Homeschooling - yay or nay?

[Kaesekopf]

Homeschooling! 

Will you do it if you have kids?  Do you do it?  What are your thoughts and opinions on it?

[Mithrandylan]

I said yes. 

It's a better answer than "maybe."  I'm sold on homeschooling, we only wouldn't if we couldn't.  So yes, but not "definitely" or "homeschool or bust."

[erin is nice]

Tried it for a year and a half. It's not for us. The kids are in public school.

[Anastasia]

I've  been doing it for a few years with our kids, and I love it. I really enjoy going through the catalogs, planning out the year, etc.

[Bonaventure]

It depends. Personally, I would want the best spiritual and academic formation for any children God may deign to bless me with.

If that time ever comes, I'll see what happens.

[Penelope]

Yes, because there are no traditional schools around here, and even if there were, we probably wouldn't be able to afford them. I'd love to be able to send my future children to an actual school. I loved school growing up and I wouldn't want to deny that experience to my kids, but I don't trust public, private, or Catholic grammar schools in my area to properly educate my children. What I'm hoping I'll be able to do is homeschool through 8th grade and then send my kids to local Catholic high schools, because by that time, they'll have been taught the Faith well enough to defend against any errors and immorality they may encounter while still being able to benefit from the social and educational aspects of being in school (the Catholic high schools in my area are quite strong academically). Yes, naturally, kids will encounter temptation in schools that they may not at home, but they have to go out and interact with the rest of the world eventually. The first time might as well be in at least a nominally Catholic environment.

[OCLittleFlower]

Homeschool or bust for us.  The local schools -- both public and private -- are a mess.  And even if they weren't -- I think home is a more natural place of learning for the elementary years.

[totiusque]

Yes, not only would we homeschool, but we do homeschool.  3 of our 5.75 kids are homeschooled right now, and so far we are pleased.  We do some extra "schooling" on the side, as my 8 y.o. is in a group called Classical Conversations, which meets once a week and focuses on history, Latin (yes, Latin!), public speaking, grammar, etc.  We also have a homeschool learning center in town where we can take our kids for subjects that are more difficult to do in the home (woodworking, lab sciences, foreign languages, etc.).

Aside from being able to give our children a truly Catholic education, the next best thing I love about homeschooling is the flexibility.  I work very odd hours, so if my kids went to a traditional school, I wouldn't get to spend that much time with them.  As it stands, we can take trips during my "weekends" and spend time at museums and parks without fighting Sat/Sun crowds.

[tx2step]

Absolutely, yes.
5 children, ages 21, 19, 13, 11, 9

Always homeschooled, it's the best, but hard work make no mistake.
Hope to be privileged enough to homeschool some grandchildren someday, too

[Archer]

Homeschool or bust for us.  The local schools -- both public and private -- are a mess.  And even if they weren't -- I think home is a more natural place of learning for the elementary years.

This. Having been homeschooled myself K-12 I know I wouldn't have it any other way for my own children; I'm very blessed to have married a woman who feels the same way.

[MilesChristi]

If I do end up marrying and having children, I would try homeschooling, because the schools are slowly getting worse and worse. My sister who is four years younger than me, just entered my high school, and is promptly telling me how much it has changed for the worse (academically, socially). Of course, now they are teaching kids sex ed younger and younger, and everntually thyre going to start teaching kindergardeners about queers and cross-dressers. If I could find a good school, I would send my kids there. Of course, I suffered through public school and eventually came to a tradversion, but not all are so lucky.

[Bonaventure]

What kind of HS is it, Miles?

[OCLittleFlower]

Yes, not only would we homeschool, but we do homeschool.  3 of our 5.75 kids are  We also have a homeschool learning center in town where we can take our kids for subjects that are more difficult to do in the home (woodworking, lab sciences, foreign languages, etc.).

That sounds awesome!  Where do you live?

[totiusque]

Yes, not only would we homeschool, but we do homeschool.  3 of our 5.75 kids are  We also have a homeschool learning center in town where we can take our kids for subjects that are more difficult to do in the home (woodworking, lab sciences, foreign languages, etc.).

That sounds awesome!  Where do you live?

Omaha, NE.  We have an awesome homeschooling community here, and I'd say that at least 95% of the kids in our parish homeschool.  The learning center I referred to is unfortunately not Catholic, but since we teach religion at home anyway, it doesn't affect us.  My wife actually taught a sign language class there for a couple semesters and was able to get our kids in to some of the other classes for free.

My wife also started a Friday morning preschool for families from our church, and we get at least 3-4 families a week with young kids.  We're definitely blessed to live in this area, and I'd recommend it to any traditional Catholic wanting to raise a family. 

[OCLittleFlower]

Yes, not only would we homeschool, but we do homeschool.  3 of our 5.75 kids are  We also have a homeschool learning center in town where we can take our kids for subjects that are more difficult to do in the home (woodworking, lab sciences, foreign languages, etc.).

That sounds awesome!  Where do you live?

Omaha, NE.  We have an awesome homeschooling community here, and I'd say that at least 95% of the kids in our parish homeschool.  The learning center I referred to is unfortunately not Catholic, but since we teach religion at home anyway, it doesn't affect us.  My wife actually taught a sign language class there for a couple semesters and was able to get our kids in to some of the other classes for free.

My wife also started a Friday morning preschool for families from our church, and we get at least 3-4 families a week with young kids.  We're definitely blessed to live in this area, and I'd recommend it to any traditional Catholic wanting to raise a family.

That's great, though.    Sounds like quite the blessing.