Homeschooling…

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Hi there, we want to homeschool/educate our DD. She is still a toddler but we want to hear other people’s experiences and maybe get some advice in advance to get prepared. We don’t know anyone else who homes schools or wanted to so it would be great to hear your views. Thank you

Not for me I'm afraid. It really didn't work too well during lockdown. My children missed their friends. They were lonely. The youngest especially was hard to motivate as he'd rather do anything but work.

I home educated my daughter, she’s 18 now and at college. It was great for us. There’s a home education section here but it isn’t very busy. I’d recommend joining your local Facebook groups and the National home ed group, I think it’s called home education UK.
As for what the above poster said, home education is nothing like home schooling during lockdown, they’re completely different things. My daughter had lots of home ed friends as did I (we’re still friends with them now), there’s a real sense of community, not lonely at all.
As for work, again it’s totally different to doing work the teacher has set, at home, during a pandemic. Can’t compare the two.

Hi, did you know there's a Home Ed board? Worth posting there too. There might also be a local Facebook home-ed group you could join, so you could find out what's on for home-educating families in your area.

My children have had a mix of school and home ed. I wish I'd home educated from the start, really, but it never crossed my mind until my older son began to have panic attacks and refuse to go to school. He was later diagnosed with autism. Taking him out of school was the best thing I did for him.

Oh, and the 'no socialising' image is rubbish. Home-educated children have friends too! They meet them at home-ed groups, brownies, scouts, football, swimming, music classes - all kinds of places.

We home Ed - my eldest is 18 and doing A levels at 6th form now but didn’t go to school until 6th form. It’s been fun and he made a lot of friends along the way. We did lots of home Ed groups - do check Facebook for local groups. Hopefully there will be some meet ups for pre school ages so that you can make some local home Ed friends.

Hi OP.
I've been home educating my 9 year old for just under a year.
We started under lockdown and just didn't send him back. He had some problems at school and made a lot more progress at home.
I insist on a little bit of maths and writing everyday. We're generally done by lunchtime. He reads a lot for pleasure and likes to watch documentaries.
Even at this relaxed pace his skills have come on leaps and bounds compared to when he was at school.
Since things have opened up, I've found it relatively easy to access social opportunities for him.
We have a home Ed meet up once a week and a local youth club a couple of evenings a week.
Once a week we go out to a museum or (depending on how our book stash is looking) the library.

It works for some children and not for others. I have three friends who home school after their children had issues in the school system (high functioning autism, severe dyslexia, anxiety). All of whom are absolutely flying and it is 100% the best learning environment for them. Interestingly they all have siblings who are being educated in school as that’s what’s right for them.

I also have two friends who decided to home educate - one from reception and the other from Y3. The older child wanted to go back to school desperately. She missed her friends. She rejoined the school system for Y7 and has been fine.

The younger child went back into the schooling system for Y4 as a change in financial circumstances meant both parents had to go back to work full time. It has been a miserable experience for her. Her maths is way behind where it should be and school suspect she dyscalculia and some slow processing issues. These all went totally unrecognised until that point because, of course, you work at your own pace when HE. She also struggled socially as at home she had been used to working outdoors, sat on the floor, on the sofa etc and found it really hard to sit still at a desk. She got a reputation for being “naughty” and nobody wanted to play with her as a result. Her parents are trying to rejig jobs and finances so they can HE again as school just isn’t working for her. But right now that’s the only place she can be.

So I would look carefully at whether you may want your child to start at school at some point in the future and ensure that they are properly on track with the national curriculum at that point, and also they are used to a more formal classroom environment before making the leap. It’s much easier to go from a school environment to HE than the other way round.

There’s a separate HE board on here which provides a lot of good help and support.

It's totally mental unless your child has special needs. Why on Earth would you want to deny your child a proper education? Going to museums, reading and watching documentaries is great. I also do that - after school/on weekends/holidays!

Why on Earth would you want to deny your child a proper education

Hahahahaha

They don't do anything magical at school you know.

Many home ed kids are way ahead of their school peers.

OP, lesson 1. It's home education, not home school.

Lesson 2 All the communities are on Facebook.

Lesson 3 Ignore everyone who doesn't agree with your choice and simply enjoy. People think the sky will fall down if your child doesn't go to school but that is rubbish.

It's totally mental unless your child has special needs. Why on Earth would you want to deny your child a proper education? Going to museums, reading and watching documentaries is great. I also do that - after school/on weekends/holidays!
How on earth do you know what a 'proper' education is?
I'd argue that a child with engaged and enthusiastic parents who exposes them to a range of subjects, the arts, music, drama, outdoor education, interest groups, sports is probably going to have a more rounded education than is on offer in some schools where the curriculum has been narrowed down.
There's poor quality home education, but also some poor schools.

As a teacher I would sooner home educate DC than send them to some schools.

@Tillysfad Really? How many home ed kids are at Oxbridge/RG unis? I have not met any (although there may be the odd exception?). People may have different ambitions for their kids, but kids at a very young age don't get a choice and may fall victim to their parents' crazy ideas, which results in them being denied a chance at normality

@LolaSmiles You seem to think that it's either one or the other? I come from a family that greatly values education and all this you mention: "enthusiastic parents who exposes them to a range of subjects, the arts, music, drama, outdoor education, interest groups, sports is probably going to have a more rounded education" is something my family (and all the parents I know) do anyway - in addition to school!

Xela

If that's how you conduct research I agree, you shouldn't home educate your children!

Going to museums, the theatre, outdoor activities etc should be something children do in their free time. It's not mutually exclusive to having a school education!

LolaSmilesYou seem to think that it's either one or the other? I come from a family that greatly values education and all this you mention: "enthusiastic parents who exposes them to a range of subjects, the arts, music, drama, outdoor education, interest groups, sports is probably going to have a more rounded education" is something my family (and all the parents I know) do anyway - in addition to school!
I didn't say it's one or the other.
I just question the (fairly silly and poorly-informed) assertion that parents who home educate their children are depriving their children of a proper education.

Rolling my eyes at denying a proper education.
Yes there are some people who will watch a documentary or have them play on on app, bake some cakes, play in the park and call it a day. I was home educated and I knew a handful who received that sort of 'education', basically just stuff teveryone does regardless of whether or not they're at school but parents feel special for doing it. Horrified at the thought of a 5 year old doing anything formal and they are superior, they must be doing school at home, hot housing and child must be miserable. We've all seen those kind of comments in home ed groups! I know a few who when not long into adult world they realised there were a lot of gaps, as much fun as it was as children. They were about when I was home educated but there seems to be more of them now. BUT I still know plenty who do offer a varied home education and those are who we tend to mix with.

Home education can mean a much higher standard of education in less time. I read that on average home educated children are 1 year ahead. Plenty of people do maths, English, science, languages, history, geography, arts, music. Many do not take the responsibility of their child's education lightly.

My children wouldn't have the time or energy to do their clubs and would be receiving a worse standard of education if they went to school. They have a lot more time to enjoy their childhood, clubs and education this way. When you have a varied subject load, find the correct learning style etc, it is something they enjoy. It takes very little time and the rest is for free play and socialising.

Highly valuable and I always knew I'd go on to home educate my own.

My advice is educate year round, education is not a chore constrained to term time Monday-Friday. Take breaks when you need them, allow yourself to go at a slower pace if doing a lot of subjects. Do not get into the trap of thinking okay, we need to finish this by the start of new school year. Or waiting until then to start the next level. Some years you may get through say 2 years of maths work in 1 year, the 3rd year may be slower. Take it at their pace. Make your choices about what you want to do and just work through it, when approaching the end, get the stuff ready to start next level. Don't be afraid to change things up if not working.

@Tillysfad

Why on Earth would you want to deny your child a proper education

Hahahahaha

They don't do anything magical at school you know.

Many home ed kids are way ahead of their school peers.

How do you know that? Many parents wouldn’t have the first idea of how to educate their child.

Xela

Well, yes and no. Home educated children are constantly learning. Their days often aren't divided into free time and working time. So yes they are learning at the museum and learning when they create a guide book of their own for the exhibits and when they write a story about being trapped there overnight and when they carry out a research project to find out more about an interesting time period based on the really cool mummy.... All of that is free time but also learning time.

But if you can't get it, then send your children to school. Just be aware some of us are really good at this.

how do you know that?

I'd rather not say...

What I would say if you’re thinking of home education is that you need to make sure you think about yourself in this. What about your pension? Job prospects once the child is an adult? Being able to support yourself if the relationship breaks down?

@Tillysfad

how do you know that?

I'd rather not say...

In other words you’re just assuming.

My sister home educated her children and I think she did them a disservice. Her kids are absolutely incapable of critical thinking. As young adults now they are insufferable.

On the other hand , I have a number of friends, both doctors and lawyers, who were home educated and are clearly not well educated and capable of a great deal.

So, I think if you have the wherewithal, are open to different influences in your children's lives and are driven and capable then go for it!
I did it for a year and felt very underprepared and useless. I would've failed my son had I continued I think. When it works well I think it's awesome. When not it can be catastrophic.

Clearly well educated! Darn!

@Soontobe60 I agree, but maybe these home educators married rich or come from family money so they have the luxury to employ home tutors in every subject (although even Royal children go to school).

If as posters here claim they actually do traditional subjects with their kids at home but at a different pace (which is not what most HE parents do judging by the HE board on Mumsnet) then I guess they are still being educated in the traditional sense, although it sounds like a full time job for the parent and still robs the kids of a big chunk of normal childhood experiences