It's time to make the leap methinks

[sorkycake]

It's just starting to sink in, we haven't written to the school yet but plan to just before Christmas, meaning that this is the first and last term she'll do (aged4.5)).
We've joined EO and the yahoo'ers, sent off for the John Ford books, read every thread on the home ed section. We've talked and talked about it, panicked, convinced ourselves it's right but ever so slightly crackers etc.
We have a 3 yo and another on the way in Feb.
We're concerned that we won't find enough kids to meet up with during the day, but if it's out there I'll find it I'm sure (we're in the NE)
Whoo! well the panic is starting to rise again so I'll head off, just wanted to say hi!

Hi sorkycake.

I'm sure you'll all love HE.

Just a quick post re your concerns about finding enough people to meet up with in the day - we're about to have a bonfire party with 25 guests, lots of whom are home educators.

There are lots of us about - far more than I ever imagined when we started HEing over two years ago.

We're in Yorth Norkshire.

The panic is normal - but it does subside - honest!

where are you sorky?

there's maybe a local MN who can give you an idea of HE groups.

Hi Sorkycake,

Yes I understand everything you say about the panic and being 'ever so slightly crackers'!
We started HE in July I have dds 7 and 3.
We have made lots of friends at HE groups and on Yahoo lists. I too am amazed how many HE s are out there!
There are loads of trips being organised on a regular basis, I've organised one myself.
You can be as involved or not in local HE things as you want.

We are off to the Imperial War museum on Thursday and there are so many fantastic resources you can print off from the internet.

I'm completely chilled with HE now after the initial panic to 'do loads of work'. I only keep written stuff filed to show the inspectors.

I had to go to the school gates today and pick up one my daughters old school friends to come for tea, and despite being blanked by all the mums who previously would say hello, I proudly walked with my head high!

Hi fj,
I've contacted my local HE group and they all seem lovely, not sure if ready just yet to throw ourselves in, maybe once it sinks in.
Rb why didn't they speak to you? What's all that about? Another reason to avoid school if you ask me, the parents are just as bad as the kids for bitching and griping.

ah sound then

I dunno, I have these jitters all the time. I think they're kind of inevitable, tbh...though I hear they subside...and they serve the useful purpose of keeping you on your toes

one piece of good advice i was given years ago was that if you want to HE consider taking a parenting course. Cos HE is to a large extent dependent on good parenting.

I also think we HE'rs are a bit hard on ourself sometimes. We try to produce the perfect experience and if for a second we don't we think, ah well, might as well send them to school. We (I) need to relax more!

Do the majority of HE'rs take their children from school due to bullying issues? Can I ask why others have made the decision, was it easy?
My daughter isn't being bullied and generally seems ok with school, doing well we think (school communication is rubbish), but she has the odd day where she asks to stay at home and cries before going into school. I have mentioned this to the school but they say she is settled and has no problems.
Our main reason for seriously considering the change is that she is at a far higher reading level than the books she is being given at school. I told the teacher about the fact she is bored and needs something more challenging to read. Same with the homework, she will say it's too easy I'm not doing it. If it's like this now what will it be like by the end of the year? I really don't want her to become disillusioned with all learning iyswim.
Dilemma, dilemma eh?

Hi again SC.
I took my daughter out in July because she is exceptionally bright and was just bored with school.
I spent 2 years helping out in class for a couple of hours a week, but it was enough to see that the work was just not suited to her abilities. They were not prepared to give her extra work as they didn't have time to either set it or mark it!
It was basically because of the level of ability of the other kids, which were much less able than my daughter. Ironically, since my daughters absence, I've been told by one mum that her dds work is suffering because my dd isn't there to set a standard!
Shame they didn't realise that before!!
Maybe this is why I'm unpopular.

I have always supported her learning at home and after doing a classroom assistants course last year I realised I could do the job myself at home!

Although we had a wobbly month in September, she now enthusiastically works at her own pace on work aimed at Year 6, (she would have been in Yr3).
There's also a lot less shouting in this house and lots more quality time together as a family.