joyfulmotherof5

In answer to I will be sending my son to Public School next week because he is begging to:

>> He hates homeschooling and will be enrolled back into the public school system next week and it is breaking my heart!!!!!<<

Dear Kathy, I feel for you! I am sure you are SO frustrated and really want to homeschool. I homeschool 5 kids–10 & under. It is NOT always easy, and the first couple of years were full of our oldest complaining ridiculously!

However, I was thinking maybe it would help you if you start with the view point that Homeschooling is the only option you are willing to accept. Period. THEN see what might help you and your son do it more happily (for both for you).

We were using a curriculum that pretty much drove my oldest CRAZY. Too much of me instructing, too much written work, and WAY too long of a school day. I would like to suggest that you may want to check out other homeschooling philosophies and methods than what you are currently using. We went from a very teacher-led method (like public school) to a curriculum that places more responsibility on the student. We switched to the Robinson self-teaching curriculum and went from the picture you’re describing at your house to children happy to do their school work, shorter days and more time to enjoy the kids even during school time, with quality work still getting done!

It sounds like you really want what is best for your son and have just considered giving up because you don’t think the constant negative feelings are the best for him. It is so nice of you to consider how he is feels. I am sure you have discussed the reasons he wants to go to public school with him, but a couple of thoughts:

If it is friends that he already has~homeschooling IS easier if he has more home-schooled friends–a co-op or other homeschool support group where there are boys his age would be a good choice. You mentioned that he also plays football~ if this is with public schooled kids then that would be a major cause for wanting to be part of the crowd and maybe you could find a homeschool league instead? If it is a long school day you may want to change to a different curriculum or method. If it is just a bad attitude in general, he is probably going to have that a public school too. If other family & friends are not supportive of homeschooling he may just feel un-cool about it~more homeschooled friends really helps here to establish that “This IS the norm and the public schooled kids are getting the short end of the stick”, but this is very hard to convince a kid of if they are often hanging out with a group of mostly public schooled kids. We have almost all public schooled kids at our church but we purposely hang out with another home-schooled family quite often so the kids will have people to relate too. (it could take just 1 homeschooled friend to share experiences with for him to change his view point)

If however the problem is that he feels like he has the right to give you grief because he is being forced to do something he doesn’t think he should have to do you may have just a discipline issue in general. The Robinson Curriculum that we switched to is founded in the child developing discipline within them self for them to feel the sense of legitimate accomplishment for a job well done. (Rather than just slapping some answers on a paper because they had to.) And the expectation the the child will ultimately obey you if given no other choice. (You are going to sit in your seat with that math book until this set is done so you might as well do it sooner rather than later and then you can go have fun.) If it is just a discipline issue you may want to check out the website “Raising Godly Tomatoes” (the thought there is that if the “tomato”/child’s only option is to hang out with you (the vine) they will become more like you and you are right there to correct them as soon as a bad attitude pops up, but you are also right there to praise/encourage every good choice they make.)

I am in agreement with the last commenter that a year of homeschooling doing too little, too easy but happy is better than a year of public school–or even a trial month of public school–where your precious boy is getting worldly ideas pushed at him through the curriculum, other kids etc. The Robinson curriculum we are now using is set up to start wherever a kid is presently at and go from there and is very low priced compared to every other curriculum I have checked out. It also is set up to start out at whatever ability level they are at. You can Google it as “Robinson Self-teaching Curriculum”. It has SO much info on it that you may not even need to buy it, but just use their philosophy but it is worth every penny if you do! I do not sell this curriculum or anything like that, it is just seriously that good. It has made all the difference in how our school goes which in turn effects how our LIFE goes!

My opinion on your question:
>>Do I tell him he can’t play football anymore unless he homeschools????<<
YES! Exactly! Football, while fun, is not crucial to life–his attitude and doing what you think is best for him is.

OR , You may like better: “Yes you may play football, and yes you are homeschooling. Period.” My children don’t even mention going to public school anymore because they know it is NOT an option, just like letting them play with guns or eat tin cans. The answer is just “No. Period. Let’s find out how we can make homeschooling awesome instead.”

I will be praying for you,
Suzanne

http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/

http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/