To find the homeschooling fad really braggy

[Kudosss]

Am I wrong to think there's something braggy and arrogant about homeschooling?

I'm NOT talking about the parents of SEN children who may not have been able to access a school, or feel it's in the child's best interest. I'm not even talking about the quiet ones who just get on with it. I do acknowledge our school system has it's problems but...

I'm talking about the loudly wholesome parents bragging about their lives and day, how much richer their kids are for being home schooled, outdoors yahdiya.

I mean I would love to be able to homeschool but the reality is I a) can't afford to and b) quite like the little bit of sanity I have left and c) I'm not so arrogant that I think I can undermine qualified teaching professionals with years of experience.

It's almost like these parents are basically announcing their wealth and privilege to the world without announcing their wealth and privilege and making everyone else feel inadequate.

Another home education bash thread....yawn.

It’s like anyone who evangelises their life choices, regardless of what those choices are - it can be annoying.

I home educate my children, it wasn’t something I thought I would do but was left with little choice. There is a lot that just doesn’t work in the current system for so many kids.

I can’t say I’ve met another home educating parent that’s been braggy about it or that hasn’t given a huge amount of thought about the education their child is receiving.

You are always going to find people online who think that they are some kind of superior parent for home educating or for whatever else they have made their personality about. Same as those who are completely the opposite and are convinced that home education is the equivalent of child neglect.

In my experience, mostly people are either interested in how it works or couldn’t care less.

That bill is dreadful.

If I hadn't been able to withdraw my child from a school environment that was harming him so much he was trying to kill himself then he would be dead now not at university living a successful life.

The state has done so much harm to children like mine in education i couldn't trust them. The state should not have total control like that.

My friend is like this, I've unfriended her on FB as most of her posts are anti school. About kids being turned into robots, being trained by the government and other similar things. I think she is probably in the newly converted group and also perhaps feels insecure. I support home ed and would do it if I felt it was right for us, currently it isn't but that may change! I have been supportive of her choices and am genuinely interested in the outcomes. She does unschooling and perhaps that makes her more 'radical' than other home edders. She is against any form of testing, even if it's done by home ed families. And honestly yes I do feel like she can be quite smug and I feel judged, because I know she thinks school is an inferior choice and it is overall bad for kids.

Unless you can juggle shifts, it means that one of you can afford not to work. Also , why would you? Where will your child find friends? Play football? Socialise normally? I would have hated the one on one, no escape for either of you.

Or they can use home ed settings, forest/farm schools or childcare.
The child can make friends with neighbours, other home educated children, children from dance or sports classes, Brownies or Cubs.
They can play football at the park or join a football team like any other child 😂

They obviously need a parent around to do all that, which was the point

I work round my husbands shifts. Only part time but by the time I had paid for school wrap around and holiday care I wouldn’t earn much more if she was in school.
Why- because after lots of research we feel it’s best for our daughter and our family.
She will socialise plenty thanks- home ed groups, scouts etc, weekend and evening sports or drama clubs, neighbours, family friends etc. And she will socialise with people of all ages that she chooses not the same kids with no choice whether they are nice or are bullies.
If she wants to play football then she can join a team same as any child?
If you would hate it then it’s not the right thing for you clearly but that doesn’t mean it isn’t for other people.

Every child needs a parent around? I'm not sure what your point is.

Not if she has a DH with a low income and they claim universal credit, there is so so much they can get for free or for just £1 live London zoo or leisure centres or kew gardens etc if they’re in London - really easy to keep kids occupied and learning for free in london.

What are home ed settings? And does the rest not rely on having other Home Ed children in the vicinity? And how would childcare be available for a child over 5?
Sorry for all the questions, really interested in the practicalities.

So depending on the area there are lots of options for home ed children to do 1 or 2 days in a group setting if they want (they have to be paid for although rates vary and some you can claim tax free childcare if they are ofsted registered I believe). Within 30-45mins of me there are 2 different farm settings (1 without parents from 5 and 1 from 6), a art/music based group which I think is year 1 without parents, a small ‘democratic learning’ group 1-3 days a week from year 1 without parents, a forest school setting not sure on ages and a STEM play based group from 5. All between 4-6hrs.
Also depending on child’s birthday for the first year they can stay in nursery/pre school with funding for part of the year- till the term after they are 5, my daughter will be doing this.
There are also I believe some childminders who take HE kids but I have never come across one.
On other home ed kids in the vicinity-
unless you are very rural that’s not likely to be a major issue if you drive and are happy to travel a bit. My area isn’t a particular home ed hotbed and as above lots of options and those are only the structured ‘drop off’ groups- loads of informal social groups too. Plus of course all the afterschool and weekend groups available to other kids

I’m not opposed to the concept of home schooling / education but when I worked in Child abuse investigation you did find parents who abused their children often de-registered them from school as a way of preventing detection. For me I get a little imaginary bell that goes off when I hear about parents homeschooling. ( I’m certainly not saying all home schoolers are abusive ). I also had a pen pal who “unschooled” his four boys and lived in various European countries trying to escape various regulations about education. Unfortunately he had pretty strong views about COVID and Vaccinations and the government in general and as a police officer myself we did not make a pen pal match in heaven. He was very vocal about my child in school but as we only wrote letters he was very vocal on the slow slow 😂. We are no longer writing.

Thanks

the point, if you can't keep up, is that while kids are at school being educated by their teacher, we can hold a job and earn a living. I don't believe in schools being used for childcare, but it would be ridiculous not to use these child-free hours.
Schools also offer after-school clubs.

If you prefer to spend these hours to school your child yourself, fine, but you physically can't hold a job at the same time.

Then driving them around to clubs/ sport clubs etc means you can't be at work either.

if the benefit systems is used for people to potter around all day, then we have an even bigger problem

If you’re a single parent then that’s of course true (although some do find ways to make it work!) but if not then there are 2 parents so of course one can be working while the other is with the kids? Maybe one works Monday to Friday 8-5 and one works weekday evenings or one works shifts and the other flexible work round that or one works weekdays and one weekends?

There are lots of home ed settings - learning communities, farm schools, forest schools, home ed childminders. Of course there is childcare for over 5s?
Most towns have home educated children.
I live in a fairly small town and know of a home ed group for primary age children that runs 3 days a week, a club for 10-teens that runs 3 days a week, a farm school that runs all week with separate days for children 4+ and 12+ and a forest school that runs every morning, all within 20-30 minutes of me.
There are also lots of clubs, classes and meet ups - art, gymnastics, circus skills, maths class, coding, sports.

Parents can work part time around each other or use childcare/settings when needed though?

I have just started home educating my four year old, it was always our intention to home educate our children. He attends a school based academy twice a week, with classes and structured lessons (as he would experience in a mainstream school), where he sees his friends. The other three days, we follow lesson plans that cover everything from phonics and reading, maths, history, handwriting, geography and religion. After Christmas, we intend to hire a French tutor for weekly lessons. He also enjoys cycling, horse riding and will soon be starting swimming.

Home educating may not be for everyone, but it works beautifully for our son.

Interested in why you made that choice, though.

There are! Just looked up what’s near me. I had no idea.

It's bizarre that some people on mumsnet really can't fathom that not everyone works 9-5 Monday to Friday.

People can work around each other. Home education doesn't have to happen within school hours. Parents are required to give their children a full time education. That doesn't mean keeping school hours. Education can happen at weekend, evenings, early morning chats with their child, a random walk at lunchtime can lead to all sorts of learning opportunities.

Haven't you ever heard of shift work?

There are lots of schooled children who are abused as well.