Homeschooling Question... - Allen,TX

I homeschool my 6 year old who is currently in 1st grade. I'll let someone else with older kids tackle your second question for I know they'd do a better job of explaining it if they have high school age kids, but I'll answer your first question since I also have a 3 yr old and 17 month old. It's a challenge to homeschool, but it can be done and done well. I spend an average of 2 hours a day one on one with my 6 yr old. I start in the morning with Math while my 2 boys play together and that takes about 1/2 hour. Then, I tackle phonics/reading, writing, Latin, practical studies (Bible, money management, and other stuff she will need to succeed in life) after lunch when the boys nap. We take a once a month trip to the zoo, a museum, aquarium or something similar and we attend weekly events at the library. After 3:30 pm each day when the neighborhood kids come home from school I sit outside with all the kids and watch them play until about 5pm or later.
So, yes, it's difficult to homeschool with kids of all ages (especially little ones) but not impossible. If I didn't truly believe that my daughter was receiving the best possible education my husband and I could provide for her, I wouldn't homeschool. I had the opportunity to obtain a Master's Degree and I want my daughter to have the same opportunity. It's an investment in her future and I believe it's so worth it. Each year we decide if we will continue homeschooling. Someday we may see that another option is better, but until then, I'm giving it all I have and she is excelling.

Update per your last question:

No, not at all. The French example, again. I can't speak a word of French, but my 9 y/o can! She got some tapes from the library on learning French. Because SHE wanted to learn it!

Also, maths. Blah. I'm no good at sums, either. My husband is that department of brains, but he isn't home with the kids all day. I teach them math by letting them handle money, and help us pay bills and things like that

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I don't live in Texas but I home educate my six children in Pennsylvania. Can I still answer? lol

1) Home educating with babies in tow is no issue for us. We don't use structured learning. I don't have any set school times or curriculum. I let my children learn at their own pace in their own way. For instance, my oldest daughter (9) has recently fallen in love with France. The country, the language, the food. She's learning EVERYTHING she can about France, and I've never made her sit down and learn a thing about it. She can speak conversational French now and made some fancy-dancy French dessert the other day. The kitchen was a mess but GOLLY it was good!

Sorry, got sidetracked. lol Anyway. For me, having the little one's in tow is no issue. It isn't like we sit at desks for five hours or anything. We DO things. We learn from real life. Their math comes from helping Daddy and I pay bills, or from paying at the grocery store. Their reading comes from Daddy and I reading to them every night, and often throughout the day. They're incredibly bright children and amaze me every day!

2) You don't need an "accredited" diploma. Here in PA, a parent can award their home educated child a diploma (just print one up on the computer!) and it is as legal as a diploma from a public or private school. Students graduate by completing four years of English, three math and two arts and humanities.

Also, colleges LOVE home educated students. They tend to be very, very devoted students!!!

Hi H.. Welcome to Texas :) Yes we are a VERY home school friendly state for sure. I home school my two sons ages 4 (completed kindergarten, going into first) and 6 (going into third).
I would say that I take about 1 1/2 hours a day in the class room with my two boys per week day but of course I try and make the day full of learning experiences when we are not in class. It can be tricky with a youngin in the house but it's so possible with some planning. I would prolly school while the little one is napping or have them sit in the room and do some type of activity themselves. It's never to young to learn and get used to of a teacher/student relationship :) I would have some soft puzzles, coloring or some Lauri learning toys would be great for some thing like this. Being a home school friendly state means you pretty much can do what you want so you make you own school times yourself using your own kind of curriculum. Yes home schooled children graduate. They can have a graduation ceremony at some of the local high schools with fellow home schooled students and receive a diploma. And as for college, many welcome home schooled students since most have really good study habits and are skilled academically. Many receive scholarships and enter college a few years early.
I would really recommend that you attend the NTHEN conference in Plano. It comes in August and is very close to you. http://www.nthen.org/ They have speakers with some question/answer time after that is really helpful getting an idea of what it's all about. And alot of booths set up with all different kinds of curriculum to check out. Of course having someone mentor you is a valuable tool. What is better than having someone that has already been where you are at? I was blessed with my best friend being a few steps ahead of me.
Again welcome to Texas,
C.

Hi H.,

I don't mind at all to answer your questions. I was very curious like you are before homeschooling. I homeschool 2 boys (11 & 5 years old).
Homeschooling is another legal option to educate academically our children, actually it goes beyond academical teaching. Every family chooses the curriculum that satisfy the most their needs, expectations, likes, dislikes, goals, religious or secular preferences. There are many curricula out there, expensive and cheap ones whatever you want to use. Some people use something flexible, kind of flexible, structured, eclectic etc...I chose a Classical accredited curriculum where I find the structure, schedule and guide I need t to educate academically well my kids. I want them to be prepared for college/university and for life. The curriculum I work with give my kids the opportunity to be tested, graduated and have an actual Diploma.Some people want this and some others not. As I said, it is a parent/family's option. It is very important, among other requirements, to have all the records, samples of material covered, evidence on each subject to actually demonstrate what is being teaching and how the kids are learning in case is needed.
Homeschooling is not less (Note,I don't feel offended, I'm just clarifying) than Public or Private school is just harder, is part of our lives within our home, out of the home, 24/7, the only difference is that we educate our kid/s at home, in a one to one radio or a few to one radio. We have to find a way to keep our houses nice and clean, find a minute to have "me" time, do laundry, cook, be spouse and mom, all at once. Every household finds its way, and every homeschooling mom, does what it is best for her family and kids, but one thing is a common factor: our priority is our kids (that's why our houses are messy..LOL!! I am a clean freak so I try very hard to keep up with chores which we share as a family )
We choose our schedule and flexibility to take vacations, but we are required by law to instruct our kids 1,000 hours (600 on the basic and the rest on whatever you want to teach them, art, music, religion, cooking, economy...etc)
You can find interesting statistics everywhere about home schooled children/students graduated with diploma( not "home school diploma") and enter college/university as well as students coming from Public or Private schools.
Homeschooling schedule or a typical day runs according to every family's needs or preference. We start at 9:00 am and we have a couple of breaks in between. We finish about 1 or 2 pm and then subjects like reading or Religion are covered in the afternoon, or evening since my kids love reading, both of them, so that's a nice break and at the same time hours of instruction.
The little one spends time coloring, painting, cutting and pasting, reading (he just learned to read) and building puzzles, trains, Legos. Does he have bad days? Do we have bad days? Yes, of course, kids are kids, but that day we take a day off, we go to a museum or a park, playground, library, pool, friend's house, sport etc....or just stay home....!
The kids attend, during the week, to different sports or activities like Boy Scouts and Martial Arts class (the older one), soccer and swimming (both) and we get together with friends also (My kid's best friend goes to Public School and his mom is a teacher), so our universe is pretty diverse and interesting . Well, I hope I answered your questions. If you would like to know more I will be very happy to tell you more!
Have a great day!
***YOUR LAST QUESTION****
As other moms said H., you don't have to know each subject you are teaching your children, some curricula come with course plans to help you follow a class, and guidelines to teach the subject. Also there are many co-ops that will help you to teach a subject your are not familiar with or just you are not good at it. There are also groups of homeschooling moms who get together and share knowledge and mastering of material. I personally help my friend's kid by teaching him Math and Spanish.

H....this is the most rewarding thing I have ever D. in my whole life.....

I homeschool my kiddos, and boy did things change after the baby. It's not that it's a burden, but it's different. Here's a normal day around here (kids are in 2nd and 4th, and 1 in public school)

baby up at 630, dressed, breakfast, momma has coffee
time for morning chores and some playtime
kids get up, whenever but i wake them at 9 if needed.
they make beds, brush teeth and dress before coming downstairs
big kids breakfast, I cook, every morning, unless they ask for cereal
journals
math games on the computer-xgerms is a LOT of fun
workbooks
novels
spelling review-up until now they normally don't need me for much
lunch
Prior to this I'm still cleaning up, feeding the baby, and hopefully getting him his morning nap
baby naps at 1 so it's science, history, math depending on the day
baby gets up and the kids have time for their art and music lessons
We are normally done for the day by 2 or 3 depending on the baby and how the kids work and what we did.
if we do field trips we do them in the evenings with dad or on weekends. rarely during the day because I don't know a lot of other homeschoolers and don't like to go alone (i get bored)
we do go to the library at least one morning a week and the kids help in the nursery at my MOPS group once a month, and we normally only do school 3-4 days a week but don't take the normal breaks so I can do things like grocery shop ect.

You've gotten some great, indepth answers already! But I wanted to add that my oldest began high school home school last year. I've always home schooled them, but high school was a new ball game. I found Lee Binz, The Home Scholar, very helpful. I'm writing up my course descriptions and transcripts this summer and her book and website were invaluable. I even realized I could give my son credit for a science fiction class as he has read countless scifi books, watched the movies, and knows several genres within the genre. He will write an essay and that will be a credit! Anyway, I highly recommend home school all the way through. Lee's link is here:
http://b96b220fvqld6p5gtqq6z6hk7e.hop.clickbank.net/

l