Does anyone homeschool

[Nature'sKids!]

Their own children while cm?

[Lady Haha]

I have literally just started home schooling my 9 year old son (his last day at school was end of last term). I find it easy to so it whilst being a childminder because I only look after school age children, so mon-fri 9-3 is completely free and I can devote alot of time to it.

I'm not sure how easy it would be if you had littlies around! Although, have you read about 'unschooling' which basically means NO school work as such, just letting children learn as they go and trusting that they will! I like this idea, but the idea is that the children will eventually start asking about various things and wanting to learn more about them and then you would need to have the time to sit down and help them with it. But, apparently children can learn so much from day to day life that the need for text books etc is very much reduced and some home schoolers NEVER do schoolwork!

[kindredspirits]

yep - i home school my 4 year old DS. TBH I find it very easy as he's a natural learning. pm me if you like.

[Nature'sKids!]

Hehe I put "homeschooling" so as not to be labelled as a compleat freak as I wanted to test the waters first. Ds is 4 1/2 and shouldve started school in September. We are unschooling! ds 2 is 19 months.
How do you go about explaining to parents? Because from feedback so far ive heard "how can you devote enough time to schooling and a mindee?
I will be working with my husband at least part time so I can use that but will unschooling alienate more people? Hard enough to explain as it is to family who've heard me going on about it for years and still don't get it (my sis yesterday said how are you going to make time??" ugh lol
Glad to hear there's people here who HS too!

[kindredspirits]

I'd just explain that most of a childs time in school is taken up by playtime, lunch time and arranging a class of 30 children, so by the time you don't have to do that you only need to ensure that your children 'learn' for a short time per day - and as the best learning is done through play you are able to involve all your mindees as well!

[jumpinjen]

Yes, I HE my daughters of 6 1/2 and 4 1/2, not minding at present as on mat leave but it works for me - bit of a juggling act sometimes but then isn't life anyway?!

Jen

[PixiePetal]

I'd just explain that most of a childs time in school is taken up by playtime, lunch time and arranging a class of 30 children, so by the time you don't have to do that you only need to ensure that your children 'learn' for a short time per day - and as the best learning is done through play you are able to involve all your mindees as well!

I wish I had HS my 2 although they did enjoy school - now 17 and at college and 14 studying for GCSEs.

The primary years I am sure I could have managed, but not sure as they got older. How does this work?

I think school - for those who choose, should only be 3 days max and cut all the time wasting - get home and enjoy childhood

good for those who are taking this route

[chez]

thats intresting I was told that you could HS and mind.
Love the idea personally especially as the children would still get the interaction with other children via the mindees

[jumpinjen]

The parents of the children I minded thought it was fab that my daughters were home all day - they said it was like having big sisters to love them and play with them through the day - it never made any of them think of doing it but they never had a problem that i did!

Jen x

[Nature'sKids!]

The parents of the children I minded thought it was fab that my daughters were home all day - they said it was like having big sisters to love them and play with them through the day - it never made any of them think of doing it but they never had a problem that i did!

Jen x

This is how I'm going to try and sell it

[onceinabluemoon]

My children learn at home too. They left school in July 2005 and we haven't looked back (although there are moments...)

[Nature'sKids!]

Great to hear there's so many here that do!

[jumpinjen]

I also made it clear that i would be attending home ed groups, activities and trips with all the children. I explained that I would make sure that both the facilities and the activities were suitable for all ages of children and that their children would be included as mine were. I risk assess the venues and activities I take them to. Some groups aren't suitable as they have a high number of older children that play quite boisterously at times so i avoid those when I have mindees to care for too. I make sure that parents are aware of this and Ok with it before I take them on.... it helps to avoid stumbling blocks in the future and helps me marry the two together. There are som fab groups and trips around my way - canoeing, climbing, ice skating, educational visits to museums, sculture and world music sessions, forest schools, all fabulous opportunities for the mindees as well as my own children!

HTH, Jen x

[Lady Haha]

Hehe I put "homeschooling" so as not to be labelled as a compleat freak as I wanted to test the waters first. Ds is 4 1/2 and shouldve started school in September. We are unschooling! ds 2 is 19 months.
How do you go about explaining to parents? Because from feedback so far ive heard "how can you devote enough time to schooling and a mindee?
I will be working with my husband at least part time so I can use that but will unschooling alienate more people? Hard enough to explain as it is to family who've heard me going on about it for years and still don't get it (my sis yesterday said how are you going to make time??" ugh lol
Glad to hear there's people here who HS too!

I can see that explaining it to parents would be as hard as trying to explain it to family/friends/lady at checkout Your parents will be relieved in one way that you aren't sitting at a desk with your son studying workbooks for 6 hours a day, but they may also think you are a bit of a nut job for NOT doing that!

I have told everyone I'm unschooling and I got a few concerned looks, but I still haven't told my ex mother in law! Dreading that!

Good luck with it, you are only a month ahead of me! Since reading about unschooling etc I really wish I had done it years ago!