AIBU to not expect some sort of righteous witchhunt by home educators?

[pocopearl]

So I was on a home education group on fbook asking for some advice on one of those facebook groups with the no nastiness disclaimer at the top. Basically asking for some advice re semi structured learning for HE for 2yrs plus. To which I have every one telling me this research that research etc play this play that. and telling me that I am in the wrong and should educate my child differently. Now I am no friggin expert in this but surely the reason most people home educate is that they don't like the way school are educating their child as their child is not being educated to how they want. so what right do they have to tell me my plans are wrong, because my plans dont fit into how they HE.

Then up pops links to the conversation and screen shots in other HE groups saying I give HE a bad name, this is whats wrong with the world. O my days. So annoyed. What is wrong with people. If they have nothing nice to say they should just get back to home educating their kids.

defiantly not in a forced sit down and study 8 hours a day way

You also had me until you used the word 'defiantly'.

Also wreaking instead of wrecking and at least one instance of the wrong your/you're.

If you're going to HE a frigging genius you need to brush up on basic skills!

I think that home educators have totally different mindset from people who use a nursery so maybe it was the wrong place to ask. Are you planning to home educate? Why are you posting on a home education facebook page when your child is not complusory school age? There is no need for witchhunts or mean behaviour online.

Two year olds need lots and lots (and lots!!) of excercise to develop their gross motor skills. A child needs to be able to control their large limbs before developing fine motor skills. If you want something structured then your local gymnastics club might be able to offer a mother and toddler class.

A music/class group can help develop language skills and concentration. Reading to your child and talking about books is another way of developing language.

Your child will develop fine motor skills from going to nursery.

It really sounds to me as if you are doing fine.

Your child might like a swimming class.

I think you happened apon a group run by a delightful lady who fancies herself as a bit of an expert often claims she runs a HE information network with something like 5000 members or some other such drivel.

All her groups are the same,oh and if you have a different view point to her (usually involving agreeing to meetings with the LA or structured learning) she bans you and blocks you but then spends ages being really unpleasant about you on line.

I spend a lot of time on HE groups but I avoid any with associations to groups or people she's affiliated with purely because I agree with you,the entire point of HE is doing it the way you want.

Its probably a good thing it happened because you have now seen what some of them can be like so can avoid getting dragged into someone else's petty manipulative god complex especially given that the advice advocated is usually inappropriate or a bit like getting rid of a headache with heroin

There are pre schools all around the country who offer education to 2year olds using a combination of structured learning and free play.

It is certainly not hot housing nor do they tend to be frowned apon.

I know the one my 2 year old goes to has a very long waiting list.

I did know a lady who definitely hot housed her kid at age 2 ½. Flash cards, reading lessons, math worksheets, every day. Mental.

Not sharing books that both parent and child enjoyed, writing when they felt like it, looking for books in the library about spiders or sharks or trees or butterflies or doctors or whatever, no math in the form of water play and sorting toys by different characteristics and playing with and counting money together to see if they had enough to buy an ice-cream. Real sit down lessons A is for apple blah blah. She told me she did it because her daughter was so incredibly able.

I met her again years later, her daughter was 14. She wasn't any more advanced than my kid.

Now saying that, if you want to do sit down worksheets with your genius go to town. There are plenty of books on how to teach your two year old how to read and workbooks for toddlers. I suggest you look on Amazon.

Why are the home schoolers attacking you? Are they really or are they just incredulous? People gossip, just like we are all with you right now.

I am not surprised you got a hard time. Let your ds play he is little more than a baby.

I can recommend the Montessori method, OP. But as others have said, he needs to develop lots of skills in this world, so I hope you are not thinking of teaching him things like reading and writing until he asks to learn.

And children develop at different paces, OP. Some gifted people don't show their ability until quite late on. I think the important thing is to retain his love of learning

You can't HE a 2 yr old- the whole country does it as the norm. It only starts as a positive choice when you don't send them to school at the age the law says you have to unless you educate at home.
Just play and enjoy having a 2 yr old.
You will get fanatical groups in HE - many have their own agenda. Avoid that sort.

It a.ways makes me smile when people say the are HEing and they just have a pre schooler at home.

I dare say you ran in to difficulties because many Home Educators don't have any structure at all, even when the children are older.

He is 2!!!
That is all.
How silly.

Thanks for the typo corrections that will teach me to proof read auto correct and to stop using the silly keyboard attached to the tablet.

He does go to swimming classes and signed up to gymnastics but they will not take him until he is 2 years. He has really good fine motor and gross motor skills. He holds pencil correctly when drawing and traces lines easily. He may slow down later and that's fine. His speech is not great but i dont force that as i know it will happen when he is ready. My aim wasn't for it to continue here, just what's why can't people scroll on past if they have nothing nice or helpful to offer. Especially when they are in charge of the education of their child which includes developing them into well rounded individuals.

We are being helpful. He's not even a year and a half yet, and you are getting carried away with how advanced you think he is!
He's a baby and should be doing ordinary baby things. You do not need to 'home educate' a 15 month old!

Actually, chimes and norma, I was a bit aghast at the number of grammatical errors and examples of poor English in the OP, but I held off pointing them out because I understood that's not encouraged on MN these days.

Though it is very tempting to do so when the OP is talking about her "genius" child.

If this is true then it's ridiculous.

He holds a pencil correctly and traces lines easily? At 15 months?

This has to be a wind-up.

So, you asked on FB for "home ed" advice on a child that is 15 months old. Got advice. Didn't like the advice so came onto MN to bitch about FB. Now you aren't getting what you want to hear here so where will you be moving next, to bitch about MN?

If this is a true situation, my advice would be to calm the hell down for the next two years. When your little genius is 4 you can start thinking about what educational approach you would like to use.

The advice on here is good. He will grow up so quickly and if he is a genius then structured learning aged 2 won't make a blind bit of difference. Play with him, take him to the park, rest with him- do what parents do.

Also, from looking at the guidelines posted, I am assuming that the 'goals' are actually the things that the VAST majority of children can do by the ages stated, otherwise my son and every other two year old I know are all geniuses.

I'm not surprised you got the response you did

You can't HE a 15mo, 15mos don't generally go to school do they

What you are doing is looking after a baby. Hot house all you like but asking for advice on how to HE him is ridiculous!

My brother was a genius child. Our Mother can barely spell my name properly.

It's rude to sneer at other people's spelling and grammar.

Did your mother HE your brother, though, knackered?

One productive thing you can do with DS is read to him - read interesting enjoyable books and get him totally hooked on stories. If you spend one hour most days reading to him for the next six years, he will develop hugely language wise. Eventually this will stand him in good stead to deal well with school curriculum - after all literacy is at the core of every school subject.

I wouldn't bother trying to teach him to write letters or numbers. Or do endless brain numbing workbooks.