PLEASE HELP . . . Nervous and Scared

[Uccnorsworth]

Ok, so I have my curriculum for Pre-K (WP's I'm Ready to Learn), K (WP's 1st Science, LLATL Blue and Red (he'll be done with Blue by mid-year--we are working on it now), SOTW Vol. 1, Singapore EarlyBird 2A & 2B, various handwriting texts, LOTS of books, CDs for music appreciation, etc), and for 2nd grade (Apologia's Astronomy, LLATL Yellow, SOTW Vol 1, BJU English and Grammar 2, LOTS of books, CDs for music appreciation, Bible 2 LifePacs, BJU 2 Math, BJU Handwriting 2, BJU Spelling 2, etc). I was so pumped up to get started with next year when I met with "The Look" last night from one of the PS teachers where my 4-year old attends Pre-K currently. Now, I am questioning whether I have the ability to do this . . . I am so scared and nervous. She said, "Why don't you just start with one and see if you can handle that first? We have great kindergarten programs here . . . just let *ds* go to kindergarten here".

Please help!

[Sue G in PA]

That just makes me soooo angry. Grrr.... Where does she get off destroying your confidence like that? Has she ever homeschooled? Public school teachers (some ps teachers anyway) feel threatened by parents who hs and often get defensive (like we hs b/c they aren't doing their job or something). Not ALL ps teachers, but some anyway. Sounds like this woman is feeling a tad bit defensive. Ugh. YOU CAN DO IT! You are just as capable (more so if you ask me!) than a ps teacher who doesn't know your child! Imagine all the extra attention your dc will get from YOU instead of being lost in a classroom of 33 5 yr. olds! My 2 oldest dc attended ps K. I'll tell you what they learned. Nothing! They already knew the alphabet, numbers, how to read, etc. K taught them how to raise their hands, stand in line, sit on a piece of carpet square for 10 minutes, etc. Hold your head high! You CAN do this. :)

[Kate in VA]

The Nerve!!!!! Where is this woman... Let me at her!!!!

her comment just proves you are making the right choice... Stand your ground.... you can do it... Honestly it seems intimidating at first but you'll get the hang of if real fast..... Honestly there will be days when you want to pull your and your children's hair out :D But when those happen just drop what was planned and have a chill day and start over the next day....
It sounds like you got some great curriculum for all of you to have fun with!

I hope others will give you some encouraging words.... I on the other hand want to get on the first plane out of here and give this woman a piece of my mine!!!!:w00t:

[Gretchen in NJ]

Well, I don't think that I would take advice from a PS teacher. After all, if everyone homeschooled, they would go out of business.:lol: I was very nervous and scared too when I began to homeschool. We love our children and want to do what is best for them. My mom listed all of the things that I had taught my children up until the time they entered school: speaking English, going on the potty, etc.... She said, "If you could teach them that than you could teach them everything else they will need to be successful and happy in life."

You have to do what is best for you, but I started to homeschool two children one subject the first week. Then, I just kept adding one subject each week until we were up to our full load.

I find having more than one child is very good thing for break time between lessons.

[Trivium Academy]

just let *ds* go to kindergarten here".

Translating what she said:
------------------------------------------------
Here we'll have group activities and your child will be in the mix of children, where he'll learn tons of unattractive social qualities but we will teach him to stand in line and he'll gets TONS of practice. He'll also learn that flicking the lights means to be quiet and how to take tests because we need to test our students to prove we're doing our jobs. If he's lucky, he'll be like Jessica's child who was taught songs about taking standardized tests and was asked to participate in a parade around the school to promote standardized testing but Jessica didn't buy the "Do Your Best, Pass the Test" t-shirt for $5.00 for her kindergartner which made her child feel left out- now you don't want to be like that do you? Jessica ended up ruining her child's Perfect Attendance by not allowing her child to go to school that day so that missing the parade wasn't because she and her child wouldn't conform.

He'll have so much fun that he won't even notice how much time he's not spending with you! He'll learn to do what everyone else is doing and this is great, we love to teach conformity at a young age, it makes for very productive citizens that contribute greatly to society.

You can't handle playing with your own child, leave it to us professionals. Really, he'll be in good hands and you can go back to work during the time he's with us.

----------------------------

There's my tongue in cheek translation of what she said.

You are the BEST teacher your child could have, as long as you take the responsibility seriously and it is obvious you have. You will not want to trade these years for anything...anything! You will look back on these years and appreciate the time you had with your child.

Now for the disclaimer. I do not believe all parents should homeschool their children, only those invested in their children and their education. There are excellent programs at schools and fabulous teachers but really they are few and far between. Dd7 had an excellent over-worked, stressed out Kindergarten teacher who was very pleasant and she inspired dd greatly. It's the other stuff that finally broke the camel's back.

[Mrs. H.]

While I agree with what the above posters have said, I want to add an extra comment that sort of agrees with the PS teacher.

Why not just start with one? I'm not talking about send the Pre-K and K child to PS, by all means keep them home with you. But why all the curriculum for such young children? If you read out loud to them every day, teach them their ABCs, 123s, and colors, let them color, cut, and paste, and let them play outside every nice day, they will have received a better Pre-K and K education without any added stress on your part than they could have ever gotten at PS. You can just focus on the 2nd grader, then add in your K, who will be ready for 1st grade, next year, and your Pre-K the year after that. If you want to you can begin to teach your K to read this year, but I wouldn't spend more than 15-30 min. per DAY on any school-type work for a child that young.

Of course you can do it, but I hate to see a brand-new homeschooler all pumped up and raring to go, just to get stressed over trying to get 'all these kids' to go along with a schedule, and get discouraged. When my first child was 4, I was all excited about homeschooling as well. About 3 months into it, I was so frustrated and discouraged, and this poor little girl was crying every time the school books came out. We persevered, and now she's a happy homeschooled 5th grader who has never set foot inside a PS building, with four younger siblings who will all be homeschooled, in their own time.

This is just a gentle suggestion, not a chastisement. All of us homeschooling parents want to see the new hsers do well, so we offer advise, whether it's welcome or not. ;)

[Cornerstone Classical]

I have only came across 2 people with a negative reaction to my homeschooling my dc. They were both teachers. They take it personal. You don't answer to them. You have to answer to yourself and what is best for your family. And for what it's worth...this is my first year hsing ds6 and dd5 and I have done a great job--far better than ps would have. Not only academically but I have had the priveledge to nurture them.

Awhile back I had to go to my ds14 previous christian school to get some records. When I entered the office my neighbor's dd8 was sitting there sobbing. This girl is as sweet as they come and her family is wonderful. I wouldn't assume she was in trouble--probably just having a bad day. My heart really went out to her. She was sitting there with several adults there busy about their work ingoring her. I wanted to give her a reassuring hug. As I left I thought, "WOW, when my daughter has a bad day she's with me and I can help her, I can give her a hug and soothe her. I could not imagine my daughter crying/upset and just sitting there while everyone around her went on with their business.... KWIM?

The encouraging advice that you have gotten so far on this thread is "on the money". Just stay connected to others who will encourage you and build you up....:001_wub:

[nutmeg]

Ignore the teacher, and reread Mrs. H's post. :grouphug:

[Uccnorsworth]

Though I understand that some kids are not really ready for the subjects mentioned above, I believe my four-year old and Pre-K'r are. My four-year already knows all of his letters, is able to count to 100, can skip-count using two's and ten's, puts 50-75 piece puzzles together with ease, etc. I think he needs the challenge. The WP pre-K program uses play to teach these concepts . . . I really like the activities they suggest. She is able to count to 20 (she turned two in November), knows most of her colors (thanks to reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See so many times she has it memorized), sings umpteen songs from the Wee Sing series from memory, is learning to recognize numbers and letters, knows all of her shapes (including trapezoid--thanks to Tupperware's outstanding shape sorter). I know it will be hard, but . . . I have six kids. Some people thought I couldn't do that either. Ok, you guys helped me tons!!! :) Thanks for your continued support!

[Jenny in Atl]

I rescued my oldest dd from a PRIVATE school when she finished K six years ago; small class size (15) with two teachers, all the finest resources, etc. We have never looked back. She was not learning as well as she could have, so why keep spending the money (which we did not have) for no positive results.

Never let any teacher tell you that as a parent, you are not good enough.
What has happened to us as a people when we think someone who has had a few more years of school knows our children better than we do? Yes, I know when you get to thinks like organic chemistry or calculus, most of us will need some outside help. But, how is it that you can carry a child, give birth to (or adopt), feed, cloth, teach your moral values to, that everything is fine till about the age of four, then all of a sudden, you are no longer good enough to guide your child in learning "life's skills"?
:banghead:

[Stirsmommy]

My dd was in 4th grade when we decided to homeschool. We let her finish out the year but didn't think to say to her don't mention it to anyone. The teacher cornered her, my dh and myself at various times to convince us we couldn't do it. Fortunately I had found these boards and learned about bean dip so I could find my way through it. Sshe did make me feel crummy about my dd's friends. That teacher was so wrong. Dd not only made amazing strides academically after leaving ps but she actually enjoyed her friends more. She made a lot through the homeschool group but even her ps friends she got to see basically as often and she didn't have to deal with some of the cliquish behaviors that had bugged the tar out of her. You can do this. No other teacher will ever be as in tune to your child or your child's learning style as you will be. You will be great!

[Colleen in NS]

Translating what she said:
------------------------------------------------
If he's lucky, he'll be like Jessica's child who was taught songs about taking standardized tests and was asked to participate in a parade around the school to promote standardized testing but Jessica didn't buy the "Do Your Best, Pass the Test" t-shirt for $5.00 for her kindergartner which made her child feel left out- now you don't want to be like that do you? Jessica ended up ruining her child's Perfect Attendance by not allowing her child to go to school that day so that missing the parade wasn't because she and her child wouldn't conform.

You have GOT to be kidding!!! I am ROTFL at this one, and just read it to dh and kids!!!

[Colleen in NS]

Though I understand that some kids are not really ready for the subjects mentioned above, I believe my four-year old and Pre-K'r are. My four-year already knows all of his letters, is able to count to 100, can skip-count using two's and ten's, puts 50-75 piece puzzles together with ease, etc. I think he needs the challenge. The WP pre-K program uses play to teach these concepts . . . I really like the activities they suggest. She is able to count to 20 (she turned two in November), knows most of her colors (thanks to reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See so many times she has it memorized), sings umpteen songs from the Wee Sing series from memory, is learning to recognize numbers and letters, knows all of her shapes (including trapezoid--thanks to Tupperware's outstanding shape sorter). I know it will be hard, but . . . I have six kids. Some people thought I couldn't do that either. Ok, you guys helped me tons!!! :) Thanks for your continued support!

You GO FOR IT!!!!! You know exactly what you are doing.

[Cadam]

This woman was questioning your ability to teach Kindergarten?

That's insulting. I don't think I would take this woman's opinion into account. You are prepared, you know your kids better than anyone else in the world. You love these kids more than anyone one else in the world and you would do anything for them. I know you can teach your kids and besides this is just Kindergarten!

Relax. If she gets annoying then take the kids out of the pre-school.

[Denise in IN]

Well, it is not surprising that someone who works in the preschool/public school setting encourages going that route. She may not realize how much she's discouraging you. At any rate, it's unfortunate that she didn't encourage you to do wha't best for your family.

You are going to be fine. You know and love your kids. It sounds like you've prepared well. You will learn together! Some things you try won't work well. Other things will turn out wonderfully. You'll learng to adjust as your figure out what works best for your teaching style, your child's learning style, and what you want for your family. Sometimes you'll get discouraged, but you'll come here and we'll cheer you on! :thumbup1:

[ABQmom]

I used to be a public school teacher in the elementary grades. Believe me, you can do it!! And, you have the hive mind to help you out when you get stuck or need encouragement.

[siloam]

You see, you already have a great grasp on things!

If you need to, feel free to start one subject at a time, and get used to it for a week, then add another. It keeps you from being overwhelmed, and helps everyone figure out expectations.

K and Pre-k really aren't hard. I don't think even 4th grade is particularity that hard, given the great curriculum out there. What I do find difficult is balancing 4th, 2nd, 1st and Pre-k grades while trying to keep a clean house. ;) It isn't easy, but it is worth it!!

Heather