When we started this experiment five months ago, we did so out of a need to leave our current educational situation — without serious thought or discussion about my needs as a home educator.
Now I know I underestimated the impact of many important points.
The pressure for a public school educator to enroll his kids in public school. Real or perceived, my husband feels significant pressure for our kids to attend school. As a principal, he has a difficult time working to build excellent educators, while at the same time implying, “You’re good, but not good enough for my kids.”
The need for unwavering spousal support of the home educator. While my husband is an outstanding father (see exhibits A and B) and very supportive in general, the input I receive from him about our children’s education is more about how they do it in his school, rather than interest in, or recognition about, what we do in home school.
The importance of homeschool being the full-time job. While I started this endeavor with only a part-time business to run, I’ve turned to full-time recently. This responsiblity will end when my book is finished, but the stress of managing it all, is not something I would continue to do longterm.
The value of nearby, real-life allies, who provide a logistically easy, good-fit socialization. It doesn’t matter whether these families homeschool, or support your homeschool, but there’s a critical need for a natural connection to other kids that relate well to yours. Homeschoolers I have met that do this very well, tend to have family close, or best friends with kids the same age as their’s.
We have a lot to think about. What did you underestimate?
HOMESCHOOL EXPERIMENT RESULTS SERIES:
WHY WE STARTED
the JOYS
the STRUGGLES
the FUTURE for us
UPDATE after we Quit Homeschooling
Family out of Sync
Other Homeschooling Experiment milestones:
The Beginning
Week One – Starting with a Frazzle
Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff
Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing
Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS!
One-month Review
D’s Review at One Month
Week Five – Stress and frustration
Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum
Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks
Two-Month Review — Some aha moments
Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream
Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history
Five-Month Review — What I underestimated
Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month
Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review
D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series
Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig
All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS!
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Tags: curriculum, deciding to homeschool, home school, homeschool, homeschool experiment, homeschooling, review
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8:38 am
I’m learning so much watching what you are doing and what you are dealing with this year. I’m hoping to start a “preschool homeschool” with Flicka in the fall.
As a “semi-retired” public school teacher, I know the pressure you’ve mentioned. I have no problem teaching others’ children but from what I’ve seen and heard, MY children aren’t going there. It’s quite a dichotomy. You simply have to do as God is leading and leave it in His hands.
I also have a similar yet reverse problem with spousal support. Da Hubby is definitely homeschool-supportive but he assumes that since I’m a state-certified teacher that I need none of his input! LOL How untrue!
Please consider blogging about what you decide, how you came to the decision, and what changes you might make. I’d would be very interested.
8:57 am
It’s interesting, we have a significant number of public school teachers who have enrolled in our homeschooling academies. I guess that working in the public school is enough to convince a person to keep their children as far away as possible.
2:48 pm
My daughter will be starting kindergarten this year at a track school. This means she’ll be in school for 6 weeks and off for 3. I’m thinking I may have to homeschool for those 3 weeks every other month. I may be coming to you for tips!
6:44 pm
I love your honesty about the struggles. I’ve always worried my worst would be in living up to my own unrealistic expectations of how perfect I’d want everything to go but you nailed some additional ones that are extremely valid – even from an outsider’s perspective!
Hugs,
Holly
10:40 pm
[...] More experiment milestones: The Beginning One-month Review Two-Month Review Three-Month Review Four-Month Review Five-Month Review [...]
3:07 pm
My daughter and I have very different personalities. I underestimated how hard it would be to figure each other out at the start of homeschooling. Even more, I underestimated how hard it would be to maintain focus (for both of us!) with the 1 and 3 year old boys in the house!
Here via CoFL
12:20 am
[...] Join Kelly as she presents Homeschool Experiment – What I Underestimated posted at Pass The Torch. She shares a real-life snapshot of some of the hurdles some homeschoolers must figure out. I can relate to several! [...]
7:50 am
[...] And be sure to visit the Carnival of Family Life and the Carnival of Homeschooling this week. I submitted my Homeschooling Experiment post, What I Underestimated, but there are dozens of other excellent posts as well. [...]
1:19 pm
Oh…Kelly…you SOOOoooo have what it takes to do this, misconceptions or not. Sure, it’s a learning process, and it’s expected it won’t go the way you imagined, but it’s clear you’re suited for this…. I don’t homeschool, but I admire those who do. Pat on the back……you’ve earned it!
11:33 pm
don’t burn the outfit.
don’t burn out from the experiment.
you know whats best for your kids –
believe in your choices
From what I’ve seen, read, heard…. they’re getting the rolls royce of education instead of the assembly line.
6:50 am
Robin and Pamela – I so appreciate your encouragement. I really do. Thank you. Not every day has been a car show, though;)
I’ll keep you posted.
7:19 pm
I underestimated how quickly the time would go by. There isn’t an adjective that describes how quickly it’s been here and gone. I started homeschooling my first when my fourth was just born. And my fifth was born just a year and a half later. “When will this end?” I remember thinking. And now I realize it has. Somewhere between then and now, I’ve taught five of my six to read and write. My job is now just about over with the first, and I find myself saying, “I don’t want it to end!”
But the beautiful thing about homeschooling is that it never really begins and it never really ends. Each day is a gift given to us to share with each other. We won’t always be doing so under the same roof, but we love each other and our relationships are stronger than ever. And that I am confident will go on for many years to come. I thought I knew how much of a postive impact homeschooling would have on our relationships, but I see now how much I really underestimated what strong family relationships really look like. It’s much more than I could ever have imagined. Especially when your teenage son is nearly a foot taller, looks at you and begins to understand the work and sacrifice involved and offers to take ME out for a Starbucks just to get a break. It’s a joy I totally underestimated for sure.
9:17 pm
I have really been thinking about this alot and I hope to post my own ideas about what I underestimated. I hope you aren’t throwing in the towel
Love
Leslie
9:18 pm
That didn’t sound right. I don’t mean throwing in the towel like you are a quitter if you decide not to homeschool. Just do what’s best for your family and ignore me.
3:03 pm
Spunky and Leslie – I really appreciate your insight. Truly. I’ve always read your comments with care. I’ve received such excellent guidance from online friends during this experiment. I don’t know what I’d do without you!
1:00 am
Finally posted my response– only took a month LOL.
4:30 pm
[...] More Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning One-month Review Two-Month Review Three-Month Review Four-Month Review Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month [...]
10:09 pm
[...] Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning Week One – Starting with a Frazzle Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS! One-month Review D’s Review at One Month Week Five – Stress and frustration Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum review [...]
8:13 am
[...] The loneliness/lack of socialization, which began to take its toll around March, was somewhat unique to us, in that we’re in a very isolated location, we recently moved here, and we aren’t near family or year-round friends. I did not see this as much of an issue for the other homeschool families we’ve connected with over the year. This problem did rectify itself by May, when we really started to connect with local homeschool families, and our seasonal friends began visiting their cabins more often. But I have found that even great-fit, proximate friendships require parental commitment to orchestrate the playdates. [...]
7:34 am
[...] Other Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning Week One – Starting with a Frazzle Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS! One-month Review D’s Review at One Month Week Five – Stress and frustration Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum review D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS! [...]
10:07 pm
[...] Other Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning Week One – Starting with a Frazzle Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS! One-month Review D’s Review at One Month Week Five – Stress and frustration Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS! [...]
8:01 am
[...] Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review [...]
9:47 am
[...] Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review [...]
3:18 pm
This is a well-written post – very helpful as we plan for the homeschooling years. I have a friend whose husband made the decision that their kids be homeschooled, even though she didn’t really agree… *that* would be tough.
10:16 am
[...] Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review [...]
5:50 am
[...] Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum [...]