# Frustrated by Trying to Decide......



## Horse Fork Farm (Jan 3, 2006)

Whether to keep my 11 yo son in his current Christian School, allow him to go to the local public school, or to homeschool once again. We've been going over all this for almost a year now and we still can't make a firm decision. I've never had such a hard time making a rational choice before! 

The Christian school is pretty wonderful in lots of ways but the expense is choking us. In 2 years our youngest will have to enroll and then the cost almost doubles as the multi-student discount is minimal. We also have to drive 5 miles to the bus stop, pay bus fees, pack lunches daily etc...

Public school really worries me because the Christian aspect is so lacking there. It's also a LONG way from the house. Kids locally catch a bus at 6:15 and get home at 4:30 making a very long day. But the bus stops within walking distance of our house. It's a very country school.

Homeschooling is almost free compared to Christian school expenses. My concern is having a 2 yr old "preemie" in the middle of everything we do all day. By any standards he is a real "handfull"! He is somewhat hyperactive, very strong willed, and is in the dreaded "terrible 2's" stage.:help: 

I'm not in good health as I have some kidney damage from the full blown eclampsia in the last pregnancy. I am just more exhausted than I ever dreamed could be possible. All of these options are just going round and round in my head and it feels like being on an out of control merry go round. 

Did I mention that I'm an OLD mommy in my mid forties?? I'm feeling more like 75! 

AsI read back over what I've just written, its obvious that the Christian school is going to be too expensive to continue permanently. That leaves me with a decision between public or home. Maybe writing it all down has helped!:bouncy:

I'd still appreciate any input of ideas or suggestions you may have, thanks for "listening" to my complete nervous breakdown online :buds:


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

how about trying "school" over the summer? It will give you an idea of how things will go. I'm an "OLD" mom too in my mid 40's (gasp! did I just admit that?) my youngest is 4 though and it does get easier. At 11 I would think that your son could do a few things by himself if need be while you tend to the 2yo. maybe also include the younger one in school. Have a special bucket of toys, coloring books, play dough that is jusst for school time.


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## sheepish (Dec 9, 2006)

Think of the time you will free up by not sending your son to school. 
-You will not have to meet all those early morning deadlines with your 11 year old. 
-You will not have to pack up a 2 year old twice a day to meet the school bus. 
-You will not have to supervise afternoon and evening homework. 
-You will not have to pack a special lunch 5 days a week.
-You will not have to shop for special school clothes, equipment, etc.
-If you don't have to send your son to an expensive school, you could use some of the money to hire someone to do some of your housework, or farm work. There is some more time.

I think you could give yourself enough free time to do homeschooling without adding any extra time to your day and the choice of doing it on your own schedule could make it seem so much less effort.


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

You didn't address how your son did when he was home educated. If he did well, then I don't think there will be any problem with it, unless he really wants to stay in school. I would think that with all the extra work involved in getting him to school, you might have less problems health wise with homeschooling. It's easier to sit at a desk/on the couch doing schoolwork with your son than to pack up to get him to/from the school bus. 

My children are 25, 21, 13 and 11, so I know what it's like having two young ones around while schooling - although challenging, it is possible. I got a lot done during nap time, and each older child worked or played with the younger ones for a half hour to hour while I worked with the other. We had special toys that they loved, but could only play with if they were quiet and during our school time. 

Dawn


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

Heartstrings, I understand what you are going through. We made this decision last year, we took our kids now 10, and 13 out of private Christian school for me to homeschool and I also had a 2 year old preemie (born at 24 weeks) at home. It has been great so far. The baby plays or watches a movie while I teach the older two, my grandmother comes to entertain him some days while I teach. We start around 8:30 and by 11 most days my part is finished and they have assignments like reading or research or math to do while I get lunch ready and the baby down for a nap. Two of their classes they do on computer, math(saxon DIVE) and history (SOS). They love it and so do I. We start in the fall with K3 for the little one, the older ones will take turns helping him while I teach the other, then we switch and I work with the other and then the baby. GOOD LUCK


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

I think you have answered your own question. PS, while free, is going to be dificult. Are you going to be able (energy) to spend most evenings doing or at least supervising homework? My sil's children spend as much time as it used to take her to homeschool doing homework every evening. And after being gone from home 10+ hours, will your ds really feel like doing homework?

At 11, your ds can do a lot of the harder subjects on the computer. My 6th graders & up do math on the compuuter, they do science on their own, LA with minimal help and we do history, Bible and read alouds together. Even my 6 yo does much of her work independently. The three youngest kids favorite thing is to see if they can get up really early and get all their assignmnts done before I wake up. They help each other and only very rarely need my input.  I've gotten up at 7 to be told to go back to bed so they can finish the days work ALONE. 

Also, there is no reason that your ds can't learn to cook by fixing lunch (or breakfast) each day. This would be a benefit for you (& him down the road.) Yesterday my ds made breakfast, his favorite thing to cook is eggs or french toast (he's 10). The only one still learning to cook is the 6 yo. But even she is getting it (she just mastered peanut butter cookies). Lunch is left overs, breakfast is on your own and supper we do as a family.


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## Elffriend (Mar 2, 2003)

Everything Sheepish said and then some. When you homeschool you can teach whatever you want, however you want. You can buy Christian curriculum if you wish and add Bible study into your school day.

My kids have always been homeschooled. We are not Christians, we're Jews. I add Torah study to our schoolwork, as well as teaching them about Jewish History, the Hebrew calendar and our various holidays. This is something they would never get in public school. We also work on our own schedule, take time off for our holidays, fit in various homeschool support group activities etc. It has worked very well for our family.


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## BlsdMama (Dec 28, 2008)

Dh's opinion?


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## Elsbet (Apr 2, 2009)

BlsdMama has a good point. Homeschooling would be VERY hard if your DH isn't behind it, too. It's a full family thing.

We had decided to put my kids back in PS when my health went icky a couple of years ago. It was two years of sheer stress and anxiety and having NO time for anything. We are homeschooling both kids again after it became more than apparent that the kids were not thriving, and DH and I were not happy with the school situation. They were gone every day til 4 pm, I have dr's visits 3 times weekly in the evenings, and they would end up crawling into bed late, looking like death warmed over, and still not get all their homework done.
But for other people, public school is the best thing in the world. It just depends on what your family needs. I loved our PS in Maine- my son went to kindergarten there. I could walk him to school from our farm (the school was on land that had been purchased from my husband's family years ago.), I could be there to volunteer in the classroom whenever I wanted, and we knew (or were related to on DH's side) most of the teachers. But down here in SC, it is a totally different scenario. Doesn't work for us.


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## TurnerHill (Jun 8, 2009)

BlsdMama said:


> Dh's opinion?


Not to mention the boy's opinion. 11 years old is old enough to offer useful input.


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