what? no one home schools???

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Gotta get this thread moving! :type:

 

OK, what shall we talk about?

 

We've two boys we're homeschooling (6 & 11). PA laws are pretty rigid:BangHead: but we're gettin' it done.

 

Welcome, ABCJim!

 

Why did you decide to homeschool?

We were already thinking of homeschooling when our kids were toddlers, and since we are missionaries, it is a bit easier for us to homeschool.

 

What made you decide to homeschool? I have recently been very dissapointed in my c hilds schooling. My issue is that prayers are taken out of schools because we may be infringing on someones "rights". What about my rights. Mine are being infringed. I was amazed when my Kindergartener came home and told me about "lockdown" and what they should do. What! It has become a sad day when we teach our kids this instead of about a loving God.

 

Just found out my eleven year old neice was shown, not only the female "sex ed" film, but also the male version. My Mother is raising my neice and was not very enthusiastic about all the questions these films inspired. After hearing a description of one small part of the male film, if I was not already homeschooling, I would begin tomorrow.

 

There was not one big reason why we pulled our son out of public school. There just seemed to be one event after another. The first event started in kindergarten when his teacher (fresh out of college) suggested that he repeat kindergarten to gain better social skills. She requested this because he didn't like to quit the task he was on and move on to new tasks without any warning. (Funny, he is still that way today) Anyway, we refused. We explained that because of where his birthday falls and school quidelines on when a child can start school, it already makes him older then most of the kids in his grade. Holding him back would give him a stigma that would follow him throughout the rest of his education. Not to mention he wouldn't be able to graduate until he was well into his 19th year. UGH!
We moved and had no troubles until 2nd grade. The trouble wasn't the schools doing. There had been school shootings that year and I couldn't stand that fact that my "baby" was a "sitting duck". We pulled him out and homeschooled him the rest of his 2nd grade. Totally unprepared.
So we put him back in for third grade. His third grade teacher was awful. She told us that our son had ADD and that we needed to get him medicated. He wasn't participating in class. I went to his classroom. My son showed me where his desk was. He was sitting in the front row. Good thing right. No. He was sitting directly in front of a cabinet, blocked from seeing the chalkboard. This teacher did a lot of work on the chalkboard. I was irritated, but we did not take him out of school. Shortly after this incident we discovered that our son needed glasses. (Not ritalin) UGH again!
Next came 4th grade. My husband and I are both extremely irritated with public schools by this time. However, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law are both public school teachers and with their encouragement we kept our son in school. I took a position in the public school system teaching 4th graders reading skills. I got to see first hand what was happening in our school systems. I was appalled at the way some (not all) teachers were treating their students. Some teachers really do care and are trying their best with the resources they are given. Others are just there for the paycheck, waiting for their retirement. I won't even go into what the politically correct history books are teaching the kids these days. Anyway, I was getting an eye full at work and in the mean time. My son was a 4th grade student with a teacher who decided that Engish class was a time for her to read Harry Potter to her students. Ok this is wrong on so many levels. First of all, that is a very controversial book. Why choose that one. Second, why is she reading to 4th graders. They need to be reading for themselves at this age. Consequently, we are not fond of the Harry Potter books. So that was finally the last straw.

Our son has been homeschooled every since. He is not on Ritalin, falling behind, or any of the other accusations that teachers were trying to label him with. He is in fact going to be able to graduate highschool a year early with very good grades. We are now in the process of discussing college options with him.

I thank God for opening our eyes. I know that my sons future would be much bleaker if we would have stayed on the other path.

 

thanks for the info. I won't be very happy if a movie is shown to my 11 year old. He is just about to turn 11. That is a discussion for he and his dad to have. I had a meeting with 3 of my son's teachers. I know the teachers do care about his schooling but! They basically implied that my son is both ADD and Gifted. Therefore, he is a "savant" (using their words.) Well, if the state says he is one point shy of being gifted therefore, not qualifying for gifted classes, and the school says he should be considered gifted, then where does that leave him-it leaves him slipping between the cracks. I just want my kids (like most loving moms) to have a fair chance at an education that is not so worldly and monetary. An education about God and family, not harry potter and athiests.

 

When I hear what my niece and nephews have to put up with in school, whether it is the other kids or what the school is teaching them, I'm SOOOO glad we homeschool!

My niece and nephews are in 6th and 8th grades. The "social studies" class my niece is in is something else. It is written at the college freshmen level, and it is mostly about social philosophy of the US, not learning anything about our government, other countries, or any history whatsoever!