Homechooling Pros and Cons

I am not personally for home schooling, but my best friend was home schooled and she will be home schooling her 3 kids. The was she explains it is by comparing it to a greenhouse. She said that some kids need to be nurtured longer before they should go out into the world. She is one of 6 children and they were very active in church so she did get a lot of socialization. Her youngest sister is the only one that seems to have any home schooling issues, maybe because she was the baby, but she seemed to mature a lot later then the other 5. I don't think that there is anything wrong with home schooling, and personally I think it is great that you are able and willing to devote that much time with your kids. Good luck!

Hey M.,

Sharrianna here. I thought the following link might give you some of the info you want on homeschooling:

http://learninfreedom.org/socialization.html

I know alot of Austin homeschool prents get together regularly so that the kids get additional socialization time. If you haven't been in touch already then the Austin Area Homeschoolers might be useful. The link is:
http://www.main.org/aah/index.html

I hope this stuff is useful. Catch up with you soon (after Pat's visit)

Sharrianna

You say you need someone else's proof and answers to know what to say about homeschooling your children, but what you really need is your own self confidence to just tell people what you are planning and then that's it. Once you are there, you will be a much better parent & teacher to your children at home and out in the world. If you are networking with the homeschooling community online or locally, you will find plenty of support, options and your kids will have lots of social situations to learn and grow from. The people in your life will either support you or have a different opinion, but that's their deal, not yours.
You don't say why you are set on homeschooling, but your kids are both still preschoolers, so what if one of them begs to go to kindergarden, longs for workbooks and a backpack and a classroom full of friends? Will you do what you are set on or consider your child and his/her best learning style? I'm certainly not trying to talk you out of homeschooling, but a parent also needs to have a certain amount of flexibility as our children grow and become the people we already know they are. (does that make sense?)
Many of my friends homeschool their children and are quite satisfied, but all of them went into it without that "I have to prove something to someone" issue that you have. It will make you second guess your every move, and as a mom we have enough of that, so work through that issue to find a place of peace and confidence within yourself. You are also very young, so learning along with your children will build knowledge and confidence in all of you. Enjoy finding a network of homeschoolers to share your experience with!

P. (mom of three boys ages 7,5,almost 3. My two older boys go to public school, and I never thought we'd do that, but it's been so fantastic for them. I couldn't be happier with their teachers, and just see them both growing and learning so much. My 5 year old has special needs and I really could not give him everything he needs at home; his teachers and therapists just delight in every interaction with him. There are so many special people in the world I'm glad to know! I also consider myself still very much involved in their learning life, so I don't just see it as sending them off to school, but more a collaborative effort in the best interest of my boys.)

I'm sorry, but I don't remember the name of the group. But when I worked at the bookstore, we had a group of moms and kids who would sometimes meet there who had a sort of homeschooling co-op. I got the impression that groups like this are quite common, and it allows the children to not only be homeschooled, but to spend time with other children whose families have similar values. (They had a curriculum, textbooks, and went on fieldtrips and everything. It seemed like a friendly, and much more interesting, way for the kids to learn than traditional elementary school.) Again, I don't know where to find them, but you might try checking out the Austin Citysearch for homeschooling support. Good Luck!