Occupying your time as a parent if you have older HE dcs.

[duvet]

Hi, I'm considering HE dd2 (11)instead of sending her to High school in Sept for various reasons. I'm feeling nervous but excited too at the prospect of this. I am wondering about boredom though not just hers but mine, because obviously I wont be teaching her all day. I hope to join a group that meets once a week, I don't live near a city so not that much going on. We'll also do some kind of sport and hobby stuff but wondering how else our or my time will be filled? I currently do supply teaching and hoping I can do one day of supply a week if dh can work from home, but I want the rest of the time to be fulfilling for both of us iykwim?

This isn't quite what you asked, but it's a piece of advice sometimes given to parents whose children, having recently left school, haven't yet connected with the joy of learning and don't appear to be inspired: set them a good example.

Learn something that excites you. When considering the purchase of science kits, when shortlisting places for days out, when selecting videos to watch, when choosing library books... be selfish sometimes. It doesn't all have to be about her. You deserve to follow your passions too.

There are times when your daughter will benefit from being left to her own devices. At times like these, take the focus off her. Do something in parallel with her. Learn about the Aztecs, take up knitting, immerse yourself in a new language. Go on a long coach journey to the seaside just because you haven't put your feet in the waves for years. Sometimes she'll look over your shoulder and want to join in, sometimes she'll be left cold by what enthuses you.

Learning is a lifelong pursuit. Is your daughter's education more important than yours?

My son is 11 and to be honest while I do very little teaching I find that home ed sucks up a lot of time.
Yesterday is a pretty perfect example. I was up early to work (have a small business), DS was up got his breakfast and sat down at 9. He got on with some things that were independent and I got dressed, had my breakfast, put laundry, on cleaned kitchen. By then he wanted me as his maths had him writing problems for someone else to solve so I did those and we chatted while he finished maths and I prepped something he needed for Latin. We both did Spanish (we both have duolingo accounts). He did a bit more stuff and I checked what we needed for an activity later in the week and ordered stuff. I read aloud for a while. Lunch. Caught bus into town for library and a home ed board games group so I spent a couple of hours drinking tea and chatting. Gone 4pm before we were home and it was house stuff and reading.
I do have hobbies - I love crafts, I have an addiction for FutureLearn courses and if possible I will sit with my son and do something. I admin home ed groups and run a few local activities which takes time. We only have one day we don't go out to see other home eders or family most weeks and that is because we have chosen to protect that day as ours. I really don't find time to be bored.

Should say a lot of our meet ups with other home eders are not organised groups, they are a walk with a friend, attending a museum with a different friend, small group getting together for science projects that sort of thing. We go to museums, theatres, galleries, libraries a lot just us or with others. Sometimes because he is interested, sometimes because it is relevant to a project, often because I would like to see it.

Saracen I found what you wrote very encouraging and inspiring, thank you! Hadnt thought about us learning together but yeah itsstillgood, learning a language together is a great idea. Thanks for the replies so far, good to hear other's experiences.