Thinking of home educating some of my children.

[fiveboysmum]

I would love some thoughts on this. I have two pre-schoolers and three children at school. The oldest two would love to be home educated because they have problems at school ( they also have special education needs ). My third seems to enjoy school and doesn't want to stop going to school.

Does any-one think that he-ing my oldest two is "doable" whilst already having two little ones and still taking one to school. Most people seem to have only one or two children.

Does this make sense?

I know a woman who home educates her (counts on fingers) six children,aged 10 to 1 or something. It's certainly possible. How do you 'cope' with having all five children at home at weekends? It's just the same, only more so.

You're likely to find that if you are doing school-y type learning, the preschoolers are likely to want their own desks and to wander in and out doing colouring (proper school, like the big ones ) - if it's more autonomous-type education, then the little ones will join in with what interests them, just like they do with the games the older ones play already.

Meet some HE families locally - you'll find there are others with big families and you can pick their brains

Thanks for your reply. How do we cope at weekends? It is noisy and chaotic but we cope.

It is good to know that there are other large families home educating. Gives me hope.

Most of the HE families I know in RL have 3 or more. I have 4, and I know families with 7 and 10. Very doable.

Often complete chaos in this house, mind I am actively educating the eldest and the younger ones are sort of hanging of her coat-tails at the moment.

Getting more encouraged by the moment.
Thank you.

LOL!
There is one mom, quite famous on some of the home ed support lists who home educated her 12 dc!
yes 12!

I know of several families where there are four or more HE children.
A number of them blog about it;

www.notsheep.net/
www.fivehomeedinkent.blogspot.com/
www.home-educate.me.uk/hemuk/
www.wellyboots.blogspot.com/
www.patchofpuddles.co.uk/
wehateworkbooks.blogspot.com/

Not read the blogs yet, but do any of those families also have a child/ren still in school?
I think it is something to be considered as you do have to take the school day and school holidays into account and plan around them. This can sometimes be restrictive when going on organised home-ed trips or to the group meetings.

You might find that if your other to school-aged children enjoy HE so much the third might well decide to join in as well

...of course this can't be counted on so maybe worth enquiring with the school to see if they would be amenable to a flexi-schooling arrangement for your third child...that way he/she can still attend school as they wish to..but could also be a part of the HE side of things as well & you wouldn't be so restricted with days/trips out with your other children.

Thank you for your replies. Some of the blogs are really inspiring. Things are getting so bad for my oldest two that communications with the school are getting a little fraught. I can't imagine the school being flexible at all with regards to my third sweetie. I do think though that you are right about him wanting to stay at home when his brothers do. Thank you for your advice.