Home education

[Chortlesauraus]

Inspired by another thread but......AIBU to think that home schooling is a bit weird and the people that go down that route can sometimes be a little strange themselves?

I can't even really put my finger on why I find it all so odd....but maybe I'm missing something that home schoolers can enlighten me about

I always get the sense that people who home school are cut from the same cloth as Steiner School enthusiasts.....but that's just me casting wild aspersions 😆

Home education isn’t weird lol

I home educate my three kids and we are pretty normal. But then what is normal? Can you give me an example of something that would make me strange?

@Heismyopendoor may I ask what led to your decision to home ed?

When DS was 8 we had to take him out of school and home school him for a few months. (We aren ot that weird I don’t think!)

School was just totally destroying him, he was being bullied (which the school didn’t address properly) and was so anxious it had a huge impact on him. He has high functioning autism (although not fully diagnosed at that time).

We spent a few months getting him to like learning again, had to fill in a lot of gaps in his skills (especially maths).
I found out what topics the new school were doing and broadly followed them as well as making sure he was on track with maths and literacy.
We finally got a place in new school which is perfect for him and he has thrived.
We joined lots of Home Ed groups and yes I agree we did meet some weirdo’s but mainly just normal people wanting to do the best for their kids where school wasn’t right for them.

Considering home education for my DS, he is due to start school in September but the ones in our catchment are awful and we can't afford to move right now. I looked into private school (he already goes to the nursery at the private school) but we can't afford the school.

I joined some local home education groups, no one was weird (but maybe I'm weird so don't know). They are great and all meet up a lot and the children are really socialized.

Strange things in my book are generally alternative.....not vaccinating/amber beads/homeopathy etc etc
That kind of thing!

@justabunchofbunting did you know more and more part time democratic schools are popping up all over the place?! Worth looking into xxx

We don’t do any of those things. No one in my home ed circle does any of them either.

I do know lots of school families though that are all about those amber beads. Don’t know that makes them strange though.

It's really unfair to make generalisations and cast aspersions on an entire group of people, especially considering that a huge (and growing) number of.home educated children have special needs and are being failed by the education system that you deem so "normal".

The tone of this thread makes me.uncomfortable. It feels.like you are laughing at children and struggling families.

I'm in South Africa. Our NDNs homeschool and often hold activity days for other homeschooling families so I've met a lot of them. There does seem to be a common thread. They are all extremely Christian. They are all white and rather racist. I get the strong impression that the DHs generally prefer to have the DWs at home and busy and not going out to work (it seems to be all DWs doing the schooling in this group). Obviously there are lots of good reasons to homeschool but in some cases there does seem to be a huge element of controlling the influences to which the child is exposed and this is not a good thing imo.

More and more parents of children with ASD/Aspergers and in particular girls are being left no choice other than to home school as their children are falling apart in mainstream with little or ineffective support. Secondary education is a big trigger point for ASD girls in mainstream.

I don't want to do it but watching my child's mental health crumbling and being failed by CAMHS, school and LA for the last 2 years or so, I may have no choice.

Nice to know I'll be getting judged though YABU

I think for some kids it's necessary, especially given the lack of adequate provision for those who are not NT. I do worry about parents who home school because they are fundamentalists in their religion who want to keep their children from coming into touch with the 'wrong' ideas though.

When we Home-Ed our child we still vaccinated him and did not do any homeopathy and have never owned any amber beads. HTH

There are a lot of misconceptions about home ed on Mumsnet. Most home educated kids have more opportunity to socialise than schooled kids. Social meet ups, forest schools, museum meet ups, art gallery meet ups, library meet ups, drama classes, sports classes, language classes, cookery classes, art classes, book clubs etc etc Most home educated kids are meeting a wide range of people, a wide range of ages, and have a rich and interesting life. There are however lots of downfalls to home education. The cost, mostly and the loss of income. In the age of the internet you certainly don't need to be a teacher to keep a child's numeracy and literacy up to date either. But yes, there is a certain type of parent who home educated for the reasons already mentioned. Already being brave enough to be different, or issues with SEN. What is interesting is that a vast majority of parents I've met who home educated are qualified teachers who say you don't have to be a teacher to home educate and they are doing it because they know how terrible most schools are from first hand experience.

Our eldest child did reception and half of yr 1 and was totally miserable. Anxious etc. We had long considered d home ed before she even got to school age anyway so we re-jigged work and pulled her out. That was over 2 yrs ago now. Our middle child is nearly 6 and never went, and has no interest in doing so. 3rd child is only a baby, he's not going anywhere yet. 😂 It is hard sometimes, yes...I miss the headspace that came with school etc but it was the right choice for our family. That may change in the future and we'll rethink as necessary.

Of course HE attracts an alternative crowd for sure, but they're not the sum total.

ibicus yes theres actually one just down the road from us!! Looks amazing but is only for secondary age and is still quite pricey. Will asses the situation when DS is at secondary age. x

I do all of those things and am planning on home educating and have friends who do none of those things. Wouldn't the world be boring if we were all exactly the same (which is what school seems to push imo).

Not very scientific, but I know 1 former Steiner pupil and one former home ed pupil.

The Steiner guy might be thought of by some as eccentric. I think he’s amazing- positive, takes risks and resilient enough to cope when things don’t go quite to plan. He is only in his 20s but he has already lived a fascinating life, and I envy the confidence and focus on happiness (rather than focusing on wealth, status etc) he has at such a young age. He credits his school for his approach and outlook on life. My children don’t go to the local Steiner school (literally just a few miles away) but that’s because their school is a better match for them and me, I think.

Home ed pupil is probably not a fair representation of home ed pupils generally. His mother is very religious and, tbh, I find her very prejudiced and narrow minded. For example, she is a creationist and vehemently anti-vax. Her Facebook posts make no sense and all come from this cult like church in the US. It’s actually quite frightening, to see some things she comes out with.

Predictably, her home ed DS has the very same views. He is incapable of critical analysis. If it fits with his view then it must be right, regardless of the source or background to the article. He will make just bizarre and sometimes extreme claims (people being cured of permanent blindness through miracles in far flung countries, everything bad in the world is down to Islam and Palestine, world is heading for the second coming and I am off to hell at that point...etc) based on what a blogger says. He thinks David Ike has some valid points. He then cannot back up or defend these claims, and usually just goes off in a huff. He also has very few friends.

I am not saying that home schooling is bad. I am just saying that there’s a risk in doing so which has to be acknowledged and worked through. A rounded education surrounded by different people with different views can help create a more rounded adult. Conversely, home schooling risks narrowing the person.

I think this thread may go badly.

I have seen a couple of tv programmes where the kids were being home educated and the parents do seem to be portrayed as being 'different'. They seemed to be show quite chaotic households, lots of children, very against the mainstream schooling system and the way the country is run in general. Not sure if the programme deliberately wanted to portray them in a certain way though, probably. It just seemed to show them concentrating on 'life skills' like baking and helping dad fix the car, it didn't show them doing any Maths, English etc.

I know 3 people that home school, none like the example above. They have all done it due to their children having some problems at school and all stick to quite strict formal lesson plans.

I am completely boring and conventional but if I can't get my kids into the school we want for KS2 - I'll go the home ed route. No way they're going to our most local one (tried it, pulled them out) and if they don't get into the linked one to our school (will appeal if needed) they're not going back to the crap school and I'll home ed while we wait on waiting lists.

@justabunchofbunting do they offer any financial help or maybe some volunteering to help with fees? I know the one near us does but it's not possible for many but definitely worth looking into! All the best for the future

@athingthateveryoneneeds I'm certainly not laughing at anyone but I'm rather curious about the choice

You think that people who home school are 'struggling' then?

I don't home ed, and I hope I don't t have to, but due to having a DC with SEN, who is placed in a special school, Plan B is home ed. The reason I want him remain in school is to feel as "normal" as possible. In reality he has absolutely no friends there because of the various complexities and difficulties all the children have. However out of school he had lots of friends. He is a different child in the holidays. He isn't happy at school, but he does get specialist teaching there, which he needs. However, I have been posting on the SEN boards because more recently he's started to "give up" on school. The whole situation is causing the whole family so much stress. If it gets worse I intend to explore a split placement, part time school or even home Ed with tutors. Until I had a child with difficulties I too thought it was a "weird choice". The reality (in my case) is it wouldn't be a choice, more of a desperate case of having to, as all else had failed. I do feel strongly though that all children should be monitored through their educational years and shouldnt just go under the radar like that family in the States that had publicity recently as they were locked up and chained to beds for example.

Not all no, but some.

I don't think people are weird, but more (as a PP said), prepared to go against the social norms. How do people afford it though? Surely one parent has to give up work or originally have been a SAHP? So not open to lone parents for example.

FriggingMarrdyCow I hope your daughter can get support to help her