I Need a Name for My Homeschool. Please.

Hi J.,
My suggestion (fellow homeschool mom) is to look at joining HSLDA. www.hslda.org. I agree that Greenbean Academy is cute, but will not look very professional on a transcript. It would also be harder for people to take you seriously in your efforts I think.

HSLDA issues ID cards to all family members involved in homeschooling. You do not have to name your school. Their ID cards are very professional. They are a legal team in case you need representation and keep you up to date on laws that might be changing regarding homeschool. They are a wealth of information.

I have received discounts at Barnes and Nobles for educational purposes using my teacher's ID. I also like the ID cards because if I need to provide proof while traveling that we are a homeschool family, I have it.

We started our homeschool journey when my daughter was in 1st grade. I had no idea we would homeschool her through high school (always took it one year at a time). SHE decided she wanted to go homeschool through high school for many reasons. She will graduate in May and has joined the Navy. She also scored very high on her ASVAB test and that changed the recruiter's preconceived ideas about her education.

If you'd like to pm me, I'm happy to share our experience. If you haven't already, I would encourage you to find a local homeschool group to be involved with.

Have a great day! 😊

My son wanted a name for our homeschool; he'd gone to public school before and my husband kept calling homeschool "Mamahurst" (a hybrid including the old school name). Kiddo and I chatted,talked about adjectives and what our homeschool is all about. Voila!~ Lively Learning House was decreed the new name. I like it and it's evocative of what goes on.

My preschool I had before was Plumtree Nursery School (we have a plum tree out back); "Wintersweet (a plant) and Summer Song" was a strong contender, except that I had no wintersweet growing out back and our preschool didn't run in summertime. So, Plumtree was the choice. (still want some wintersweet,though!)

Go with a collaborative approach. Ask the kids to list adjectives which describe home,what happens, the mood in general. I avoided the word 'school' b/c our choice to homeschool was partially due to my son's unhappiness at his old school. I like "House" or "Place" or "Cottage".. The Green Bean Bungalow would sound cute. I don't think there has to be a mention of school in the title, per se. The only time it's going to come up is when people ask the kids "Oh, where do you go to school?" so the context is already implied. The doctor asked Kiddo about it yesterday and assumed the answer WAS a brick and mortar school. Don't worry too much about it.

(I didn't read the part about ID cards. You can get them through your state homeschool or, in our case, through the Education Service District (they have a liason for homeschoolers).

ETA: something I feel compelled to add, addressed to the general public. When I was a preschool teacher, I received an educator's discount many times for things I needed, and teachers privileges at the library (could check out more materials than the usual limit). While my son isn't attending public school, I pay taxes which support public schools-- whose educators also may receive these discounts. While I haven't used this for our homeschool yet, this isn't a homeschooling parent's desire to swindle or cheat businesses-- we are legitimately teaching our kids. I do it because my son's school was utterly incapable of supporting him and were the most contrarian people I've come across in an institution in some time, utterly refused to work with us. I did this to save our son-- his anxiety and negative perception of himself was stealing his childhood. I hope people can appreciate the expense and financial as well as personal burden (I chose it, but yes, it is my LIFE now) of home education. No one gives us grants, no 'donors choose'-- we have to do it all out of pocket. Yes, it's our choice, granted, but when the other choice is a kid hating themselves, what choice do you have? So, if I can get 10% somewhere and am still paying taxes to educate other people's children-- we are still fulfilling our duty to the common good. And if the kids want a "school identity" something to call it, something to celebrate, why are we giving this mom a hard time?

ETA: Veruca - funny - my kids have had student IDs since elementary school. How interesting is that?

In order for places to accept ID cards, the business or school must be legitimate. If you are only homeschooling YOUR children and no one else? You can't claim an "academy".

however, after some googling, I found this:
http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/homeschool-id/

if you need a name? Why not just use your last name Smith Homeschooling? Stop making it complicated if you are not going to instruct other people's kids.

I can't think of any names for your group, but does NJ have anything for homeschoolers through the state?

Here in FL we have www.fpea.com (Florida Parent Educators Association) and once you join you get an ID card that can be used for discounts at many locations in the state. I also have this if you need a template for student/teacher ID's.

http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/homeschool-id/?sourc...

And NO they are no FAKE id's for those who think they are.

Where I grew up there was a Jumping Beans daycare. It was for preschoolers. I agree Greenbean is a cute name and meaningful to you because that's what you call your kids. However, they might not find the name as cute later on (the boys) - just basing that on my kids. And then you might have to go to the bother or changing the name.

I read Lori's response and agree, that sounds like the smart way to go, and she has the experience to know what's needed or helpful.

I like the name - but just things to consider.

My kids get school IDs and have since they first started. We've never used them, and I've never been sure exactly what they were for (neither are the kids). I had them in middle school but it was to get into middle school dances (so that we could prove we went to the school).

My kids are in public school (middle and high school) and have never had school IDs. Why would any store offering discounts not assume any minor child is a student? Deals like that typically apply to adults who may still be in college, not minor children. Besides, how likely is it they would ever be out and about without you to vouch for them?

ETA: Okay, someone here is having a bitchy day. Sorry about your luck, but when you ask a question online for FREE advice, you take what you get. Ideally, you say thanks for taking the time to answer, even if it's not what you wanted to hear. You don't like it? Oh well - guess you could ask your friends instead... But you didn't. Why?

Here's what I see going on here - your kids don't NEED a student card. For anything. And no legitimate business would take a homemade fake ID card just because you make one. So it's not about businesses. You want to make cards for them because you are feeling disrespected and not taken seriously in your decision to homeschool. It somehow doesn't quite feel legitimate to you when other kids have a more recognizable institution behind them. I have many, MANY homeschooling friends and they don't make cards for their kids. They don't "name" their school - because it isn't an institution that needs a name. But there are times when they have to put up with repeated questions from people who don't agree with their decision, when they are put in a position where they feel they have to justify their schooling decisions. You've made your decision and YOU need to be okay with it. If you ask me, you're just looking for ways to legitimize this choice for yourself and the people in your world.

Oh, and since you were too rude to thank the people who took their time to answer you, you're welcome.

Do what Lori said. She's a long-time homeschooler and a good responder on Mamapedia.

I think you have to stop worrying about cutesy names and think about the practicality and legality here. I actually think that creating a name implies that you are a business and a licensed private school - and that is misleading. Any merchants in town will know that you are not, and it will create more problems than it solves. If you connect with other homeschoolers, you'll cut out some of this wheel-spinning, learn what's necessary and what's not, and have much more time to work on lesson plans and curriculum development.

If your homeschool is intended to be your children's primary educational situation, then I'd use a name that is more appropriate for a high school diploma. Greenbean School is cute for pre-school, but not for middle school or high school. Of course, you can still use Greenbeans as your mascot, and as your team name ("Good morning, Team Greenbean! Let's get started on our first lesson!", and as your familiar name for your kids. It will be hard to change names later on.

I homeschooled on a couple of occasions (while living overseas, and for awhile when our daughter first got sick, before we found an online school for her), and I found that maintaining a school-like atmosphere was really helpful. My son was too casual, and at first, he thought that homeschooling meant reading his favorite books in his pajamas all day. I had him get dressed, with combed hair and brushed teeth, and pack a lunch, and then report to the school area. That helped establish the fact that it was, in fact, a real school, even though it took place at home. I didn't name our homeschool, but I know several families that did, and it helped the kids identify with their school, and helped create cohesiveness.

I understand the expense of homeschooling, the high costs of curriculum, books, supplies, and I hope that you can get a discount at retailers who support educators. But it might look better if you appear more serious about homeschooling, by joining a homeschooling association or network, and by adhering to all state standards. And part of that is choosing a name that looks professional. Personally I can't stand names like "Kids Korner" or "Kiddie Kollej" or similarly named schools.

So look to the future, and choose a name that will look dignified on report cards, on reports to the school district or state, on certificates, on ID cards, and on diplomas. A diploma will be your child's entrance to college, or to the work force.

Per your SWH... no one is being snarky. If you can't handle varied responses, some of which you don't like, then don't post. It is very odd for a family to name their family homeschool. Don't tell people how to answer your question. The purpose of asking is for opinions!!

I understand if you homeschool that's your choice....but if you go naming a school and making "id's" then you need legal counsel because you could be setting yourself up for negative ramifications later. You may need a specific license, permit, etc. You can't just solicit discounts without proper paperwork such as a 501c3 or other classification based by the IRS. If your going to name your school as a business then you need to legally set it up as a business. You just don't make up a name and run with it... it does not work that way. On top of that you are not an academy... you homeschool.

Are you teaching children other than your children? Many parents who homescho work with a local homeschool organization which most likely has info on "benefits" you are looking for.

My daughter was educated through the public system which is highly rated here. She never received a school ID until high school. Most schools do not give id's until high school for students to use for school events, etc, not gaining discounts around town.

Your children should simply say homeschooled when asked.

Be very careful... if you go naming your school.... you are creating a business so seek legal counsel.

Beanstalk Academy
Four Seasons Discovery Zone
Beansprouts School
Jumping Beans Institute of Learning
Learning With Love Academy

Have you actually contacted merchants to see if they will actually take your fake ID? Or even if it is needed? My kids were never carded for a student discount until there were in high school and there may be a question whether they are still a student. At that point they only took official student IDs because who is to say whether your kid is lying. I am sure they would take actual honesty, I am home schooled, rather than an ID mommy made. I do not know any local home schooled teens but I have not heard of anyone making fake IDs for them either so I am assuming merchants are aware some kids are home schooled.

Instead of dealing with the stress of printing ID cards, why not just print money? Write "Greenbean Greenbacks" in small letters around the edges, put photos of your children instead of Presidents. Will be fun to see if retailers notice - if they don't, that's a 100% "discount" right there!

Alternatively, you could just ask the retailers whether they will take your word that your students are legally enrolled in education programs (as opposed to being, say, a 2nd grade dropout).

ETA: In all seriousness, one big thing to keep in mind when naming your homeschool is that if you intend on homeschooling your children for the next few years they might eventually need to list the "school name" on an official document or transcript for some future purpose. So it might be best to avoid "cutesy" names. (In some states, homeschoolers even have to register the "school" with the state Department of Education...but I don't think that is true in NJ, if you are actually in NJ.)

school of beans.
greenbean homeschool

If you need to use a name for IDs, the most appropriate options would be. "Lastname Homeschool" or perhaps "Street Name Homeschool" if you have different last names. Those would accurately convey the situation.

If you're really attached to the nickname, then "Greenbeans Homeschool" is a third option. Since you're not an academy or another type of formal learning facility it would not be wouldn't be proper to use words that imply otherwise.

My kids didn't have school IDs until grade 7. It is generally assumed that children who appear to be of school age are students somewhere.

When we homeschooled we used K-12 and got student ID's she could use at the library and events where students got in free. Not any sort of dishonesty...that's just weird to think having an ID that says they're students is dishonest.

Anyway, sometimes things happen. What if you had a wreck and your kids weren't hurt but you were, those ID's might be the only thing that gave the medical staff their contact information and stuff.

Having student ID's is a good idea but I wouldn't worry too much about a name. If you like Greenbean Academy and the kids like it then don't worry any further. It's your name and everyone is happy. I think it's cute.

Hello J.!
I would suggest you name your home school with your last name as another mom also suggested here. With the passing of years, you may decide to keep homeschooling your kids until middle school or even high school, and the name of your home school will define, at some extent, the sobriety of your school.
I have home schooled for 10 years, and one of my kids is participating on dual enrollment by attending college while finishing his last two years of high school at home (M.O.W.R Program, wonderful program by the way!). He is required to fill out paperwork, and the institution requires a name of our home school. I have never named my home school, so we named our school with our last name, which I think looks better on any document.
I do not think you are being dishonest at all. I think you are entitled to get the benefits you need for your home school. No big deal.
I love the name of "Greenbeans", it is cute! You can change it anytime, though, but I just wanted to give you an idea of what comes later in the wonderful and challenging journey of homeschooling.

A. :)