Home education possibilities

[Bonny]

Firstly, I guess i'm very fortunate in that I don't work and haven't been able to for four years now so we've made all our financial decisions and adjustments based on one income.

 

If we could afford it I would probably consider Montessori or private education. In my mind the mainstream education system is too rigid and not flexible enough to meet the individual needs of each child.

 

I want to do whatever is going to be best for my son and so I want to find out as much as I can about all the different options so we're able to make an informed decision. The child-led approach appeals more to me because I have a long held belief that every single person is good at something and has a natural talent or leaning towards particular subjects/interests. I don't feel the current education system accommodates this and so restricts learning to a certain extent - even putting children off learning to a point where they lose all interest.

 

My son has always been interested in music and dance but I know very little so whether he's home educated or not i'll do everything I can to support and encourage his interests, I guess that's probably going to mean paying someone else to work with him because I simply don't have the musical skills. I don't know if the home education network has something like a 'skills swap' amongst home educators. But these are all the things i'm researching at the moment. I must admit i'm encouraged by how many other parents are considering or undertaking home education (and quite a few on this side of the City too).

 

Edit: forgot to add - I don't think I could ever be disappointed in my son, I don't have any pre-set agenda for achieving any academic qualifications. I want him to be happy and enjoy life. If I can encourage and facilitate him doing something he loves doing then that's my motivation I suppose.

[hennypenny]

I'm really interested but I have acouple of questions from the adult perspective, how do you afford it?

Considering the resources and outings and the not working whilst youare doing it?

 

There is no denying that it is difficult to finance home education. There is no help from anyone, each home educating parent is on their own financially. Obviously it is different for each family, but in the majority of cases one parent works while the other stays home to home educate. It is often the mother, although not always.

 

Other families have found other solutions, some both parents work part time and share the home responsibilities, some work from home, and some use home educating childminders to help them go to work part time. I did know one single parent whose children went to a home educating childminder full time while she worked full time (with WTC paying a substantial amount towards the childcare), but it was not sustainable for long as parent and children both felt they were missing out. Other families have arrangements where one parent works in the day and the other at nights or weekends.

 

Personally, we started out with my husband working and me at home, then my husband had a nervous breakdown and we were on sick pay for a while, then he took early retirement due to ill health (at 32!) and we lived for a short time on income support, then we both registered as childminders and worked together at home whilst still home educating, then after 9 years we gave up the childminding and became professional genealogists still working at home, and splitting the childcare. Now my husband still works as a genealogist and I run a small unit selling antique glass. We also work as mystery shoppers.

 

It will never be easy, but it is something that some parents feel strongly enough about to make the necessary sacrifices. I do think that we were lucky, buying a house in the 80's and so do not have the huge mortgage commitment that many parents have now. I do feel very sorry for young parents now and I think it is a more difficult choice.

 

How do you teach A level standard subjects that you might not be interested in?

 

My son chose to go to college at 14 to do his GCSE's and A levels, but some parents do home educate to this level, by working with the child through the syllabus and organising a teacher to mark the work. It is hard but has been done.

 

Do you feel like you would be disappointed in your children if they don't turn out how you want after investing so much time in them? Do you feel a big weight of responsibility?

Do you have regular time away from your children to do other things?

 

I don't have expectations of my children and I think they are amazing people, so I doubt I would ever be disappointed in them, no matter what they choose to do with their lives. I don't feel a weight of responsibility because I see my role as freeing them to learn, not to teach them, I see that they are doing really well at educating themselves and I would be happy if they went into their adult lives only armed with the amount of knowledge they have right now.

 

When the children were little we were both with them very intensively, we don't have nights out etc, but that is our choice. As they have got older they are more independent and I get more time to do my own thing. For instance my daughter is off out meeting friends to go shopping today and I am off out to trawl second hand markets I have never looked at my time with them as an investment though, just doing what was necessary to meet their needs at any given time.

 

I don't feel the need for a lot of time away from my children as they are such nice people who I love to be around. My children are my best friends.

 

My son is an adult now, and has grown into a strong, successful, mature, intelligent and fantastic human being, achieving all he wants to do and is very happy and stable. I have no regrets

[hennypenny]

Firstly, I guess i'm very fortunate in that I don't work and haven't been able to for four years now so we've made all our financial decisions and adjustments based on one income.

 

If we could afford it I would probably consider Montessori or private education. In my mind the mainstream education system is too rigid and not flexible enough to meet the individual needs of each child.

 

There are a lot of home educators who base their education on the Montessori methods. If you join the early years home ed group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EarlyYearsHE/ email list you will find many other parents of young children doing various methods.

 

 

I want to do whatever is going to be best for my son and so I want to find out as much as I can about all the different options so we're able to make an informed decision. The child-led approach appeals more to me because I have a long held belief that every single person is good at something and has a natural talent or leaning towards particular subjects/interests. I don't feel the current education system accommodates this and so restricts learning to a certain extent - even putting children off learning to a point where they lose all interest.

 

Absolutely

 

My son has always been interested in music and dance but I know very little so whether he's home educated or not i'll do everything I can to support and encourage his interests, I guess that's probably going to mean paying someone else to work with him because I simply don't have the musical skills. I don't know if the home education network has something like a 'skills swap' amongst home educators. But these are all the things i'm researching at the moment. I must admit i'm encouraged by how many other parents are considering or undertaking home education (and quite a few on this side of the City too).

 

There is a home ed music group for young children based on the Kodaly music method once per week currently running. In the past there have been singing lessons, percussion lessons, music, dance and drama sessions and guitar sessions, I am sure there will be more running again in the future. What usually happens is that a child is interested in a certain skill so their parents set up a session and invite others to join. There is a home ed drama group which has been running for several years and the children produce a play at the end of each year in a theatre in front of a paying audience

 

Edit: forgot to add - I don't think I could ever be disappointed in my son, I don't have any pre-set agenda for achieving any academic qualifications. I want him to be happy and enjoy life. If I can encourage and facilitate him doing something he loves doing then that's my motivation I suppose.

 

Sounds about right to me

[hennypenny]

I have been very torn over home educating our little boy. Unfortunately I think it wouldn't be a full-time option for us, as once I've finished my MSc I want to do a doctorate and I really have to go back to work to pay my way.

 

I think the way forward for us would be the approach my parents took with me. My Mum was a SAHM until I went to school, and we went on outings and did arts and crafts at home. I spoke in full sentences by age 2 and we did a lot of singing and educational play. When my Dad was home he was also very hands on and would answer any of my questions, even if we had to go and look up the answer together. One time when I was 3 I didn't want to just play at the seaside, I wanted to know what sand was made from and why the sea came in and out - cue my Dad sitting and explaining rock erosion and the tides to me. I was given full sex education without embarrassment at the age of 5 when I asked and was able to take an active role in helping when my sister was born, with my parents explaining her development to me in ways I could understand. By this point I'd already said I wanted to be 'a brain doctor' (I couldn't pronounce psychologist) and I'm well on the way to that now!

 

My sister was unable to learn much about the subject that mostly interested her at mainstream school - ancient history and archaeology, mostly Egyptology. My parents encouraged her interests by taking her to museums and exhibits, recording documentaries which were on too late for her, and buying her books and videos/DVDs. She was into the subject for well over 10 years before she was finally able to go to university and study the subject properly. She was never the best student, but she is truly shining at uni and is really in her element. She's about to start her final year now.

 

Both of us went to mainstream school as our parents both worked, but they made time to help us nurture our interests and we are both much better with self-directed learning than structured learning.

 

I'd like the same for Jamie, ideally with him going to Montessori nursery next year. If we can support it then we would also like for him to go to an independent school which offers a wider subject choice. We as parents have quite diverse interests and we love to go to places like museums and exhibitions, so he's already starting young and coming with us - we plan to do Bodyworlds in Manchester some time in the next 2 weeks before it closes. If a school environment doesn't work out for him then we would reevaluate and home educate - my partner is very bright but felt school wasn't enough for him and didn't have the support to do much self-directed learning. I did well at school but my constantly being top of the class led to bullying that I was poorly equipped to handle until I was 15. So I do feel schooling is a constant process of assessing how it is working out and adjusting it to get the best possible outcome.

 

Whether you home educate or not, your son has the benefit of parents who are really interested in doing the best thing for him, so I am sure he will do well in whatever method of education you use.

 

It sounds as though you were almost home educated yourself, how you describe your upbringing is how we live our lives, except without the constraints of spending most of the day at school

 

My daughter says she wants to be a psychologist too

[waxonwaxoff]

Just wanted to say great thread Hennypenny. Infact thinking back, it was probably you and the others answering my hundreds of questions that helped me make the decision 5 years ago.

 

 

To all those considering home education it is a hard decision to make and not one to be taken lightly but neither is any decision you make concerning your child's life. However if you do make the step it is extremely rewarding and feels bit like you have set your family free in a way. There are days when you dont feel so confident but usually one of your children shows you something they have done that makes you feel totally proud and happy you have done the right thing.

[Saff]

Thanks Hennypenny for such an informative response:)

[mmmspecialk]

Hi I've been reading the thread and would like to let you all know about our new playgroup for families considering or already home educating. Its primarily for under 5's but older children welcome (I have just started a games box for bigger kids). I've been home educating my 3 girls since birth! and as seen as learning is lifelong I thought I'd carry on the way i've been going they have learnt so much in their first 5 years with me I didn't want to hand them over to a stranger to 'teach' them what they think they ought to know!

 

I've set up the new playgroup recently so my younger children could play with other HE kids and i could meet other parents in the same boat. We're on a break at the moment but restart on Thursday 4th September at St Oswalds church hall Abbeydale rd 10am - 12 noon £1.50 (50p per extra child) covers snacks & drinks for kids and tea/coffee & biscuits for us! plus a craft activity. There is space for babies to explore and large area for bigger kids to play on trikes etc plus a quiet room for jigsaws, books etc (97a stops right outside or drive your car up into car park at the back) so come along for a chat & play hope to see you there

[RozeePozee]

What a fab idea. I've been wondering about HE (my LO is 21 months) but the more I think about it, the less confident I become in my ability to home educate, and scared of the level of responsibilty and commitment - then I read henny's posts and think I'd be crazy not to, so I'm all over the place at the mo! As you point out, we all home educate from the moment our children come home from the delivery ward and I take a keen interest in learning and child development and OH has just completed his initial teacher training (tho his subject, ICT for 16-19 year olds might be a bit advanced for our boy at present!). I'm signed up to the Yahoo HE group and keep meaning to go along to the meet in Heeley but never seem to get round to it. A playgroup somehow seems more accessible as I spend a lot of time at those already. It's in my diary. See you in September!

[mmmspecialk]

Great Rozee look forward to meeting you in September, its a lovely group with several parents who are just at the 'considering' stage so you will be able to talk about any of your fears and hopes with other like minded people. Your little one will love it too there is lots for him to do. I'm sure you'll begin to feel more confident the more people you meet who are home educating, it worked for me!

[anniec]

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