IF you plan to HS through high school...

[amysue277]

How did your come to that decision?

We are just starting out, but it really never occurred to me that I'd be interested in homeschooling all the way through. Honestly,I thought I'd just do K, and then I thought K-5, and currently I'm thinking K-8...but my DH actually said to me "we aren't doing this all the way right?", as if it was a crazy option He feels strongly that kids need to be on sports teams, have all of those high school experiences, etc.

If my child was having problems (ESP. Emotional, bullying etc) I would homeschool them in a heartbeat. But if they felt they wanted to go to school, then I think I would let them. Plus, to be very honest, I'm hoping to just get through junior high math and science, let alone high school!

BUT....Carrie keeps writing these amazing guides and I hate to think of missing ANY of them. I was just curious why other families make this decision.

[lucsch]

Secretly, yes, I thought I would. I always told everyone it was "year by year." (ETA to clarify--I wasn't sure my dh, with the final say, was on board).

One day, my husband, who is a public middle school principal, told me he thought I should continue homeschooling our daughter through high school. Results speak volumes!

With each guide Carrie writes, I am reassured that I can do this! Also, IRL I know some moms who are successfully homeschooling high school now. It is a relief to see how they are doing it.

[8arrows]

We have graduated two and our third child will be in 10th grade this year. My oldest is married with a good job. My second just graduated and is working and completing college courses. Because they could not play public school sports, our children have excelled in (or in some cases just enjoyed) areas we might have missed--piano, violin, guitar, tennis, Tang Soo Do (My son placed at Worlds competition.), 5Ks, etc. One of my sons played guitar for our praise team at church all through high school. He led it some by the end of high school, and when he went to college, he played for another church. My other son preached 1/2 of the sunrise service at church 2 years in a row. When you think of what you learned in high school on the bus, in the locker room, during study hall, are those really things you want your children to learn? It was an epiphany moment for me when I realized that the most spiritual damage in my life occurred in high school and college. We have 6 left to graduate unless the Lord chooses to bless us with more. We started out homeschooling because I was pregnant with my third child. I was sad that my oldest might miss her first smile, her first crawl, etc. Very spiritual reason . We did homeschool K thinking, "I can't mess up K!" We took it a year at a time. Now our reasons are different. The name of Jesus is not welcome in public school. We want our children learning about Jesus as we walk along the way. I want to remind them to "set a guard over my mouth, O Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips." Today I used this verse with my daughter who spoke unkindly to her sister. After just apologizing and speaking God's words with her own lips she hugged me and began to truly repent and cry. She said, "I do want a clean heart." I kissed her and said, "I know you do." She smiled and ran off to play. If she wasn't with me, I would have lost that opportunity to teach her. Alongside welcoming the children God would bless us with, homeschooling has been one of the greatest blessings of our lives. All of our children desire to homeschool their children. The Bible tells us that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. God's Word tells us that unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain that build it. I want my "schoolhouse" built by the LORD. This has been a journey I would not have wanted to miss. I am glad HOD has been a part of it.

[psreit]

I encourage you to make it a serious matter of prayer.

Just hearing how many parents who work(ed) in a ps and are now homeschooling(Carrie, herself is one) should be enough to know that ps is not the best option, even if the child would be the star player on a sports team, even if the child would graduate valedictorian, or even if they had opportunities to get scholarships for college. My nephew-in-law is a teacher in a ps, and he recently said that he wishes he could get his kids out of the system. And they are only in elementary school. The truth is, he could! But, I can't picture them homeschooling. But he and my niece talk about how the attitude of their oldest has gotten bad. I just wanted to point out that if public school teachers/principals don't want their children in the ps, what does that tell you? Those working there know how bad it is getting.

Some think that if their children get grounded spiritually in the early school years that they could handle going to public school for the latter years. No matter how spiritually strong my child is, the temptations are great. Yes, wherever we go, we will be faced with things we don't want to see, or hear. But, think about the hours, the days, the Christian young men and young women in ps are surrounded by these influences. Do, we want our teenagers 'raised' in that environment? There are many areas with my 3 older, already graduated dc, that I wish I would have done differently academically when homeschooling. But, all-in-all, I have to say that I am thankful they all love the Lord and are living for HIm. One is a pastor. Sometimes I wonder, "Where would they be if they would have stayed in ps (they went to elementary for a while)? And, the public school was better when ours were in than they are now. I know I can confidently say that spiritually and morally they are better off because they were taken out of ps.

I know there are good Christian kids coming out of ps. But, do you want to take the risk for sake of sports or other activities? Would you want them to miss being taught the spiritual values and character lessons that HOD has to offer? That is one of the main reasons why I know I need to get back to HOD. My dd, more than likely, will not have the opportunity to use most of Carrie's 'high school' guides, as she will just be in Preparing in 5th grade. But, I'm sure the high school material she is putting together would be a wonderful way to give high schoolers an awesome education. As many have stated, their high schoolers have excelled in extracurricular activities while homeschooling. My oldest played basketball and was in plays with other homeschoolers. My second oldest was in the state envirothon competition when she was in high school. She also plays piano. My third was in homeschool plays and basketball. She plays guitar, mandolin, and trumpet. All three were in a homeschool choir. If you can find an active homeschool group, there may be many opportunities for extracurricular activities.

I only have one to homeschool anymore. The one thing that I keep in my mind is that these years go by so fast. I have 2 living out of state. I do not get to see my grandchildren very often. But, I think back to when they were at home and it makes me thankful that I had those homeschooling years with them. Before you know it, they're grown and on their own. Cherish the time you CAN have with them.

[RestInHim]

God willing, we will be homeschooling through high school.

Personally (just my opinion), I don't feel that a public high school experience has anything to offer my children. And certainly nothing Godly . Those 'high school experiences' that your husband speaks of are damaging. Sports are not necessary (they foster aggression, competition, and ego). I don't want my kids striving to be better than anyone else...even in baseball. Socializing (especially with the world) is not Godly.

Keep your kiddos as close to you as you can for as long as you can! At least consider the possibility of homeschooling through high school. You have so much more to give them than the world does!

Please understand that this is simply what we believe for our family based on past experience...I am not trying to say that you need to be just like us!

[LynnH]

I am unusual in that we didn't start homeschooling until later. I always thought that I would have my kids in ps. Now I wish I would have brought them home earlier, but I have to trust in God's timing. My ds came home after 4th grade because he asked to. At that time my dd who was starting her 9th grade year and had always enjoyed school said "don't think you are ever going to homeschool me". She was a kid who went to before school prayer group and had a good group of friends, but I could see her attitude towards us getting worse each year. Her 9th grade year she kept pulling further and further away from us and God. Her friends became everything to her. They didn't like their parents or to hang out with their families so she decided she didn't either. She stopped reading her Bible. No she wasn't getting into drugs or drinking or anything like that, but her heart was changing. She also started getting bullied, not because she didn't fit in, but because she was a pretty girl and the other girls went after her with a vengeance. Then there were the boys grabbing her rear when she passed them in the hall. This is a school ranked as one of the top in the state and these were kids in honor classes because that is what she was in. In the middle of 9th grade she told me she wanted to come home the following year to be homeschooled. It could have only been God working on her and getting her out of that situation. She was homeschooled her last 3 years of high school and I wouldn't trade it for the world! Her entire personality changed back. She now loves family time and she and I are close. In fact it is very hard for her to think of going away to college. She picked one only an hour away. When she was in school she used to say she was going to school as far away as she could. The most important thing is that she renewed her relationship with God. She is very much in love with Jesus now and her personal devotional times and our family devotional times are precious to her. She says she is going to homeschool her kids even though she is going to major in special education in college. I asked her if she ever regretted coming home and she said "absolutely not". The more I see and hear about what is going on in the schools today there is no way I would ever put my ds back in for high school. Nothing is worth loosing his heart or the attitudes that would most likely occur. In our area there are plenty of homeschool sports teams they can compete on.

[psreit]

Lynn - That is so neat about your daughter.

My oldest asked to go to our Christian School in 5th. I was just beginning to learn about homeschooling at that time. The following year our second asked to go to the Christian School in 4th. So, I began homeschooling our youngest (at the time) in 3rd. The following year the oldest asked to be homeschooled in 7th grade, and the second reluctantly agreed to come home that year as well, in 5th. Even though I only had our oldest from 7th-12th, I am thankful I had that time with him. He went to college more then 12 hours away and now lives out of state. Same with our second child. So, those homeschool years are precious memories. My only regret is that we didn't have HOD or use some other CM homeschool curriculum. Most of it was textbooks or workbooks, but for a couple of years I did a Christian unit study program that used living books, so I did have more interaction with the two younger ones during that time. But, God was good and allowed me to have my kids at home for a while. Now, it's 'homeschool through high school' for my last.

[TrueGRIT]

My mom homeschooled my brother and I through high school, so it has never occurred to me any differently.
Having been at the student end of homeschool, I can personally vouch for not missing out on anything - that I wanted to be a part of.
At times I was probably too busy.

Hope you find what is best for your family - but ps is less and less it for anyone desiring a Godly family. (as observed by several family & friends who are teachers, and the neighborhood children. One lady I know, even though she taught PS, refused to have her children in that environment)
Since your husband is not on board, it will take more time & prayer. I know plenty of spouses who have changed their minds before it reached that point.

As far as not being able to teach some of the upper level math & sciences -
1. As you teach you learn more, and can teach better
2. My mom traded High School math with another mother. That mom taught me math, while my mom taught her daughter something else (I don't remember what).

[bethelmommy]

I was always interested in homeschooling, but my husband thought public school was fine. While pregnant with our first born, God made it clear to dh that if we want to be in control of what our children are exposed to and when, we need to homeschool. While we are open to God leading us differently, so far we feel that we are supposed to homeschool our children through high school. Even with homeschooling, our children are sometimes exposed to things at a younger age than we would like. However, since they are home with us, we are at least aware when this occurs and have the opportunity to talk through difficult things with them and limit exposure. We see this becoming even more important as our children mature and face the high school years.

[lmercon]

I've always wanted to do so, but my dh was a little, well, a lot skeptical! He is a ps high school teacher, and as the kids have gotten older, he is feeling more strongly than ever that they will NOT go to ps. The rampant foul language, inappropriate conversations, and loose living that is so common now just makes it an unsafe environment for impressionable teens. High school is definitely NOT like it was when we were in school! The fact that our ds has severe dyslexia makes it a shoe-in that we'll hs the whole way through. With HOD going into the high school years, I'm completely at ease with that decision. It is personal decision however, and one that you will be better able to make as you get closer to the time. As far as making it an issue with your dh, don't! When my dh was adamant that they would go back to school by sixth grade, I forced myself to keep quiet. As time has gone on, he sees the vast difference that hsing has made in our dc's lives, and has come to embrace the idea fully. As far as sports go, hsed dc have the right to play on the school teams. My ds and dh are HUGE baseball fans, and my ds will play for the local ps or a near-by Christian school.
Laura

[MelInKansas]

We say we are taking it year by year. That is the line if people ask. But I think DH and I both know that we will not be putting our kids in public school. Or private school. How did we come to that decision? I think conviction of the Holy Spirit and the things we have both learned at Homeschool conferences about why we should continue to homeschool. Our Homeschool association has sports teams for at least some of the sports. But as others have noted, there are ways to be involved, have sports activity, or anything you really want to do even if your PS would not allow homeschooled kids to play sports (or if your local PS, as ours, is so big that our kids barely would have a chance of making the team).

The more I think about it, the less I really think my kids need to have the "experiences" I had as a high schooler. Yeah I went to prom. I remember going to prom, with a guy who was a very nice guy, and thinking "man I wonder if they're going to be drinking.... I don't really want to do that... what will I do?" And of course that's one of the lesser worries or pressures a young girl might face. I remember a lot of experiences with my peers that I faced with fear in my heart. Maybe, prayerfully, my kids won't have to feel that way.

There's nothing wrong with you saying you are taking it year by year. You have time, and the Lord is at work in both of your hearts and lives, He will show you what He wants you to do.

[Motherjoy]

We started out saying that we would homeschool year by year, but somewhere over time God has convicted us about WHY we homeschool. Homeschooling, for us, is not just an educational choice, it's a lifestyle choice. We homeschool because its how God has called us to live. We feel, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that any institutional school setting would be bad for our children mand our family unity. We simply do not think that that much time with one's peers is beneficial.

Teen culture and all of the negative ideas associated with teenager years are driven by teens having such a great amount of unsupervised time with peers. Walk with the wise and become wise, associate with fools and get in trouble. How many teenagers are wise?? Not many. We've known so many parents who have put their teens on high school and have lost their hearts. We don't want that. Homeschooling doesn't guarantee that we will keep our children's hearts, but typically people give their hearts to those whom they are around the most.

[StephanieU]

My oldest is in 1st grade, and we plan on his until they are ready for community college. And we will transition to that slowly too. My in laws did K-8 with there younger two and they didn't recommend it. The boys learned less academics in those 4 years than they needed to be ready for college. She wishes she would have done what we are planning. My husband was only hs for high school and was more prepared for the same college as his youngest brother.

[psreit]

MJ, what you said is absolutely right.
Yesterday, we had an evangelist give a message about the downfall of Samson...how that can apply to the downfall of Christians. I think putting a Christian teen in ps could potentially set them up for this very thing. The 4 points he mentioned that led to the downfall of Samson were:

1. He lost the significance of his position (he forgot who he was).

2. He lost his standards of purity.

3. He lost the sense of his purpose.

4. He lost the source of his power.

All this came because of his associations. Anyone of us could end up in destruction because of who we hang around. This reason alone will keep me from ever considering ps for my dd. Many of my nieces and nephews graduated from ps in recent years, but the next generation of nieces and nephews are going to face even more spiritually challenging times. I stand alone in my immediate family as far as homeschooling, other than a nephew whose wife homeschools. They live almost across the country, though. It's not that they are against homeschooling, but they just don't want to do it. I can't think of any job I'd rather be doing than teaching my child at home. My son and his wife plan to homeschool their children The rewards are great

[amysue277]

Wow, such comforting words of wisdom here! Being that my oldest is just 6, I have a LOT of time to figure things out and plan to take it a year at a time. I am definitely the "lone ranger" in my family and I get called "crazy" and "nuts" on a regular basis. It used to bother me but not so much anymore, praise God! I also don't live in a place with a ton of support, coops, etc. I actually only know a few families who homeschool their high schoolers.

I am open to doing whatever God lays on my heart, and secretly I kind of hope we homeschool a very long time! Thanks to everyone who has responded.