HELL NO! I need my me time. . .

J/K. It's really not for me. I love teaching and used to be a high school art and photography teacher and am now teaching at the college level. But I don't think that I would be the best teacher to my child. Especially since my knowledge is very specialized. I really think DD benefits from the social aspect of going to a school. I know there are a lot of home school groups that do things together so it's not like she would not be socialized. I just think that being away from home and her parents and interacting with other adult authority figures are good.

I'm very familiar with home school curriculum and some of it is very very good. However, no I will not consider it. I think there is a lot more than just academics to learn and experience from a school setting.

That said, if there were extreme cases where a school was not a match for my child and moving/changing schools was not an option - I would consider it with their input.

17:25. I would also add that middle school is usually the weak link in any school system.

I think it could be really fantastic if done only for middle school years and living in the DC metro area. There are such enormous resources here, many of them cheap or free. The Smithsonian, etc., is just the tip of the iceberg. Done properly, I think children well home-schooled could have such a richer learning experience here.

Socially, middle school is the best time to homeschool. Children will already have learned important social skills in elementary school and have established friendships. Ideally, your children/family will have a rich network of friends from the neighborhood, sports activities, etc. Socially, middle school can be brutal and homeschooling could shield them from some of the worst of it until they are a little older, more confident and can better negotiate their way through peer pressure etc. At the least, it would protect their academic life from social distractions/dilemmas.

you might get more replies from people who actually homeschool if you ask this question on a different message board or one targeted to homeschooling.

here's a list of maryland homeschooling websites/resources:
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/support/support_groups/maryland.php

and DC:
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/support/dc.php

and that same website has stuff in VA too if you need that.

also, meetup.com has a lot of groups of homeschooling parents who get together. i bet they'd have good thoughts on what it's really like to homeschool.

I like to think I could but I know realistically I don't have the patience with my own children. We've nearly come to blows over homework "that you just don't explain right, Mom!" I would want everything to be a certain way with a neatly organized curriculum binder and deep down I know that could never happen.

I think it can be great if done right and for the right reasons. My brother's kids were "home schooled" but I don't think it was that positive for my niece and nephew; their parents weren't teaching them, it was online learning (state funded). SIL was busy with 3 babies/toddler foster children during the same period, and they didn't do any enrichment/socialization activities to enhance what they were learning. My niece came to visit when she was 13 and didn't know that checking out books from the library is free?!

Personally, I don't think I could ever do it. I'd go nuts. I don't even like to volunteer in my son's classroom.

OP, what are your reasons for considering this? That is what you need to think about.

Anonymous wrote:I always take a little step backward when a parent tells me that they are home schooling their kids. I find it to be very selfish when there are decent school options for a kid (most of this area is that way). It sounds so lonely and so isolating for the child. I know there are special circumstances out there but my kids love going to school and knowing their teachers and other kids. I don't see how anyone can replicate that in the home environment.

Exactly. I was home schooled while recovering from surgery and while I learned a lot more in a short period of time, school material is not the only thing a kid learns in school. I had a friend who was home schooled and when they tried to put her back in school it was a complete failure. She was overwhelmed with all the kids around her and cried everyday (even though she was stunning so was instantly popular).

I always take a little step backward when a parent tells me that they are home schooling their kids. I find it to be very selfish when there are decent school options for a kid (most of this area is that way). It sounds so lonely and so isolating for the child. I know there are special circumstances out there but my kids love going to school and knowing their teachers and other kids. I don't see how anyone can replicate that in the home environment.

I would not. I think it is really important both for individual children and for society at large that children learn how to deal with people, rules, and structures other than those of their immediate family. I'm sure that many people who homeschool work hard at making sure their kids interact with others, but I having play dates (or school dates) with other hand-selected homeschooled families cannot compare to the exposure to lots of different types of children and adults that kids encounter in school.

I've considered it, but I also have a Bachelors in Elementary Education. Our DD is 3 months old, so we still have a lot of time to discuss it, but I think we're going to go with a private school. I really enjoy my job (I'm a web designer now), and like I said, I'll have to do more research, but I want her to also have a great social upbringing. A good college friend was home schooled, and she is.... well let's say she's unique

If you have the patience, the resources, and motivation I would say go for it. You should really do your homework though and ensure you're going to be able to cover all the subjects successfully.

no, i would not do it. i don't want to be home all day with my kid (as adorable as he is), and i don't think i know how to teach (even though i am college educated myself). i did think about it the other day when DS (3) came home from school chanting "poopy, poopyhead, pee pee". rotten kids.

many of my friends homeschool. but it isn't for me, mainly because i don't think i'm a natural teacher, and i think if i had to be home with my kids all day teaching them stuff, i'd go completely nuts. a lot of my friends really enjoy being their kids' teacher but i am pretty sure i wouldn't. also now that my daughter is in preschool, i am seeing how many benefits there have been in terms of her socialization with other children, her confidence, her self-esteem, and her exposure to different perspectives. now that i have seen this in action i feel like there are a lot of benefits to the school environment assuming we can find the right one. that said my friends who homeschool are awesome and their kids are awesome and they do a great job doing group activities with other homeschooling families and getting their kids some amazing experiences. their kids are really able to explore their own interests and be challenged in an exciting way, in a way that i think is hard in 'regular' school. i think homeschooling can be great assuming it works for the entire family. but it just wasn't something that appealed to me to do, and i think the benefits of school from my perspective outweigh the downsides (which admittedly are many). good luck!

Trying to decide if this is something I want to do. Would like other people's opinions.