I have a daughter who will be 13 nex month. For the first few
school years of her life I homeschooled her. There were many things I love about it... i.e. she reads like a maniac, every time she's been tested she reads 4-5 grade levels above her actual grade. I have to fight with her to put a book down! :o) I know that she knows how to read because I taught her, no one else and I take pride in that. Another thing I loved was the closeness we shared. However there are a lot of things that she missed,
school dances, etc. We were a part of a co-op, but it's still different. I had to place her in public schools because I was a single mother working more than full time and trying to go to
school myself. I just was not able to keep our family afloat and devote the time she deserved to her schooling. However, after placeing her in public
school she started to fall behind (not from where they expected her to be, she was still advanced for them... but from what I knew she could accomplish.) She became so bored that she would actually ask me for extra
school work from home. I would send her to
school with extra work that she could do when she became bored in class because she'd already gotten done everything they asked of her. Therefor I searched in my area and found a great private
school (that was not affiliated with any religious group. I felt it was unfair to require church membership and involve grades based on things taught on sunday morning.) It is a wonderful
school and challanges her. This is her second year there. The only complaint I have is it is very expensive, and once again I hardly see her anymore. Now that I am home bound because of my RA and have a new baby on the way, I am feeling the urge to homeschool once again. I miss the family trips we used to take where we visited all kinds of historic places, making it a
learning experience. Plus, I think she would be able to greatly help out on my truly bad days. (I am very conscious of not making it her job or overwhelming her.) I just worry (as all of us home schoolers do from time to time) about my own abilities and also convincing my husband that it is right. Just looking for input... Oh, and btw, my daughter has asked to be homeschooled again. She enjoys it as much as I do.
Posted on 12/02/08, 03:12 pm
I am in a similar situation. My son and I miss homeschooling and want to start again next year. It sounds like you both do much better at homeschooling. Are you planning on continuing once the baby is grown a bit and you can go back to work? Convincing family is always the hardest I find. I have been leaving my husband interesting articles to read that follow his way of thinking. As long as both of us are passionate about it then he usually can see the light. It is important I think to show the family that you have her best interest in mind and that you have thoguht it out fully. I hope this helps. Good luck. 
