, memorizing capitals of countries worldwide, and receive a history education that is truly global.
b) My husband is an immigrant and we have more time to incorporate cultural aspects, such as second language lessons.
c) One of my children has since been identified as 2e-- working several grades beyond age, but is very hyperactive. This child would not be served well in a traditional school setting. The 2 hours spent in a co-op classroom is about this child's limit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you know there is a homeschooling forum?

Yes I do, it is mostly dead.

When I want to discuss things with other homeschooling parents-- I visit the Well Trained Mom forum.

I posted this here because I regularly see myths propagated on this forum and wanted to see if I could answer some questions head-on. Most people do not visit the homeschooling forum unless they are already homeschooling.