Post Falls Mom homeschooling.Good Advice Appreciated.

Good for you for listening to what your daughter needs right now.

I encourage you to look into Unschooling.

A related book that I found very inspiring was "Free at Last: The Sudbury Valley School."

Kids want to grow (God created us to grow in Joy!). If she needs some home-focussed time, she needs that, and thank you for meeting that need now instead of asking her to repress it :)!

School teaches arbitrary authority, and high school esepcially teaches students to expect arbitrary authority and constant change and distraction ... I am always boggled that people are suprised when Gen X and Gen Y (I'm Gen X) can't "stick" things (jobs, marriage, payment plans) or get sucked into TV etc ... as kids the last several American generations were taught they could never trust their own desires, and the way to deal with the dissatisfaction was to distract themselves ...

Anyhow, I'll stop ranting. Your daughter is what's important, and you clearly know that. YAY :)!

(Rant is partly because my soon-to-be ex won't trust that children will educate themselves ... and we have them in an alternative school that is WAYYYY more developmentally appropriate than standard school, but it is still a school, and curriculae applied to a group are always pushing some kids and dropping others :(. I was highly "successful" in academia--it is amazing how completely inapplicable it has been to actually _living_.)

God bless and have fun with your time together :)!

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I currently homeschool an 8 year old daughter using K-12 through the state of WA so it is free for us. We both like it because it does give us options and is structured enough that I am sure that my daughter is getting all of her basic skills. If your daughter does not like high school, there is really no reason to attend because all the peer crap can take away from her academics and really affect her future if she does not perform well because of social issues. It is WAY more important to get a good background in college prep work. If she wants to, she can also get into a RUnning Start program at 16 to get college credit while still in high school, a very good investment of time for free credits. I like the structure of K-12 because I can educate my 8 year old while being able to give the 3 year old the necessary attention.

H.

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I homeschooled my daughter in 7th, 8th, and 11th grades. It was very difficult with a teen, but she's now in college and doing well. We did it because she has health problems. My advice to you is, if she wants to do it in 9th grade, see if the public school provides a home-study teacher who can help you with lessons and grading. I had that advantage as well as my own teaching experience at a community college. The other community college instructors and students helped me a lot. I had college students come to my house for tutoring sessions and just to visit. You might check into that resource in your area as well. Finally, we used Sylvan Learning Center for math tutoring as my daughter struggles with math. Having an outside tutor really helped!

I'd say in summary, my advice is don't try to do it all yourself. Enlist others' help, and as far as social contacts, see if the public school in your area will allow your daughter to attend dances and sports events.

Good luck and God bless you!
cj

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D.,
Several of my friends/acquaintances have tried program called Connections. It is a public school, but run entirely online (I think the fuul name is "Connections Academy"). It would free you of doing this huge prep work, as they provide curriculum and everything. I have a feeling your older daughter has a good reason to ask for homeschooling. Who knows if she wants a highly structured program-maybe she had some traumatizing experience and wants some time out. I never felt brave enough to try homeschooling, but I hear that it is easier when you don't have to reinvent the wheel. I am sure there are many other good curricula-I just never heard of them,
A.

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I'm sorry, but I have to throw in my two cents. I think home schooling is a bad idea. There are so many things that going to school teaches that kids don't get at home. Such as the structure of having to get your butt out of bed and to school every morning, not only that but being able to successfully move between each class through out the day. Also, there are all the social experiences kids get at school. I realize that the curriculum in some school districts is sub-par and that school is a one size fits all design; which isn't always ideal. But still, if you are unimpressed with the school system then supplement at home, don't forgo the school experience all together. School is a preparation for the structure and socialization of the work environment, these are things that I don't believe can be taught at home.

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Hi D., I am a Christian homeschooling mom of 5 kids. I'm really just schooling my oldest 3 right now (10,12,13). My kids were in school and two years ago we started homeschooling. I also have a 4 yr. old and 2 yr. old. We use a curriculum called Sonlight. It's structured, literature based and great for families with kids close in age because I use 1 curriculum for all three kids. They each have their own appropriate level math and my expectations for writing are different based on age, but for the most part we all study the same thing. It has all the lesson plans etc. All I have to do is execute it. No hours of planning lessons. I'm kinda new to Mommasource so I'm not sure if you are living in the Puyallup area, but there are several homeschool co-op's in the area that could really provide alot of support for you and your highschooler. Lighthouse Co-op is one, ACTS is another. Also, the YMCA has a PE co-op we participate in. Lastly, Have you been to the Homeschool Fair in Puyallup? It's incredible. It's always in late May or early June at the Fairgrounds. It's mainly a curriculum fair, but they also have a few classes each year on homeschooling. Blessings in your endevours, L.

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I've got the perfect solution for you... I just came across it a couple months ago and am going to do it with my daughter next year!

I don't know where you live, but both Oregon and Washington offer online public school. You are basically homeschooling them, but all the supplies and lesson plans are supplied to you FREE! The Washington Virtual Academy (WAVA) uses the K-12 curriculum. They'll take placement tests so each subject will be geared specifically to where your child is at. They can work as fast or as slow as you choose. It requires about 4 hours of work per day on the child's part.

WWW.WAVA.ORG (Washington Virtual Academy)
WWW.K12.COM
WWW.ORVSD.org (Oregon Virtual Shool District)

Just an extra side note... They also offer many socialization opportunities with the other students doing the school as well as field trips once a month.

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When your daughter turns 16, consider enrolling her in some college courses at North Idaho College. Public school, private school, and homeschooled teenagers can enroll as dual credit students, basically earning HS and college credits at the same time. The biggest advantage is that the cost is less than half the standard tuition rate. Plus, the credits are fully transferable. If your daughter is academically ready, she could get a jump start on her college career for a very reasonable cost. Students can take classes on the main campus, at outreach centers, or on the internet. Great opportunity! You can call the NIC Dual Credit office at ###-###-####. Good luck!

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