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Home ed

Find advice from other parents on our Homeschool forum. You may also find our round up of the best online learning resources useful.

Original poster

HEers introduce yourselves puurleease!

109 replies

nannyme · 15/05/2006 22:13

I'm nannyme and HEing my son aged 4.5 daughter aged 6 and semi HEing my other son aged 2.5.

We are in Bromley if anyone wants to meet up/resources share, etc.

OP posts:
AngelaD · 15/05/2006 22:49

I want to home ed but am scared too be honest, I can't really afford private school for three/four children but am really upset at the thought of them attending state school :-(

Original poster
nannyme · 15/05/2006 22:58

I only just de-registered my two.

Been doing the 'popular' thing for two years now, despite being anti-school from before I even had children! Couldn't do it anymore.

What are your main reasons Angela?

Are you the angela I think you might be? (You will know what I am on about if you are!)

OP posts:
juuule · 15/05/2006 23:08

I'm home-edding my 6yo dd and from end of July will also HE my 11yo. 6yo was de-regged last July.

AngelaD · 15/05/2006 23:12

I probably am the Angela lol

Main reasons being I don't like the style of lessons, literacy hour so we must read, maths hour get the maths books out, it switched me off and my DD is so creative i'm sure it'll switch her off too.
And I object to the fact that the state can provide them with contraception and an arbortion without my knowledge but put me in jail if they don't attend school, I have all the responsibilities but no rights when it comes to my children's welfare, it all seems very odd to me.

Original poster
nannyme · 15/05/2006 23:12

Are you anywhere near us in Bromley juuule?!

How are you finding it with your 6 year old? Most of the people I have met have had their children in school until at least year 2 so I am feeling a little (and I mean only a little) bothered about my 4 and 6 year old having input in terms of literacy and numeracy just from me and dp.

I know I can do a better job than school but I fearful, nevertheless...

OP posts:
spacedonkey · 15/05/2006 23:15

I'm not home edding (although I did try it with my teenage dd for a while, but it didn't work out because of other problems), but I am vehemently anti-compulsory-schooling and applaud anyone who does take the plunge. Good on you all!

Have you read John Holt?

Bafreem · 15/05/2006 23:16

Hi AngelaD,
Don't know much about your where-abouts or your childrens abilities,
We (partner +me) have looked into a private school that might help with our 4 yr old who appears to be very bright, once assessed with upmost 50% reduction of fees- asumming we can afford that!! ( we started getting concerned when we visited state schools & work appropiate to our little girl was at year 3 within a class of 30-32)
She is 4th of 7 so we are not wearing the rose tinted glasses. We know she is very bright. We also know she will not fit in with a normal primary school for various reasons.
We arn't wealthy people, but we care pasionately about our childrens futures. We realistically feel that our other children (3 existing + 1 due) are just as bright... What do you do with them? One avenue I have started looking at is home education (I am BEd), but I feel the down side is colaberative activity.. Could this be over come?
My educational field is Design Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing.
I know write resources and provide events , that are supported by industry- (Bentley Motors, Vauxhall, BNFL, United Utilities, All the British Forces, to name but a few)-interesting for gifted and talented, to enable such youngsters to get a taste of the real world.
Get back to me with more details.

Bafreem, Cheshire.

AngelaD · 15/05/2006 23:25

I've been told they are all bright but then I guess nobody wants to hear anything else do they !
The private school nearest will reduce fees for us but i'm not convinced that school is any better really, it has so few pupils and most of them have special needs, mine seem to be the only normal ones. I'm loosing confidence in my ability to choose the best school so think we might as well all stay home and struggle through ourselves. I'll have to go back to work when DD#3 hits school and earn £30k just to pay the fees :(

juuule · 15/05/2006 23:25

Nannyme - no I'm near Manchester. We are doing okay with dd. She's not been as enthusiastic as I would have liked about doing more formal stuff and I feel that we have had a more autonomous style imposed upon us by her. But after reading up (John Holt stuff) I don't feel too uncomfortable about that and I can tell that she is learning things. We still read a lot and I make up games (with the help of the internet :) ) for literacy and numeracy. She also has older siblings who she joins in with or copies.
I am not worried at this point as I think she has plenty of time.

sazhig · 16/05/2006 01:02

DS is only 22 months but dh & I have been talking about HE instead of school, at least until he is 11, for a few months now. Even though we dont need to be thinking about this for several years yet I am still enjoying reading about HE & thinking about how we will do things. We seem to have done a good job with him so far anyway!!

Filyjonk · 16/05/2006 08:31

we plan to HE, we have ds 2.8 and dd 10 months.

Have I read John Holt? Have I read John Holt

Why yes Grin

I think he is fantastic, and still the best writer on the rights of children to be properly part of society, and not forced to be graded and failed (or worse, passed) at school. I think my favourite books by him are Never Too Late-about learning the cello as an adult, he argues that learning is as natural as breathing and only becomes an issue if kids (and adults) are given a complex about it-but also shows what an effect our apporach to learning has in adulthood, when very few adults have much confidence in their ability to learn-and Escape From Childhood, about children's rights. He likens children to women or black people as an oppressed group, particularly as they are not allowed any responsibilites eg getting a job.

what books do you guys like>

and-anyone else off to festivals? eg hesfes?

Original poster
nannyme · 16/05/2006 09:16

We're just ebaying for our tent (Hesfes)!

OP posts:
flamesparrow · 16/05/2006 09:35

Ooh a home ed section!!

I enjoyed school, so will be sending my children, but if things don't work out then I will home ed.

Just wanted to stick my nose in on the thread really Blush

jenk1 · 16/05/2006 11:56

Hello ive been home-edding my DS since Nov 05, he is 9 and has Autism(AS) and hated school as he was picked on and bullied.

We now have 2 tutors who come to see him twice a week from the LEA, we are hoping to win our tribunal against the LEA deciding not to asess him for a statement and then we are hoping for him to go to a special school with an Autism unit attached and if that fails then we shall carry on with what we are doing.

Its very hard work but also enjoyable and we also adopt a more autonomous way of learning.

doobydoo · 17/05/2006 14:04

Hi There
wE home ed our son who is nearly 7..for lots of reasons..but not to hot house him.He is bright and interested in many things but we feel it is important that he can learn to motivate himself and use his imagination.That is just the tip of the iceberg there are numerous reasons why people home ed and also many ways of going about it some home edders are quite rigid and have a time table and follow the national cirric and others are extremely laid back.What catagory do you guys come under?
Noam Chomsky's books are interesting.

spidermama · 17/05/2006 14:25

I'm not really allowed on this thread as I didn't take the plunge but did come within a hair's breadth of de-regging my kids just before Christmas and remain open minded.

I was inspired by those I met and by most of what I'd read from the HE community. I was all set to go to HesFes.

I wanted to say well done to you all, good luck and perhaps one day I'll be joining properly.

JILS · 17/05/2006 14:37

Hi everyone. I'm not a HEer, but I really admire all of you who are. I've been a primary teacher for 13 years (having a "career break" as a SAHM at the moment). I hate the thought of my DS going to state school. I've witnessed so much poor teaching, poor standards, indiscipline, bullying, etc that it really worries me. I'd love to HE him myself, but know I'll have to go back to work at some point. I've looked into private education, but is VERY expensive.

jenk1 · 17/05/2006 18:50

I go by an autonomous style with DS as he gets 4 hours a week of NAt,curric work with his tutors, we do research on the net, read books,magazines, watch educational programmes, go visiting places,make things you name it we do it!!!

ruty · 18/05/2006 17:08

i am sort of considering HE for my 20 month old, because all the good primary schools are in such expensive catchement areas we really can't afford to but withing them. However I do worry about him not getting enough collaborative activities if HEed, and about him being isolated. How do people get around that?

ruty · 18/05/2006 17:08

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FrannytheGazelle · 18/05/2006 17:22

We are planning to home educate. Ds is 3. HesFes is being held about 10 miles from us this year :)

ruty · 18/05/2006 18:07

Catchment. Buy. Within. Sheesh.

Original poster
nannyme · 18/05/2006 18:11

Shall we turn this into a ages of children/approx location thread then in order for people to network a bit easier, or should we start another thread for that?!

OP posts:
Filyjonk · 18/05/2006 18:57

Think its a great idea to share ages and locations. A lot of us have at least one under 5, but I've noticed that the EO lists don't have huge numbers of under 5s. Which is kind of tricky because a lot of kids round here (south wales) go off to school at 3! . I think it normalises the idea that at ever younger ages our kids need to be "socialised", become independent, learn pre-writing and all the rest.

Filyjonk · 18/05/2006 19:03

Think its a great idea to share ages and locations. A lot of us have at least one under 5, but I've noticed that the EO lists don't have huge numbers of under 5s. Which is kind of tricky because a lot of kids round here (south wales) go off to school at 3! . I think it normalises the idea that at ever younger ages our kids need to be "socialised", become independent, learn pre-writing and all the rest.

we lean heavily towards the unschooling approach, but lots of "strewing".

SM, you are more than welcome. Maybe we can convert you. Mwwwhahaha....