I'm thinking about skipping my middle kiddo right to first grade, seeing as how he can do oldest's second grade homework already.  His private school is offering kindergarten this year, but they've had some staff changes that made me re-evaluate the idea entirely.  The only problem is that there is no way he can go to a public school.  The first time he drew a picture of a bob-omb from Mario Brothers he'd be suspended.  He's going to be bored, which means he's going to act out.  He's gifted, but he's got some difficult behaviors.  

I'm thinking about homeschooling next year.  I've homeschooled in the past with oldest, who later requested that I enroll him in public school so he could make more friends.  I don't know.  He'll be in scouts, and I'll have to find some other social opportunities, but I think I could make it work.  

I would have LOVED to have been homeschooled at this age, but for him, I am worried about his behavior.  It seems like the structure of a classroom really helps with that, but not in a large classroom like the public school will have.   Right now his class is small, so it works.  30 kids will flip him out.  

I've been going on job interviews, but I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't be doing this instead.  

Argh!  Why doesn't life come with a manual?!

Thoughts?

hmm, I was home schooled in high school and for me it was great. If you do home school them at a young age, just make sure they have many opportunities to interact with other kids if they want to (camp is good, also sports, my personal favorite is choir...). As long as they have opportunities and field trips (and you are an attentive teacher and they are attentive learners), I think homeschooling is better than school. The kids I've met who are home schooled in elementary (my cousins, and select kids at the hospital) are much more well behaved, confident, and interested in learning than other kids their age.

But, I can't really give more input than that as I don't know your kids, and I don't have kids of my own.

This post was last modified: 07-14-2012 04:58 AM by sg1008.

My son loves school. We saw a rainbow a few weeks ago, and we made wishes. His wish was "I wish I could go to school every day, even on weekends". He gets bullied but he usually isn't even aware of it (he usually passes it off as an accident). He loves being around other kids, even nasty kids.

But he tends to be more than a handful for his teachers. Lack of focus, inability to remember instructions for more than a few seconds.

I'd advise that you start him off in kindergarten and monitor how he gets on, talk to his teachers, etc.  If he likes structure to his days, school could be a good thing, and he'd get some socialization practise, which he wouldn't really at home.  You can keep the idea of home-schooling open as an option, but he may do well in school and enjoy the learning experience.  I certainly loved learning, it was just the social side of it I coudn't get.  
Alison

I was wanting to get a job as a nanny to actually homeschool someone's special kid if necessary.  Only I can not get hired as a nanny period even for kids going to school.   Could you hire someone to homeschool?  

I think the bullying is the difficult part.   I know for me going to the same school from age 5 to 13 meant that although I might have improved my social skills somewhat of that time - kids did not forget and treated me as "odd" the whole time.  I made a few friends and I loved to learn.  The problem was that the teacher was usually spending so much time on the other kids that I could have learned more at home.

I don't think he really understands what being bullied is yet and the maliciousness behind it.  Of some of his "friends" who are mean to him, he's probably hoping they'll stop it; treat him better and everything will be "peaches and cream".  I was like that around that age; especially regarding a same-age cousin who just got worse and worse and of whom now those bad memories define what I remember of him growing up.

Oldest is often bullied without realizing it   

I've talked with him about it, and he wants to start out in Kindergarten at school.  I think I may just send him to the public school, and if it works out, great.  It is only half day, so I can supplement his education during the other half of the day.  

I think that if someone were looking for a nanny to homeschool their kids, they'd want someone with an education background.  I don't think you need a degree to be a tutor in the US, though.  A lot of moms of larger families need help if they're homeschooling their kids.  It is a lot of work!

Oldest is often bullied without realizing it   

I've talked with him about it, and he wants to start out in Kindergarten at school.  I think I may just send him to the public school, and if it works out, great.  It is only half day, so I can supplement his education during the other half of the day.  

I think that if someone were looking for a nanny to homeschool their kids, they'd want someone with an education background.  I don't think you need a degree to be a tutor in the US, though.  A lot of moms of larger families need help if they're homeschooling their kids.  It is a lot of work!

Sounds good for the kid but you could explain that everything has a good and bad points.  If he can talk to you about what is happening and how he is feeling then you can try to teach him some skills for coping with the bad.  

I think that homeschooling is actually better provided that the parent is organized and knows their limitations in teaching certain subjects at certain levels.  By the time the kid can learn to read well, they mostly teach themselves.  I think that this is possible with the internet and other supports out there.  Public school is getting to be more and more about "warehousing" kids as daycare and training them to be "good employees" (whatever that means) than really educating and producing good character.

There are some "homeschool" clubs that met up for social or group activities.  There is not valid excuse that children will not be "socialized" if they are homeschooled unless you live in some remote area and totally isolate them for other people on purpose.  

I don't have teacher/childcare training I just have a good and broad education.  It is just that people seem to think that you need these qualifications to be a nanny with teacher's certificate or Early Childhood Education certificate.  Or they just want cheap like getting a live-in immigrant who used to be a dentist in China.

What is all this stuff about planting your children in a garden anyway?
Sounds a bit cruel.

Send him to Nachtgarten instead! He can collect stones with me!

MIKKA MAKKA MOO!

scouting is good.  what about churches (if that is your belief) some churches offer activities for kids
What about the libary some public librarys offer age appropriat activities for kids  in summer time check local red cross for avalible swim clubs, some public schools offer after school programs dont know if they would allow home school kids to participate thougn

I would avoid after school programmes at public schools.  Most of them would actually have more bullying than just regular school.  Unless your kid wants to play in a school band or join a choir or sports teams.  Some public schools will allow homeschooled kids to come for just a few activities.  I am not sure if there is a fee since most homeschooling parents are required to pay taxes that support the schools that they are not using.  

Actually I pay taxes for schools and I do not even have kids.  I would love to join a homeschooling group but that would seem weird to people because I do not have any children.