Aibu to want to homeschool my child with everything going on

I’m glad you are getting help.

But what does this actually mean?

I bet half of you are half my age too picking on someone half their age

I'm glad you're getting help OP. Your DD will sense your anxieties even if you try to hide them. My DH has an anxiety disorder and it's true that stuff is genetic. Your DD's best chance is you getting your own anxiety under control.

No one's triggered, OP. I just think you need help for your anxiety.

This. And astounded by the lack of awareness.

Who have you triggered? I don't feel you have that much power really

@x2boys
Yes NI is statistically the safest region of the UK.

I think people are being a bit unfair. I think it’s clear from your messages that you care about your child and just want to protect them. Stories like this of course cause worry.

On home schooling, I used to be against it. And sure you get examples of people who are so sheltered they can’t deal with real life but that’s extreme. I went to a tough school and a lot of experiences just gave me anxiety and made me want to lock myself away. I think there are lots of factors that can mean either can work for a particular child. I don’t think though it’s something to be decided on because of news stories like the one you mentioned.

If you want your child to do well in the world do things to help with their confidence. And of course you can’t protect them from rare tragedies but self defence classes or martial arts are more positive actions if you’re still worried about this.

I must be alone in not wanting to keep mine at home constantly. They would drive me mad.

No one's triggered, OP. I just think you need help for your anxiety.

Never say the word "homeschool" without body armour. It gets people really upset for some reason. Many americans have chosen to home ed due to the risk of school shootings. It's a definite trend within the US home school community. Personally, i think you'd need better reasons to sustain the effort required to homeschool.

Well, I am not even in the UK and it’s been head news here since it happened.

If you don’t even watch the news you’re probably not the right person to home school.

Stop with the laughing emojis.

YABU, but I get it. My DD is 8, and I likely would have let her attend an event like the dance studio one if it had been in our town. It’s just horrid to realise you can’t also keep them safe, I'd absolutely love to keep mine home constantly. PIL have taken my two out for the day and I always feel uneasy when they’re somewhere else without me, but I let them go. I get twitchy on motorways, feel nervous when they go on school trips and all sorts because I worry about all kinds of scenarios - but I don’t let on because I know they need to live life!

You haven't 'triggered' anyone - we've all just told you YABU.

It's awful isn't it. The bullet proof backpacks is just so sad. However there are over 115000 schools in the US so statistically the likelihood of being caught up in something is still pretty small. Shouldn't happen at all of course and guns should be banned.

YABU. There has been no mass casualty event at a school in the British Isles since Dunblane.

Statistically school is a very safe place.

You can't base your opinion on one person. Perhaps she was home schooled due to special needs. I know home schooled people who have done PhDs and got the top awards at universities. There are lots of successful home schooled people. Barring other issues, which aren't the fault of the person or their parents, you can raise a well rounded home schooled child with some thought in the process.

I remember having a similar realisation when my eldest was a baby, btw. So jarring, when you’ve grown this defenceless human in your body for as long as she’s been alive in the world, to face the horrors of reality. Parents of young children have thinner skins - I remember the gratitude I felt when my news-loving macho father in law turned over the TV unprompted when I came in, saying he’d not coped with the news for a few years when his children were wee.

Over 360 school shootings a year and you can purchase bullet proof backpacks for your kids😧

I had no clue it was that bad. We only hear of the big ones here.

You're on the Internet love. You can't own a thread. You can however own your own behaviour when you come on and write shit. You really think this is the time and place? Horrible.

There’s no guaranteed safety for your child, and that’s really scary. You can be sure that preventing her from ever socialising in community spaces will harm her, so you’ll come to terms with living with that risk, but there’s no risk-free option.

My children are home educated and spend far more time than average in church halls, sports centres etc. Schools must be safer in terms of this type of awful event.

But you cant just lock her up at home forever.
These things can happen anywhere, when shes out getting groceries with you for example.
Its just awful what happened and everything that happens constantly everywhere around the world. But living in fear constantly is no way to live for anyone.
So your DD cant go to school and she cant do any hobbies, because it can happen there too. When exactly can she hang out with other kids? How is she gonna grow independent if shes only with you? And who says she cant get attacked with you when out and about. Are you just gonna stay home forever?

It's not a normal response though.

When my kids were little it was the time of Isis and the Bataclan massacre etc, and I did have a lot of feelings about leaving them in nursery and driving to a different town for work.

But...that's what you do: that's life. You don't make the mistake of thinking that you're keeping your kids safe by restricting them.

Feel all the feelings you want, but recognise that they are just emotions; they'll fade as the news moves on.