two families together or just one??

[thefruitmonster]

We are considering taking our DC out of school and educating them at home. We are not happy with their current school but literally there are no other feasible options.
I go through waves of feeling so excited about home-schooling but then feel overwhelmed and worry I'll let the DC down.
In all this rollercoaster thinking i was wondering about asking another family if they want to do it together?
I have heard of local home ed groups but wondered if anyone had experience of joining up with another family and any possible pros or cons you came across.
Also are my excitement vs worry rollercoaster emotions quite 'normal'?
Would love to get your insights please.

[FionaJNicholson]

I think families would have to know each other pretty well to be able to home educate together. Best bet is join local groups first and see how it pans out (but could I put in a plea for not just joining to find a best friend and then leaving)

Trying to find a way to put this...

Home educators tend to be idiosyncratic and each family has their own way of doing things, so it could just end up more trouble than it was worth to share. However I should add that this could be projection since I'm an introvert and it's pretty much my attitude to all sharing...

[Saracen]

I've not tried sharing home education with another family but it does seem fraught with potential conflicts. I should think that if you are going to do it, it would be better to find your feet first and establish your own style of home ed so you know what sort of family would be compatible with yours, and get to know some families well first. The friends I have who do shared learning are very selective about who invite to join them!

It's very normal to be simultaneously excited and very nervous. Can you say more about your worries - are you looking to share home ed as a way of addressing your concerns? Perhaps there are other ways of tackling those fears...

I'm fairly sure that if you meet a range of other home ed families in your area it will make you feel better, as you can see that there are lots of different ways to home educate according to families' particular circumstances and personalities.

[thefruitmonster]

Thanks for your thoughts. We do actually know the family pretty well already and I know they are not totally happy with their school either. But i have not broached it yet...still thoughts ambling and sometimes sprinting round my head.
Guess my biggest fear is failing our DC. But also i am 'not well enough' either physically or mentally. So would i be right / and-or wise to not even try? But then perhaps always wonder if i should?
In terms of the teaching part, i would know what to do, it's just the rest of the stuff that gets in the way! decisions...decisions!!

[completelybonkers]

Unfortunately I'm not able to offer any insights into sharing home education with another family but, if you PM me, I'd be happy to share my limited two months(!) experience of HE. Your rollercoaster feelings don't raise concerns - I'm sure many parents go through the same process and, if I'm totally honest, there have been a couple of occasions when I've felt a bit shell-shocked but that's mostly to do with my DS's personality etc.

It is a big step to take and you are sensible to be questioning yourself at this stage. I can identify with you to some degree over the question of "Am I strong enough to take this on?" and "Is this the best route for my DC?". One of my reasons for taking the plunge was that I don't want to look back in 10 years from now and wish I'd given it a go.

Without trying to influence you in one direction or another - and regardless of the possibility of another family's involvement - I would ask what the options would be if HE turned out not to be the solution [would a return to the current school be a realistic option]; if you found the teaching too much, do you have the resources to use private tutors from time to time (and are there good tutors in your area); if you tried local HE groups, I would imagine that would give a good idea of other people's approach and then you could consider who may be a good match for you.

Good luck!