Homeschool World Forum

I am researching HS for our three children. I think it's best that I tell my husband about my desires, so that he and I can do this together. I was wondering if any of you experienced HSing parents can help me think of things to tell my husband. I know that the biggest thing for him will be that we won't have to pay tuition for three children who are now in private school. Beyond that I need help organizing my thoughts on the benefits of HSing. Any ones advice is very much appreciated

More control over curriculum, you can follow your own schedule, you can get better results, and yes, it does cost a lot less than private school I'm personally an advocate of year-round schooling, which allows you to cover more material in a year with less work per day (3 hours at most probably). The rest of the time can be spent on subjects your children enjoy, extracurriculars, field trips, etc. - whatever your schedule allows. Homeschooling means there's no time wasted sitting in class while the teacher answers questions you already know the answer to, and you don't have to stay at the same grade level in each subject, so you can advance far ahead in the subjects you're good at while staying at the minimum required level in the subjects you hate.

If you look at our Homeschool vs Public School area, you'll see a fair number of threads that are also applicable to homeschool vs private school.

Great answer Theodore. Another benefit I am finding is that my children are more creative. I am able to spend one on one time with my sons and let them dictate to me a story or poem and they can be so much more creative than if they have to write it themselves. Tey are 7 and 8 and have hard time with writing. THis is a benefit that even a private school can't boast, they just don't have the time or staff.

I talked with my husband and he's game on researching HSing further which is AWESOME...a total blessing from God. Four years ago he wanted nothing to do with it. Now.... where to start, where to start.....

If Hubby is interested in it, find out how interested. . . how involved in this research does he want to be? Does he enjoy reading? If so, Lisa Whelchel's book would be a great start, so he can see the plethora of options available (he won't feel boxed in to one type he might have in mind).

If not, perhaps you could see if your local library carries hs magazines. Sometimes these highlight celebreties that have been/are being hsed. This can go a long way to opening doors in his mind.

Or, you could research yourself and give him your 3 best curricula/style options. Then, he could help you look into those 3 a little deeper, so he knows what's going on.

There are so many resources available for homeschooling information. Michael Farris, co-founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has written several books. You'll find them at www.hslda.org. Other authors are Debra Bell, Dr. Ruth Beechick, Raymond and Dorothy Moore, David and Micki Colfax, Mary Hood, and John Holt.

Don't forget Mary Pride, owner of this site and author of The Way Home, All the Way Home, Schoolproof, Pride's Guide to Educational Software, four editions of The Big Book of Home Learning, and now Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Homeschooling.