Why My Kids will Never Go to Public High School
We started homeschooling when my kids were going into 2nd, 4th, 9th, and 10th grades.
Go Big or Go Home.
There were a number of factors that led up to our choosing to bring our kids home from public school, but the main one was when our oldest decided to drop out of 9th grade and the school didn’t call. They didn’t call to ask where he was for a full 2 weeks.
I am sure they were relieved that he was gone.
Over the course of a few months that led up to our decision, it came to our attention that he was labeled as a drop out before even getting to the high school from the junior high. The fact he made it through first semester was a miracle in their eyes.
It was then that we decided if they didn’t care about our one child they didn’t get the privilege of teaching our others.
We didn’t get a great response from the teachers of the other children. We actually got pity from the bus driver.
Looking back, I feel it was because they didn’t think I could do the job of teaching my children, as well as they could.
Maybe I didn’t do the job in the same manner and maybe my children didn’t learn what the public school kids learned, but I don’t feel I have failed my children.
At least not at the time of this posting I don’t.
Believe me, I have had my “You’re getting on that bus the next time it goes by!” moments.
I am now on my second round of high school. Those 2nd and 4th graders are now about to be a Sophomore and a Senior.
Have I lost my mind entirely?
Well, no. Two kids have moved out and I am no longer part of the Sandwich Generation.
Why won’t my kids ever go to public high school?
Can I just say I didn’t pull my kids because of my faith.
I had nothing against public school to this point.
It is now my own convictions that cause us to make the choice to homeschool them.
I DO NOT CARE if this is not your families choice. Meaning I still love you!
These are our own convictions and what works for us. Homeschooling isn’t for everybody.
It is my responsibility, as their mother, to protect them and high school today is very different than when I was there. It’s even different than when my oldest was there.
A few reasons why my kids will never go to public high school:
Dress Code
Or lack there of.
We have standards for the way we dress in our family. All of us. No, I don’t wear denim skirts and The Principal doesn’t wear a short sleeved dress shirt.
We do wear shorts that have to be as long as our fingers with our arms at our sides.
Teacher-Student Ratio
Why put them in a class of 20-30 kids with one teacher when they can be home with a 2-1 or 4-1 ratio.
My kids get the individual attention they need, when they need it. They don’t loose their train of thought by waiting on the teacher.(Yes, I have 2 that are ADD and ADHD)
Identity
Three of our four kids knew, by their Sophomore year, what they wanted to be. We are/were able to cater their education to support that interest.
We are not a by the book style of homeschool family. We are not a one size fits all. We are an out of the box do-what-works and do not cry over math type of family.
They also have their own style as their identity. They don’t have to have the latest, cool shoes or iPod because they have to follow the status quo.
School is not Education
Education doesn’t need to be in a school setting. I fully believe all of my children and learned and retained more because they are interested in what they are learning. They choose what they want to learn about. They aren’t just memorizing facts and figures to pass a test.
For sake of debate, I won’t be addressing “teach to the test” or Common Core.
I am in a good mood and have my opinions on both of these topics.
Critical Thinkers
All of our children are critical thinkers.
They think for themselves, not trained by ‘the system’ how to think.
They all have their own opinions, even different than ours ::gasp:: and that is ok!
I would worry if they didn’t. What I love is they CAN THINK FOR THEMSELVES.
They go against the grain, at times, and challenge their peers.
They also have their own opinions, I believe, because they don’t have the daily influence of kids in a school setting.
School trains children to be employees and consumers; teach your own to be leaders and adventurers. School trains children to obey reflexively; teach your own to think critically and independently. Well-schooled kids have a low threshold for boredom; help your own to develop an inner life so that they’ll never be bored.
source
I am a product of public high school, and while I feel I turned out ok, I did not come out unscathed, nor do I recall much of what was taught.
I don’t remember every taking history or science.
Both of these are subjects I have learned, and loved, right a long with my kids.
Not sending my kids to pubic high school is saving them a lot of drama and turmoil.
The teen years are hard enough without having to worry about peer pressure and social media bullying or the like.
My kids are not sheltered. We have issues as a result of these things I have mentioned.
I just feel that because they are home these issues are not as bad as they could be and are handled quite differently.
I also feel that our family unit is stronger as a result of being together so much.
Do you homeschool?
What led you to choose that path for your family?
Recommended Reading
photo credit: Kevin Krejci via photopin cc
https://mamakautz.com/kids-will-never-go-public-high-school/https://mamakautz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/no-high-school.jpghttps://mamakautz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/no-high-school-300x300.jpgHomeschoolinghigh school,high school homeschool,homeschool,HomeschoolingWe started homeschooling when my kids were going into 2nd, 4th, 9th, and 10th grades. Go Big or Go Home. There were a number of factors that led up to our choosing to bring our kids home from public school, but the main one was when our oldest decided to drop...Mama Kautz mamakautz@gmail.comAdministratorMama Kautz
We just started homeschooling this last year, for multiple reasons. My oldest was supposed to be starting into middle school and had the spelling skill of a second grader. Meanwhile I had never gotten a note, phone call, or anything mentioned during parent teacher meetings about problems. Also while she had never had to do long multiplication, or still counting even simple multiplication (think 2 times tables -_-) on her fingers, she sure could tell me the answers to questions that would appear on the state test. My son on the other hand was having trouble with reading and writing, but was also being bullied horribly. He developed anger issues that poured over into his relationship with his siblings. Within a few months of homeschooling he is the happy little boy he used to be. I was at my wits end several times throughout the year, and I’m not sure just yet what we will do next year, but I sure don’t want to send my son back to public school and watch them both fall behind again after working so hard to get them ALMOST caught up.
My children have always gone to public schools, as financially neither me or my husband can afford to stay home. My oldest (now 23 & married) successfully married did well and did not cave into peer following. My second child, 20, was pulled out of school and homeschooled (with the help of a friend) in his sophomore year. He is ADHD and was labeled lazy. His teachers could not or would not work with him to bring up to speed. He was flunking out and I was at my wits end. So, we made the choice to school flip my schedule and school him at home at night. He graduated just 6 months after his class with A’s and B’s. My third (soon-to-be 9th grade girl) was pulled out of school in the 7th grade. Oh that was hard. HARD! All she has ever known is public school. It put a strain on our relationship and I decided to put her back into school this coming fall. I do not fear high school. And believe me I will keep an eye on her and if she begins to fall by the way side, she’s been told she will come back into the home. My youngest, who will be in the 6th grade in the fall, has asked to be homeschooled in the 7th grade. There is hope for me yet!
The labels are a whole ‘nuther post.
I come from mix emotions on this. My oldest son really benefited from the opportunities in both Public and Private schools in our area. An all around athlete he was in the top tear of the popular kids in his school and loved it. He is seriously against the idea of me homeschooling my younger kids through high school, lol. Now my youngest son who is 10 yrs old never had a good time in school. He’s smart, mouthy, brutally honest and isn’t a compliant child with those adults he doesn’t feel treat him well. Not to mention he had a horrible amount of bullying from teachers and students which made him almost a split personality between home and school. He was the one to beg us to homeschool him since 2nd grade – a term, me as a working mom, would never have considered. Long story short, we moved, took our oldest 10th grader who was an A student in advanced class out to homeschool her (thanks to her younger brother’s idea) because she didn’t like the high school in our area which didn’t have the programs offered in the other district. It turned out wonderfully for her with her getting her AA degree at 17yrs old and now is transferring to a 4 year college with her brother. Meanwhile I took out my 2 younger kids (10yrs and 13 yrs) and as a working mom who’s husband also works outside the home, I pulled off a way we could make homeschooling work. My two younger kids state, “I’m never going back!” So, in short – Public School or Traditional School is not horrible. It serves a purpose and is another option for parents who can’t afford to stay home with their kids, do not have a spouse, don’t have the desire to homeschool or who’s kid does just fine navigating the waters of this form of education. However, some kids, benefit from the freedom of homeschooling – when and if they have a parent that wants to invest in their learning, enjoys doing it for the right reasons, and is willing to sacrifice for the outcome.
I agree with all those points. In fact every day something comes up and I add it to my list of reasons why we homeschool. One that realy frosted my hide I speak about here: http://trailerparkprepper.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/yet-another-reason-to-homeschool/