I home-educate my four kids,AMA

[wiziliz]

Used to be a primary school teacher, now I home-educate my kids . Ages 12,8,6&3 (no special needs)Ask Me Anything.

BaconCrisps, I home educate too, and we spend time with a wide range of families of all different backgrounds and I would say it is a very mixed bag! But I should imagine it would be the same for any random grouping of families from a variety of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds and differing parenting styles. There are definitely children around who are used to doing whatever they want, and are pretty selfish and entitled - but I have known plenty of adults (who went to school!) and schooled children who are like that too.

As annoying as I may find some kids behaviour at times, is does mean that my children are learning how to navigate a range of friendships and situations, and we have many interesting conversations about being assertive and how to work with people who we may not get along with particularly well!

Bacon - same here! I hang out with some home ed friends at times and know some leisure centre managers who run home ed sessions and despair! The parents see it as free spirited and independence etc. They do often come across as wild or unaware of how to behave in their surroundings.

To be fair the OP sounds far more structured than the unschooling types! I suspect with their kind of wealth their kids would do well anywhere andnit sounds a fun opportunity. Id like to do similar for a year or 2 to travel but really value the school community for secondary at least.

So the moral values thing Wiz???
Please explain.

Ophelialovescats apologies. Our top few moral values: Honesty, respect, patience, gratitude, forgiveness, being humble,and importantly willingly giving the resources/time, they have to help the less fortunate.

I’m unsure if you know this but you comeback across as quite strict and almost puritanical. Is that a fair assumption (not an insult)?

Thank you Wiz.
The same values any desent parents who do not home school would hope to be instill in their children.
Most schools would enhance these too and perhaps even encourage them to questions things ?

Is there still an iGCSE in ICT?

There is until 2019, so as long as eldest DC takes it the terminal exams then. It is unlikely to continue into 2020.

OP, your responses are mostly very short or one word answers! A little more would be interesting!

OP, how are you going to organise sitting the exams, for example, the IGCSE has two exams that require computer access, with special requirements, such as accounts. How will you go about doing this, seeing as so very few schools do the qualification, so you would be limited for private centres (mainly because it won’t be around much longer and the GCSE is already over)?

Mrspock I am quite strict in certain things, and very cool in lot of other things. Parents have to be a little strict, in upbringing their kids, otherwise i dont think i will be enjoying my life as a mum,and also home-educating my 4 kids.( not being strict in diciplining, routines, etc,and just letting kids do whatever they want , will result in a 'life in hell' for parents, people around and for the kids.

Which things are you more strict about than other parents who don’t homeschool?

I’m quite strict with routines and meal times but fairly laid back about how we use that time. So if I’ve allocated three hours to take the DC to sea life but he wants to go to the park instead, that’s fine with me, as long as it’s within the allocated time if that makes sense.

If you are not that much into technology yourself, do you not think it's needed in today's society? Technology is a big part of our world and your children will be missing out if they don't use it often.
I know most children in school need to research online for homework .
Do you let them on the lap top at all?

RolyRocks We are looking into private centres in the UK, if that doesnt work, my daughter has the option of taking her exams in another country. There are many IGCSE exam centres around the world.

Are your children religious?

GiveMeAllTheGin8 Of course technology is needed in everyday life, my kids use it everyday for their studies. what i limit them, is to watching movies, cartoons,games, online chatting etc.Today literally whole day i am using technology. I dont want my kids to get addicted to using technology.( technology addiction is going to be listed as a mental health condition by the WHO.)
Don't you think a lot of parents are struggling with their child's use of technology, and are clueless on how to handle it.

I don’t understand some peoples hostility to technology. It doesn’t have to be used for Love Island and snapchat. It can be used to watch documentaries, to learn about the world...

Me DP and my son like watching David Attenborough.

Do your kids learn any musical instruments?

"Don't you think a lot of parents are struggling with their child's use of technology, and are clueless on how to handle it."

Don't you think that by limiting access to technology as much as you do that when they are able to use it they will want to do nothing else?

I understand why you have reservations, but technology is how teenagers keep in touch with each other these days. I was strict about DD not having Facebook/Instagram until she was 13, but I was in a minority (I do agree that there should be an age limit BTW).

Not allowing a 16 year old access to FB/Instagram/Snapchat is akin to social suicide I'm afraid.

It sounds rather as if your DC had a bad school experience, and rather than finding a better school you decided to opt out of the system altogether

How much genuine choice do your DC have in the decision to home school? Do you regularly review this with them?

Wiziliz I think your homeschool sounds amazing and your kids will no doubt be very successful at whatever they aim for and are likely already driven. I have met HE parents like you and I am always in awe & very jealous! Are you happy to share some of the curricula you use? Maths, Sciences, English in particular? I Home Ed (children have SEN) and we are always on the lookout for good-quality curricula.

LoniceraJaponicaNot allowing a 16 year old access to FB/Instagram/Snapchat is akin to social suicide I'm afraid.
My oldest is only 12!

LikesAnimaParkfor primary I use Amblesideonline, for the books i buy CGP , Letts and some McGraw-Hill books. and for IGCSE the books recommended by the exam boards and also some CGP books. hope that helps.

Do you follow a home ed programme or devise your own? (All with in curriculum I ashume?)

How do you manage all the differant ages?

Do your children do any team sports or scouts etc.? Anything involving team work with peers.

I would love to home school. Hense all the questions.

OP, I'd be very interested if you could answer my question (12.05). I'm genuinely interested. Thsnksm

yes we do online assesments, just to give you an example, my DD 6 yrs old,her friends will be starting year 1in sept 2018. but my DD will be starting her year 3 curriculum in sept.

School is such a huge part of most kids lives- mine all had a stage at infant age where all they wanted to play at home was 'school' doing the register, writing on a black board etc etc and love things like playing polo at playtime and nativity plays and school fetes- I can't imagine a childhood without all these. Did you go to school as a child op? Don't you worry about them missing out on these experiences? When they grow up they'll be so different from their peers when it comes to their past experiences

Thirty rocks I am not OP but home ed children play schools too. They know that schools exist! There are also opportunities for home ed children to do sports days/plays/choirs etc and they can play the things their friends for as long as they feel, no bell ending a good game.