Seeking Moms Who Homeschool

Hey, S. C ... my name is Kate and I homeschool, too. My kiddos are Ryan 16 (son), Emily 6 (daughter), Nicholas 5 (son), Anderson 3.5 (son) and Owen 2 (son). We have homeschooled for about 7 years now, having pulled the 16 year old out when he was 9. He has already graduated high school and now is taking classes at the college and focusing on writing a book. The others have never been to public school and I plan to educate all of them through high school. We live in Livonia and belong to a local support group, which has been a big help for my sanity ... just having others who live in my world makes hard days easier! Where do you live?

My children never attended elementary or secondary school. One has finished a college program and the other is looking at one for next year (2009).

Hi. My plan is to homeschool my kids and really it starts right from birth. Although we read tons and have lots of learning through play, I don't plan on doing official kindergarden until my daughter is 6. I'm looking forward to keeping my kids at home and to the homeschooling journey!

A.

I do, what exactly would you like to know?
My kids are now 21 and 18. Last one is now a senior.
The number one suggestion would be: Get connected with a local group. You WILL need this for your encouragement,for friends for your kids to do things with, get questions answered, etc. These new friends who will have gone thru things before you will be the ones who can direct you.

Hi S.! I have been homeschooling my 7 yo son Jonah, since birth and love it! Do you homeschool?
J.

Hi S.! I have noticed several homeschooling families on this list-we are one of them! Where are you located? I have two daughters-7 (today!) and 8. We are new to this list, but it seems really nice so far!
T.

Yes, im a homeschool mom of 3 young ones. What questions were you looking for answers? It is daily work that can be rewarding and frustrating, but i wouldnt change the choice that we made. I Love being with them, rather than someone else shaping their future.

I am preparing to start homeschooling my 4 year old in June and may continue through her entire schooling, unsure yet...

I am considering homeschool next year for my daughter (who is turning 5 next week). I have SEVERAL friends who homeschool. There are many homeschool groups out there too. Drop me a line if you want me to connect you with any of the groups out there. If you belong to a MOPS group or other moms group, there may be a homeschool group they are connected with as well.

Check out this link:

www.homeschoolingmichigan.com

You can look up homeschool support groups here by county as well as get in the know about Michigan requirements of what must be covered in school.

i have homeschooled my last four children, the youngest of whom is now 16 and in his junior year high school. i have learned as much as they have over the years and it has been a great adventure. i am married and together we have seven children and seven grandchildren.

S.,
I was home schooled. I have one 8 mo. old baby girl, so as of yet I do not home school. I think highly of it if it is done right. It requires organization and knowing what you're doing.
You could check into a course called ABEKA, it is great for early grades but gets a little deep for upper. Accelerated Christian Education (or A.C.E) is good for upper grades and allows the student to go at their own pace with little involvement from parents. If I can be any help, feel free to e-mail me at ____@____.com

Sincerely,
S. B.

My husband and I plan on homeschooling our kids. My husband was home schooled as a kid and loved it. I just wanted to let you know we are interested in home schooling our kids. I have a lot of learning to do on the subject. :)

A little about me:
I am a SAHM with two toddlers a 3 yr. old son and a 1 yr. old daughter.

Hi S., I am planning on homeschooling my two kids as long as they'll let me! It looks like from the other posts that you are getting some good info. Definately get in touch with a homeschool association, or find women in your city who homeschool too. You can usually find them in the grocery store or the library, etc.

I know of several families who's kids are homeschooled and they also use the school district they live in so they can interact more with other kids. They take classes like choir, band, they can also participate in the sports, too. So, keep that in mind in regards to the socialization of your kids. There are plenty of resources out there.

I live near Kalamazoo if you happen to be in this area email me at ____@____.com luck!

I just started homeschooling my son (K) this year. I really enjoy it and there are plenty of resources out there to help. I also have the help of my mother-in-law who has homeschooled all 12 of her children. It is something that you will have to be committed to. She gave me a book called "The WholeHearted Child" by Clay and Sally Clarkson. It is a Christian based book about homeschooling and can answer questions and help you to decided with your husband what convictions you have about homeschooling. Another good book I first read was the Charlotte Mason Companion.

I'm sure that there is a homeschooling book fair on your side of the state as there is one over here. Ours is usually in March. They have a few mini-seminars that you may attend for free for new and old homeschooling parents. There is a used book fair, as well as representatives from each of the companies with curriculums and from other aspects of schooling. I really suggest going to one if there is one in your area. You'll be able to talk to tons of people, get suggestions and the resources you'll need if you decide to homeschool.

Good luck with your decision and remember to pray about it.

I don't know of any local, but there is a homeschool bldg. off of 54th St. that would be a great resource to you. Also, I was an Usborne Consultant for many years and I know many homeschoolers use our materials. I am going out of business because I am moving and I am selling my entire stock for 1/2 off (I have over $5000 in books right now). Please let me know you'd be interested in any of these.
J.

I have homeschooled all four of my children. My oldest graduated last year and is sitting out this year and attending a state university next year on a full scholarship, so obviously we did something right. lol I have one in 7th, one in 5th, and one in K this year. I would be happy to answer any questions that you have. We have homeschooled in two states and the requirements are very different. I would also reiterate what someone else said about getting involved with a local support group. In some groups, you could be gone every day doing something. You have to pick and choose.

I am starting the same thing with my 4yr old girl. I also have a 2 and and 4 month both girls.

My son attends K at a public school, but I have thought of homeschooling many times. If public school ever creates any problems for us, then I am prepared to pull him out and homeschool. I think it is a great option. My daughter is 3 and I "teach" her at home. Even after my son started K, I still fill in his learning gaps by teaching him at home too. I don't think that they are teaching him enough at school. THey focus alot on reading which is good, but not alot else. I see the public school system as someone to help me with teaching him, not just doing it all. Good Luck in you decision. I'm interested in reading all your responses!!!!

Hi. I hs my ds(15) and my dd(10). The best place to start is to look for a group on Yahoo to join. You can have all your questions answered and this is a great place to find out about field trips/parties in your area. I am a member of both an Oakland Co. group and Macomb Co. group(one I am mainly involved with). We have kids of all ages at our parties. If you are in either of these counties and would like direct links please send me a message.

We are in our 4th year of homeschooling and love it. This is our first year being part of a home school co-op. We are enjoying meeting new people and learning new things from outside of the home. Check out the website http://www.lmhsc.org/ if you are in the Muskegon area or surrounding areas. The kids have really enjoyed PE and some of the other classes they wouldn't be able to take at home. Hope this helps.

S., we don't home school our kids but we have a brother that does. I know that his kids have felt that they missed out on some social events/connections that other kids had while growing up. The daily socialization skills that the kids learn while interacting. And there was some difficulty when they transitioned over to college and went away from home.
We choose private schools so that we could have smaller classrooms and more say in the kids education.
I wish you all the luck, we are a two income family and so home schooling was never an option for us with the kids.