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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder how ordinary people afford home schooling?

79 replies

toptramp · 01/12/2011 16:55

I do have respect for people who home school. It is not for me principally because I cannot afford not to work and also I love my job too much to jack in in. I wouldn't like to work at home.

Do homeschoolers rely on a working partner, working at home, benefits or charities to fund their home schooling.

For all those who work from home- how do you balence it with schooling your kids?

OP posts:
LineRunnerSolsticeLover · 01/12/2011 17:01

I see where I'm you're going with this. If a person home-schools and is on benefits, doesn't that make them not available for work?

I have no idea. Never thought of it before. I presume home-schooling requires a certain amount of hours per day from a parent, or from a tutor who is qualified to also take care of children's other needs if they are young.

msbaublestwinkle · 01/12/2011 17:03

DP works full time, but we're working towards us both working part time when the DC are older. So at the moment I bring in money occasionally!

It's is no different really to saying "how do people afford to have a SAHP?" there are lots of different answers.

Original poster
toptramp · 01/12/2011 17:05

I would only do it if dd hated school because of bullying. I guess as a single mum my situation is very different and i wouldn't be able to survive if i gave up work to home school.

OP posts:
OhdearNigel · 01/12/2011 17:05

My friend homeschools. They have 6 children - and she home-eds all of them. Her husband is something to do with building but they definitely don't have much money. I think they get lots of secondhand stuff and with so many children most clothes are handed down. She is very careful with budgeting and they live in a pretty small maisonette without a garden.
Yet with so little their house is overwhelmingly full of love and happiness
I don't know how she does it.

AntiqueAnteater · 01/12/2011 17:07

dunno, i just think the kids lose a lot by not going to school

Original poster
toptramp · 01/12/2011 17:07

That does sound amazing. I am slightly jealous that some people have the patience tbh! Then again i do need patience at work too!

OP posts:
graceinabundance · 01/12/2011 17:07

ohdearnigel are they christians by any chance? alot of christians home school due to the demise in teaching about christ in schools.

Original poster
toptramp · 01/12/2011 17:09

I wish i felt that i could spend all the time with dd; but i don't. I need a break. Sad I miss her though during the day. Sad

OP posts:
AMumInScotland · 01/12/2011 17:15

It varies a lot but it can be very tricky for single parents. If you can work part-time and have some kind of family cover then that makes it feasible, but there are certainly people who would like to but just can't find a way to make it work out.

For most though it's a matter of changing priorities, working flexibly, working from home, and just juggling even more than you have to with school-age children anyway.

NinkyNonker · 01/12/2011 17:18

Same as families that have a SAHM surely? Not that uncommon? For example, I am a SAHM at the moment, dd is only 16 months. If we just didn't send her to school and I stayed home no difference financially.

msbaublestwinkle · 01/12/2011 17:20

I know two single parents who Home ed, one works as a childminder and mostly has the DC of shift workers so does a lot of nights, the other runs her own business.

NinkyNonker · 01/12/2011 17:20

I'm not convinced about mass schooling for every child, definitely nothing wrong with home ed. There are no set rules/hours etc.

OhdearNigel · 01/12/2011 17:21

Grace, they are Catholic but that's not the reason they homeschool. My understanding is that their eldest was very severely bullied, they did mainstream until a couple of years ago.

CandyCaner · 01/12/2011 17:22

I know several people who home school. They have partners who work full time and earn enough to support the family.

I think HE is a lovely idea for some children. I'd love to home school my DS (ASD) but unfortunately we cannot afford it.

mollschambers · 01/12/2011 17:28

It's no different to any family set up where one of the parents is at home through the day though is it? I know of a few families that do it. Not for me but each to their own and all that.

PomBearAtTheGatesOfDoom · 01/12/2011 17:28

When I homeschooled one of my sons, I was (still am actually) a SAHM. We are by no means well off - DH works full time for around minimum wage, and we decided together that this is what we want and it works for us. Some things are more important than material possessions. We were/are lucky enough that we can just about manage on one wage so I can be at home with the children. That said, even if it had meant moving house, giving up everything we possibly could to let us do it, we would have homeschooled DS - I honestly believe it saved his life. We didn't do it through idealism or moral beliefs or any of that, we did because if he stayed in school he would have killed himself/been bullied to death and there was no alternative. It doesn't actually need to cost a lot btw, you do need the internet, but other than that it's quite possible to do with minimum expense.

CheerMum · 01/12/2011 17:29

You'd probably get a more detailed response if you posted this on the Home Education pages under Education.

Why do you want to know about Home Ed if it's not something you'd ever consider?

exoticfruits · 01/12/2011 17:30

I would think the worry would be having to afford it for the next 13yrs or more. It is a like private education-my worry would be the ability to keep it up if circumstances change and then having to disrupt DCs lives.

kumquatsarethelonelyfruit · 01/12/2011 17:31

I started HE my son (almost 6) a few months ago. He was being failed by an 'outstanding' school so we withdrew him. He is really happy now and it was definitely the best decision for our family. I am a SAHM and DH works full time. We are pretty poor by comparison to most of our friends (one car, no foreign hols and live in an ex council house. We are happy though and although I am sad that I won't be able to return to work (as that is what I had planned) I would not be able to be happy at work knowing that it was at the expense of my son's education and self esteem. Just one of those things I guess.

I do want to say though that Home Ed is BRILLIANT! We only did it as a reaction to a crap school experience but DS2 will not being going to school at all now that we have seen how much better the alternative is.

TotemPole · 01/12/2011 17:31

If you home school you don't have to pay for school lunches, school uniform. So if you have a few children and aren't eligible for the discounts/concessions/grants then that would make a big difference.

On the other hand you couldn't do the trips out/music lessons/after school clubs as cheaply as the school does.

pigletmania · 01/12/2011 17:34

I personally could not do it, as I don't have the skills, patience or motivation. I love it that I dispatch dd to school, and have 6 hours to myself (before dc2 comes along in Jan, I am 7.5 months pg). DD has SN (ASD traits and developmental delay), she goes to a MS school with 25 hours of support on her statement a week. it is good that because of her difficulties she has regular contact with her peers and it does her good to be in a social setting instead of at home with me all the time. She also responds to others differently, and since starting foundation in September has made so much progress that I could not manage at home, the staff are wonderful with her.

kumquatsarethelonelyfruit · 01/12/2011 17:35

Yes, it can be done on the cheap but DS goes to Forest School one day a week and has french lessons. We are also planning for him to take music lessons in a couple of years. Add in all the day trips (£5.50 for a day rider on the bus), bits and bobs for experiments/crafts etc and the loss of my income (I was a teacher) and I would say it has worked out as expensive as putting both our kids through private school.

pigletmania · 01/12/2011 17:37

That explains it kum you were a teacher so you have experience in education to be able to teach your ds. I think that it may be harder if you don't have an educational background.

kumquatsarethelonelyfruit · 01/12/2011 17:40

Not so sure actually - sometimes I go all 'teacherish' and piss off DS and it all goes badly. I have to remember to pull away from all that and remember that I am his Ma. Also, I am secondary trained so am learning myself how to teach the primary stuff, especially maths and science which I am crap at!

pigletmania · 01/12/2011 17:43

Its good that you are able to, and that your ds is much happier as a result Smile