Any other more 'formal' home educators out there? I can't seem to find any!

[lolapoppins]

Hello, I am home educating my son who is a couple of months off turning seven.

There are no shortage of other home educating families and groups to attend, but the majority of families we have met are going down the route of autonomous learning, or teaching but not formally at all whereas we are very formal as mostly follow the national curriculum, stick to school times, make use of a tutor etc. It suits us and our son that way.

I am feeling a little isolated really. Like I said, lots of groups to go to, but I am always jumped on for the way we do things formally, and I have begun to dread going. I get asked by other home educators over and over again why we don't just send him to school if we are basically doing 'school' at home (there are reasons, but it's too long to go into, but we tried it and it didn't work out as planned).

I feel like I just don't 'fit'. In our area, home educating families all seem to be very new age-y and green, and we are not like them at all. That doesn't matter at all to me, I take people on their personality, not what lifestyle they are into, or how they educate their children, but for all their talk of 'open mindedness', for some reason, my family are not accepted.

I am feeling very low today as I just got back from a group and have been laughed at in fornt of everyone as I was seen checking our time table for the afternoon before I went because my son wanted to tell his friend if he had science or history this afternoon (we have gone 'back to school' this week). Being humiliated becasue I choose to do what I feel is best for my family by people who preach acceptance and open mindedness isn't my idea of fun.

I am so fed up after a year and a half of comments like 'get rid of the tutor' and 'stop acting like a teacher'. I want to try and meet other people who are quite happy doing things in a more formal way. My son is thriving by the way, he enjoys the formal work we do, but he also has more than enough time to do fun ativities of his own choosing or just to sit around and chill out.

Sorry for the long post. Like I said upsetting morning yet again at a home ed group, it is getting me down now.

[onefunkymama]

You're not the only structured home edder. We are very structured too.