Ideas to convince husband to agree to home schooling?
Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 3:12 am
(Moderator: This account is a spam bot, but the replies are useful, so the thread stays)
I really want to home school my daughter, but my husband isn't convinced it will be the right thing for her. She's only 23 months, and structured school isn't compulsory for several years, but rather than fight and nag about it when she's older I'd like to SHOW him that learning at home has been working all along, and would continue to be a great choice.
His big concerns are that she won't be socialized properly and that she won't learn as much as she would with a traditional education.
My biggest reasons for wanting to home school is that I think she would benefit greatly from a very hands on, one on one education. I also like the idea of educational partners that reinforce the values of our home. I want to expose her to a variety of things, but also want concise lines on what we believe is acceptable. We agree she could have the same experience in a faith based traditional school, but we're also both aware we probably couldn't afford one, especially with me not working, which we both consider important. I also feel it's much safer than the public schools in our area.
I am a very active stay at home mom. We belong to several enrichment groups, and she has social interactions with other children at least 4 times a week.
Our current social activities:
Weekly, we have a "swimming tots" group at the local pool, library story time, and traditional playgroup, doing things like going to the park, playing at people's homes, or sometimes special outings like trips to a farm, museum, or the zoo. She also gets to play with children at my lactation support group. Twice a month she is involved in an Italian immersion group, and least once a month I take her to a nursing home to visit the elderly. We're also considering toddler gymnastics when she turns two. (Some of these double as educational, but she always gets socialization at these.)
Additionally, I frequently take her to the zoo, pool, library, park, and age appropriate museums. She can count to 10, spell her name (it's a short name, but still...) and can identify about half the letters of the alphabet. She knows basic shapes, all primary and secondary, and most tertiary colors, and has just started learning to play the piano. In addition to a pretty good grasp on English (for her age) she knows about 150 signs, and is learning Italian. She has only been in the care of someone other than my husband and I three times--all evening date nights--since she's been born, and has learned all of these things either from us, or at the activities I take her to. She is very social and independent.
I think my husband thinks homeschooling means sitting at our table with just me and a text book for 8 hours a day. If I were to home school, we would continue to pursue her interests, join activities, and teach compassion by doing volunteer work. We'd also join our local home school co-op, for both the social benefits, and to have multiple teachers, but maintain the home school environment. I am fully prepared to learn any new things I need to learn to properly teach her, or find someone better equipped than me if I can't.
Anyway, that's where we're at right now. We aren't going to use preschool, and if have day Kindergarten goes away, that's completely out too, so we have until first grade to decide, but I want to keep going so he'll see everything she's learned from her home education so far. Anyone else have to convince a spouse homeschooling was the best option for your child? What did you do? Is there anything else I should be doing right now as far as working with her? Any other advice, period? Thanks a ton!
I really want to home school my daughter, but my husband isn't convinced it will be the right thing for her. She's only 23 months, and structured school isn't compulsory for several years, but rather than fight and nag about it when she's older I'd like to SHOW him that learning at home has been working all along, and would continue to be a great choice.
His big concerns are that she won't be socialized properly and that she won't learn as much as she would with a traditional education.
My biggest reasons for wanting to home school is that I think she would benefit greatly from a very hands on, one on one education. I also like the idea of educational partners that reinforce the values of our home. I want to expose her to a variety of things, but also want concise lines on what we believe is acceptable. We agree she could have the same experience in a faith based traditional school, but we're also both aware we probably couldn't afford one, especially with me not working, which we both consider important. I also feel it's much safer than the public schools in our area.
I am a very active stay at home mom. We belong to several enrichment groups, and she has social interactions with other children at least 4 times a week.
Our current social activities:
Weekly, we have a "swimming tots" group at the local pool, library story time, and traditional playgroup, doing things like going to the park, playing at people's homes, or sometimes special outings like trips to a farm, museum, or the zoo. She also gets to play with children at my lactation support group. Twice a month she is involved in an Italian immersion group, and least once a month I take her to a nursing home to visit the elderly. We're also considering toddler gymnastics when she turns two. (Some of these double as educational, but she always gets socialization at these.)
Additionally, I frequently take her to the zoo, pool, library, park, and age appropriate museums. She can count to 10, spell her name (it's a short name, but still...) and can identify about half the letters of the alphabet. She knows basic shapes, all primary and secondary, and most tertiary colors, and has just started learning to play the piano. In addition to a pretty good grasp on English (for her age) she knows about 150 signs, and is learning Italian. She has only been in the care of someone other than my husband and I three times--all evening date nights--since she's been born, and has learned all of these things either from us, or at the activities I take her to. She is very social and independent.
I think my husband thinks homeschooling means sitting at our table with just me and a text book for 8 hours a day. If I were to home school, we would continue to pursue her interests, join activities, and teach compassion by doing volunteer work. We'd also join our local home school co-op, for both the social benefits, and to have multiple teachers, but maintain the home school environment. I am fully prepared to learn any new things I need to learn to properly teach her, or find someone better equipped than me if I can't.
Anyway, that's where we're at right now. We aren't going to use preschool, and if have day Kindergarten goes away, that's completely out too, so we have until first grade to decide, but I want to keep going so he'll see everything she's learned from her home education so far. Anyone else have to convince a spouse homeschooling was the best option for your child? What did you do? Is there anything else I should be doing right now as far as working with her? Any other advice, period? Thanks a ton!