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grumpyolddude · 12-11-2003, 09:20 PM

We homeschool. Our eldest son attended public school for most of 6 years and spent one semester in a Christian private school. He's 22 years old now. Our younger children, 15 and 12 years old, have never attended a "formal" school.

My wife works very hard and quite well with the children and I give her all of the credit. She attends conferences and homeschool "conventions" where curriculum and methods are discussed. She has made contact with other homeschooling families and there are group activities and field trips.

Our children are niether sheltered nor socially awkward. In fact, in most social situations, our children are sought out as companions and playmates. They have a wide circle of friends with a variety of shared interests, including sports, bowling, chess, music, dance, movies... and then some.

If I were to give any advice: contact other homeschoolers in your area. There should be an organization set up to help with curriculum, materials and lots of support. Don't lock yourself in the house..."homeschool" should not be taken literally! Every time you are out, every place you go is a potential classroom. School is always in session. Use your computer and the internet extensively. There are tons of free or low costs educational experiences there!

One of the first reactions we get from skeptics is: "Your must be very smart to be able to teach all of those different subjects!" That, frankly, is not the case. In fact, we usually end up learning a lot in the course of helping the children learn. Outside of the core subjects, the most important thing we can teach our children is how to THINK. Acquiring and evaluating information is important, but critical thinking and decision making skills are required to make that information useful to their lives.

Good luck on your decision. I'm certain that Washington has homeschooling resources that can help you.
A quick google search will take you to information about compliance with state laws, too.

12-11-2003, 09:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
grumpyolddude Deliberately unfocused Location: Amazon.com and CDBaby	We homeschool. Our eldest son attended public school for most of 6 years and spent one semester in a Christian private school. He's 22 years old now. Our younger children, 15 and 12 years old, have never attended a "formal" school. My wife works very hard and quite well with the children and I give her all of the credit. She attends conferences and homeschool "conventions" where curriculum and methods are discussed. She has made contact with other homeschooling families and there are group activities and field trips. Our children are niether sheltered nor socially awkward. In fact, in most social situations, our children are sought out as companions and playmates. They have a wide circle of friends with a variety of shared interests, including sports, bowling, chess, music, dance, movies... and then some. If I were to give any advice: contact other homeschoolers in your area. There should be an organization set up to help with curriculum, materials and lots of support. Don't lock yourself in the house..."homeschool" should not be taken literally! Every time you are out, every place you go is a potential classroom. School is always in session. Use your computer and the internet extensively. There are tons of free or low costs educational experiences there! One of the first reactions we get from skeptics is: "Your must be very smart to be able to teach all of those different subjects!" That, frankly, is not the case. In fact, we usually end up learning a lot in the course of helping the children learn. Outside of the core subjects, the most important thing we can teach our children is how to THINK. Acquiring and evaluating information is important, but critical thinking and decision making skills are required to make that information useful to their lives. Good luck on your decision. I'm certain that Washington has homeschooling resources that can help you. A quick google search will take you to information about compliance with state laws, too. __________________ "Regret can be a harder pill to swallow than failure .With failure you at least know you gave it a chance..." David Howard