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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:
Filyjonk · 18/05/2006 19:03

see, I'm really keen...

sparklemagic · 18/05/2006 19:05

I'm like ruty, it's something I have thought alot about, but at present we are going down the school route - but I bear it in mind to HE if things go wrong or if I feel my DS' sense of self worth is being damaged...

but I really would be interested to hear people's views on how, as they get older, their home edded children develop a life away from home, and get space to develop their personalities with a bit of distance from a parent..I worry that 24 hours together will impinge on my DS having the freedom to have a life seperate from the family, which is so important....maybe I am worrying about a non-issue, I dunno?

Filyjonk · 18/05/2006 19:15

See, this is why I'm off to HESFES-I want to see how HE kids grow up!

But, I do think they don't have to spend 24/7 with you. There is Woodcraft Folk/Brownies/Scounts/ etc etc. As they get older there are more and more things they can do alone.

Also, (obsession with organic food aside) I am far from being an overprotective mother but I do feel that it is reasonable for me to bring up my kids in my value system. I object to the consumerist culture and I object to the "gold stars" culture-ie you do things because you get a tokenistic reward from someone else (an A grade, a happy animal sticker). I think it erodes personal motivation. I do want to protect my kids from that, just as I want to protect them from busy roads.

But as I say-I'm off to HESFES to find out more.

(you'll know us-we'll be the ones popping off the site every 5 minutes in search of organic milk!)

doobydoo · 18/05/2006 20:48

Filyjonk...love the 'strewing'Grin

Original poster
nannyme · 18/05/2006 22:04

Hey filly, when we have actually bought our tent I'll tell you what colour it is and we can look out for one another!

We are having an organic panic, although apparently there are some good whole foody type stalls there this year so we are encouraged. Nearly thought of bringing a breadmaker!

OP posts:
Filyjonk · 19/05/2006 10:19

I've been wondering about taking a breadmaker, nm Blush. Maybe also a fridge Blush Blush Trouble is, we'd need an electric hookup, also a car the size of scotland. So maybe we'll rough it. Might make some nice curtains or something for the tent though Blush. See, I'm not really a camper...

Have you been before? I've suddenly got cold feet after hearing a few bad things, like poor toilet facilites and grumpy stewards.

FrannytheGazelle · 19/05/2006 11:22

LOL I love the phrase 'organic panic'.

I am stealing that one :o

Original poster
nannyme · 19/05/2006 11:45

Feel free franny! I impressed myself with that one Grin

Fillyjonk, I have only camped once before in my entire life (my mother never was a camper either!) and this was at Pony Club so fairly molliecoddled (sp?) as I remember there being a full buffet each night and lots of trifle eating!

We are paying the £10 for electric hook up but are, in most other respects, doing it on a shoestring! We only have a peugeot 306 too, so there won't be much room for tons of stuff. Still considering the breadmaker.

I was told off last night by dp for suggesting pillows, having a pre-camping leg wax, hanging my clothes in the tent, taking a hairdryer or straighteners (was taking the p by this point) and googling for where to buy 'no water' soap.

We didn't go last year (or any year) but know one of the people who is helping organise it. This year they have changed site so I believe the facilities, especially showers and loos, etc. will be far improved.

Don't know about grumpy stewards!

OP posts:
ruty · 19/05/2006 13:51

just had a look at the HESFES website. Looks really good. But it looks like you can't just visit for the day - am I right? Ds is probably a bit young this year anyway - maybe next year.

Filyjonk · 19/05/2006 16:13

oh good, I did notice this years site looked a lot bigger. The muddlepuddle woman seemed especially unimpressed last year.

ruty-dunno if you can get a day ticket to hesfes-you could always phone/email them-but there are loads of other camps, like muddlemuddle or educationsense, which might be better?

Am wondering if I should upgrade to electric hookup...You can bake cakes in my breadmaker also...it would be very nice...

Cadmum · 19/05/2006 16:19

Sign me up...

DS1 (9) and DD1 (7) have had their educational needs met by me for the last 2 years.

I am feeling as though they might be better off in school from September though as I am finding it rather challenging (some days impossible) with DD2 (now 11 weeks) and DD1's attitude towards learning from me.

Cadmum · 19/05/2006 16:23

Sorry, I really should have added that we are currently in New York City but moving to Vienna, Austria in 6 weeks.

We are actually Canadians but both my older two started their schooling in London. It was a horrific experience for DS1 but brilliant for DD1.

FilyjonktheSnibbet · 19/05/2006 20:41

hi cadmum.

are you using a curriculum then? You might find some useful stuff and meetups on the MuddlePuddle site.

Which I am going to plug relentlessly despite being too lazy to link to it.

The woman who runs it seems very into Montessori and Charlotte Mason (small schools).

FilyjonktheSnibbet · 19/05/2006 20:41

oh no, hang on, you're going to Austria, misread that. Well its still a good site.

FillyjonktheSnibbet · 19/05/2006 21:41

i'm basically bumping this for the friday evening crowd here.

Cadmum · 19/05/2006 21:57

\link{http://www.muddlepuddle.co.uk\Here you go!} (Muddle Puddle)

FillyjonktheSnibbet · 19/05/2006 21:58

their mailing list is great, cadmum, very supportive.

Runnerbean · 23/06/2006 17:34

I feel very compelled to HE and have done for some time. I have a very bright dd who is just not being challenged at school.
I help out in class so I do appreciate it is very difficult to accomodate individual needs in a class of 30!

I keep being told she doesn't push herself, but if everyone around her is achieving less what incentive does she have?

I work a lot with her at home doing KS2 work (she is in year 2) and she manages this easily. So I just keep wondering "Why don't I do this full-time for her?"

I'm scared really of it not working out then having to put her back into school or not being able to get her back into her school, which is the best in the borough anyway. Dillema.

I'm in Eltham, anyone nearby who can give advice/ support?

What then do I do for dd2 age 3?

pinkdolly · 24/06/2006 05:42

Runnerbean-

My Children are 4, nearly 3 and my next one should be with us within the next month. So they are not school age yet.
I'm not putting them into a school and part of the reason is because of the lack of individual attention they would recieve.
Unfortunatly schools are not well equipped to deal with the very bright or slower children.
You have obviously seen first hand of this.

You are bound to be nervous thinking about home-edding. I often wander if I am good enough for my girls. I dont have the qualifications that teachers have. But I do have more time, and I love my children. Nobody could give them the attention that I could.
Home-edding is as much a learning curve for the parent as it is for the Child/ren. There are lots of good books out there for you to read up on.
I wish you all the best. Sorry I couldn't be any more help.

Runnerbean · 24/06/2006 10:06

Thanks pinkdolly.

I have discussed this with my dh but although he would support me if I decided to go ahead with it, he is worried my dd would resent me for taking her away from her friends, and that it too much time we spent together, resulting in arguments.

Is this a problem for anyone?
How do you balance things?

NotAnOtter · 24/06/2006 10:14

I am very paaionate about my childrens education and they all go to school.
I have shifted children to differing schools within our town to suit there needs and the local schools are sllegedly good dd's being 9th in country last year.
I just wanted to say why i dont understand why one takes them RIGHT out of the system instead of complementing what we have for free by educating them a wee bit when they come home/longschool hols/weekends.
I know the whole school thing is a stress but socially it seems as important as their academic ability - certainly at primary level.
We only know one home educated girl - we see her in the park and my children call her ' You know Mummy the "Home-Schooled Girl"'
She is crying out for friends......

NotAnOtter · 24/06/2006 10:16

their!

HelloDolly · 24/06/2006 17:31

Notanotter - I think the comments made by your children say more about them than the little girl, do they point at Black children too ?

FrannyandZooey · 24/06/2006 17:48

I think many Home Ed people object to the whole school system, NotAnOtter - the social structure, the control, the methods, the heterogeneity, the whole school ethos.

Your question is a bit like asking a vegetarian why they don't just eat Big Macs like everyone else, and then have a bit of fruit when they get home

juuule · 24/06/2006 18:13

Notanotter - How do you know that the girl in the park is crying out for friends? Why won't your children play with her? Although she is the only home-educated child that you know, she may know lots more and have lots of home-educated friends from various HE groups.
Frannyandzoey - you put that rather well.