My children are home educated AMA

[NotBackToSchool]

With all the talk about rising numbers of home educated children and increasing pressures on attendance with fines for parents, I thought there might be interest in a typical day for children who haven't gone back to school this week.

My kids as KS1 and KS2 age.

We started this morning with my younger child getting in to bed with me to read her current book - a ladybird 'read it yourself' version of Heidi.
My older child read the 4th Harry Potter book in their own bed.

After breakfast they both did a maths video lesson before I started work as a childminder.

We're using the book 'The Tiny Seed' this week to learn about seed dispersal and made seed collages.

They mostly played with their friends all day and we went to the park.

This afternoon one of them has a dance class, and later we'll be finishing off the Lucy Worsley Six Wives series on iplayer (SIX the musical obsession!)

Everyday is a bit different generally but today was pretty typical! If anyone wants to know more then just ask.

What was your motivation for homeschooling?

So in reality, you're working as a childminder and not homeschooling your kids, they are left to their own devices for a lot of the day, it sounds like what they might do if they were off sick, not on a nominal school day.

We found having them home during the lock down school closures just really worked well for them.

How do you manage your childminding ratios whilst having your own children at home?

I'm not home schooling, we don't use school as a model to follow so I'm not worrying about imitating what a 'school day' might look like.

I do think that play, social interaction, being outside, creativity and following their interests should be the majority of my children's day.

The ratio is 6 children under the age of 8 and that's the same whether it's your own children or not and whether it's term time or school holidays.

Are you open with parents who want to use your childminding services that your two children are home educated? Also how can you balance the needs of those you're childminding alongside teaching your children?

Do you intend for your children to sit GCSEs when they are older?

Good luck OP, mumsnet can be weird about home ed.

I have one ks2 child and two at ks3 at home. Happy Not Back to School.

I thought about homeschooling but was worried I myself might not have the necessary skills or discipline. Do you have any issues with those?

Do you plan to homeschool for their whole academic careers? Do you worry whether homeschooling is sufficiently academically rigorous?

What is your own level of education?

OP, I am somewhat alarmed by this. It sounds as though you aren’t homeschooling them at all, but instead keeping them at home while you work as a childminder. I think this must be illegal (for good reason) as children should by law be provided with an education. Honestly I think I would report this to social services if I came across it in real life.

Thanks - a friend found similar and luckily was in a position to home school.

Of course, and the majority of the children I look after are home educated too although I do have a few little ones.
Any focussed 1:1 activities I want to do with my own children are done on days I'm not working or before/after work.
But a lot of activities like walks in the woods, trips to the library or museums, arts and crafts, science experiments and just playing can be done by all children.

Given that the children have covered maths, literacy, history, science and PE, what is your concern about their education? That is doesn’t look like a school day?

Yes I imagine they will do.

What sort of prep do you do to ensure you're teaching them in the best way you can? And do you teach them both at the same time?

I've been curious about homeschooling because I think the school day is just too long, but not currently confident enough in my own ability to teach...

Do you plan to continue to homeschool as your children get older? Also do you think you will need to develop your knowledge in any areas before teaching these to your children?
As what you are currently describing is similar to the learning environment my children recieved in montessori and at home with myself while in montessori & school. ie nature walks , daily reading at home.

I did all the things you talk about, museums, science experiments, libraries, playing outside etc at the weekends in addition to school. It wasn't a replacement, rather an enhancement.

I’m probably being a bit dim here but if you’re looking after home educated children, how exactly are they home educated when they’re not at home, they’re with you? Sorry if this seems like a silly question but I just can’t get my head around it.

I wonder what it is you expect education to look like?

Home education is completely legal. The local authority are satisfied that my children are receiving a suitable education :)

Certainly in terms of science, reading and maths my children are academically fairly high performing.

I have a University degree.

What did your children learn today?

If most of the children you look after are also homeschooled then I'm guessing your children have been homeschooled from day one?

If they wanted to would you send them to school in future?

Do you ever feel burnt out from spending all day around children, both yours and other peoples? Asking as I find days with my just two absolutely exhausting 😅