The holding our heads high homeschooling thread

[kitsonkittykat]

I just got the most lovely email from Sonlight, entitled "holding our heads high".

The email opened by saying: "I have to say it: the culture around us is so pro-everything but homeschooling, sometimes it's nice, without lording it over someone, to get affirmation that you're "doing the right thing." It ended by asking "Have you been enjoying some homeschool moments worth telling?"

I thought after the battering Noodle got, it might be nice to have a "holding our heads high" thread, with some positive homeschooling stories!

I hope I haven't been too presumptuous by starting this thread FOR HOMESCHOOLING FAMILIES to share the triumphs and breakthroughs in their day to day homeschooling adventures...

For us, EVERY day is a triumph. Every day is one more good day for dd as it means that we are giving her an education without stress, an education where she can learn at her own pace and rest when her health isn't so good.

We are, of course, fabulous Home Edders because I am a fabulous "teacher" hehe

She is an amazing young woman and I am proud to be involved so fully in her life.

My six year old usually has the attention span of a gnat on Coca-Cola. I shudder to think what a job it would be for some poor TA to keep her "on task" if she were at school. I know I'm doing a good job with her mainly because she is relaxed and happy. She also seems to be making a bit of progress toward focusing more, and understanding things better.

Yesterday she spent all of 20 minutes with me playing with her new Sylvanian toys. Soon after, she suggested baking and managed more than ten minutes of that before going off to something else. (I've not usually been willing to do painting/craft/baking type things with her because it's usually literally a matter of seconds before she is done with it, so it hardly seems worth my effort. Yesterday I was feeling indulgent and she surprised me!)

I made her a t-shirt for her birthday too, which came out really well considering my limited artistic skills. It has a few butterflies and flowers on it and part of an AA Milne poem: "Now I am six I'm as clever as clever, So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever." She loves it. She is such a sweet pea that I really would like her to stay six forever!!!

Nice thread :)
I am so proud that after many years of deliberation we are making HEd work for us as a family. I am proud that my gut instincts have proved correct and that my 3 girls have blossomed since leaving school. I have put my career on hold and have much more to do at home and much less 'me time' (if any at all!) but it has been so worth it so far. I am proud of my DH for agreeing to 'go against the norm' and give HEd a go despite not being at all sure, and proud that he has opened his mind to all the positives.

And most of all I am so proud of my 3 girls. They have proved themselves over and over again that without the constraints and pressures of school they are happy, considerate, self-motivated and embracing the world around them with enthusiasm.

Yes, definitely HE was the right choice for us. Just a great shame it took so many years for me to realise this.

I now have kids that are happy, healthier and more contented. No more stuffy smelly hot classrooms shared with upwards of 30 kids, bringing home school germs, eating warmed up wilting sandwiches, drinking warm water, having teachers and LSAs shout all day, having to sit and wait for kids to behave, wait for them to finish their work, arguments, bickerings, shouting, swearing, naughty behaviour, things being thrown across the classroom, classes with absolutely no control, classes with teachers who can't control them, work not getting finished, nothing being achieved, no more regular daily doses of nurofen when they get home, no more moodiness every evening, no more bullying, no more stress, freedom is beyond belief, loads more quality family time, loads to learn and ways to do it, no more teenage attitude, no more letters home from school asking for money for this and that, no more bullying injuries, teenage fall-outs, no more ruined work or items damaged by bullying and no more deliberate acts of burning by bullies. Far more time to ourselves, far more one-to-one work, far more being learnt in a very relaxed atmosphere, work being soaked up and digested much better and most importantly HAPPY kids.

No going back for us, ever. :) :) :)

...oh, and no more peer pressure with the latest electronic gadgetry or the latest designer fashions.....phew.

I would like to offer my support, even though I am actually a primary school teacher. I have always thought that successful HE would be the ideal for many many children.

Just because I teach in a school (which hopefully is not anything like those described above) does not prevent me from thinking that HE is a wonderful, fabulous opportunity for families to get the education they want and need.

In the words of my grandson's cardiologist ''I understand is educated at home. I cannot believe how he has come on intellectually. One can only marvel at his progress.'' That's enough for me.
I always hold my head up anyway - I don't really give a toss what others think.

HumphreyCobbler. It gives me hope to hear those words and maybe lots of other soon to be H.eders. Thank you for showing your support. Our letter goes to school soon and I hope we get the kind words you have expressed.

humphreycobbler...thank you.

I also hold my head high and am very proud of myself for making the decision to HE which has not only given my children a completely new lease of life but also a completely different lifestyle for us all.

I work part-time, my husband works full-time. Yes it can be a juggle but its a stress free juggle and one that we welcome with open arms because our children are so much happier.

I also don't care what people think about us HE our children. They're our kids, our responsibility and if people don't approve then that's their opinion. Having said that those that looked down their noses at us when we first started can now see, a few weeks later, how much we've achieved and how much happier the kids and they soon shut up!

HumphreyCobbler Thank you for offering your support, how lovely to hear a positive comment about home education from a teacher, and it reflects well on the kind of education you are presumably striving to provide within the school system. I am a teacher, now home educating my four children, and I feel very strongly that the current school system is deeply flawed and that many children are let down by it. However I also know that there are many wonderful teachers working incredibly hard to make the best of it.

As for the original post, great idea to share positive home ed stories. We are having so much fun I don't know where to start. Randomly selected from this week: visit to Natural History Museum to meet other home ed families was a great success, and I am feeling very proud that I did it with all four kids on my own; watching our caterpillars turn into cocoons - and feeling proud of my only just two year old for looking at a butterfly and saying "tatdillar cocoon butter-ly" - he's got it!; studying and drawing a stag beetle, the first live one I've ever seen close up; learning about tally charts with smarties; home ed group meeting in a friends garden, children happily playing in the mud and also making models/ leaf prints out of clay; my two biggest boys choosing to do some wonderful creative writing, all their own ideas, one is writing poems and the other a book of potions; amazing lego creations; oldest boy discovering that equivalent fractions are easy; reading lots of fairy stories with my four year old girl; watching the six year old and the two year old play together with rice and chick peas... I could go on almost indefinitely... thank you for making me stop and remember why I love home ed so much!

DD1 (6) had a discussion with a schooled friend about Home ed yesterday. Her friend was trying to persuade her that she should go to her school. I suspect based on some of the things her friend said, that she has been talking about it to her parents, I got a distinct feeling that the friend has asked to be HE'ded as the in favour of school arguments sounded like she was repeating her parents (especially the 'your Mum would have peace when you are at school' thing).

DD1 said that...they wouldn't get to play together much as they are two years apart in school terms, that all of the fun stuff at school she gets to do at home anyway and for as long as she wants, that her Mum doesn't need peace from her (well...), that she would miss her little sisters and that she never never never wants to ever go to school, she wants to be Home educated forever.

It was lovely to hear her talking so passionately about Home ed and I will be remembering it for next time I have a wobble!

What a lovely positive thread.

I'm holding my head high because something has suddenly clicked for my 4yo DS, and he's now reading words all on his own, despite no official 'teaching' from me, he's learnt by playing with the fridge magnets for fun. I felt very proud when he was spelling words on the fridge for my sceptical parents yesterday :o.

Love that story seven77! I am just on the verge of fully deciding on HE... and quite nervous about informing my parents (and even more nervous about informing DH's mum!)

Revellish.

I remember those nerves myself a few months ago. My own parents have passed away but I was worrying about dhs parents. They are divorced and new families now, Mil said it was the best decision she had known me make. Fil was less than impressed and said I wasn't qualified to teach Maths. He hasn't mentioned it since.
If they don't accept it don't worry they may come round in the end. If they don't its their problem.
Please let us know how it goes, I'm extremely interestednosey

I am just coming to an end of my time as a home educating parent, after 27 years, as my youngest is starting at college tomorrow :(

I am so proud of my two, having been autonomously home educated from birth, they have both excelled academically and socially, turning into happy, self directed, confident, popular young adults. My eldest is now working as a post doctoral research associate in a university hospital, and my youngest has 5 I/GCSEs at A and A*, she is nearly finished with an OU course in French, and is starting 4 A levels at college. More importantly they are both happy and stable people :)

What a fantastic, encouraging story, Mehetabel. I have only recently taken my 12-year-old son out of school, so it is great to hear stories like yours. I'm not surprised you are proud of your two - they have both done incredibly well. You should be proud of yourself, as well, for giving them such an opportunity.

Mehetable- that's fantastic. Thanks for sharing- today our DD should have had her first day in Reception and didn't. We've had a brilliant day together and it's so lovely to hear how positive it has been for you from the other end of the educational scale!

god I hate the schools, all the teachers seem to do is shout about uniform.
I particularly hate my dd's year head with her smug little smile and creepy notebook that she makes notes in when she is talking to the children.
Today was day one of year nine, and my daughter came home in a foul mood.
the holidays were lovely.
you are all inspiring me....

I do have wobbles sometimes, Im only human, but I am going to hold my head high because my two are developing at a rate which is appropriate to them. They are both happy and enjoy learning. Yesterday we had such an amazing day out in the woods, spotting wild deer & picking blackberries to take home and make into yummy jam. DD was bursting with enthusiasm when DH came home. All our HE groups start next week, quite exciting as we've recently moved, so lots of new experiences/friendships await.