It's official...I'm no longer homeschooling any of the boys.

[Ria]

You can see the detailed explanation in this thread (on page 3) if you are interested:
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6307

We were going to wait until fall, but decided to go ahead and put them in school now. It's a good move for all of us.

Ria,the ex-homeschooler (tee hee)

[GothicGyrl]

And don't let anyone here make you feel like you have to leave just because you are no longer doing it. Everyone has valid opinions, whether they are currently doing it or "retired". :)

If it was a good move for you, then it was good for the boys and that makes it good all around. :)

[5wolfcubs]

Oh my! NOW you have time to work on that writing curriculum! And in case you are wondering just what writing curriculum that would be, it is the one you didn't have time to write before!!!! :D Okay, so you'll probably be just as busy, if not busier then ever...

I do hope you'll stick around!

[JudoMom]

I do hope you'll stick around :).

[sleepy]

Best of luck as you start this new chapter of your life.:D

[gardenschooler]

NOW you have time to work on that writing curriculum! And in case you are wondering just what writing curriculum that would be, it is the one you didn't have time to write before!!!!

Guess you're going to be pretty busy, after all! Where do we order? :D

[Scarlett]

I've missed you!

You were one of the first people who responded to me when I first came to this board. So it is weird to think of you not hs'ling...but it does sound like it was a good move for your kids. And you. :)

[BizyPenguin]

I can't believe it. I'll be visiting your blog to read all about it. Best wishes!

[lynn]

First thank you for being your openess on this. I think you let me have it when I was wavering last year regarding my hsing decision and well although I did all the research, purchased the best of the best curriculum for my kids, my dh had a day off work and said "you don't need to be doing this right now" and we spent that day enrolling the boys, getting haircuts, purchasing some clothes, shoes, supplies etc. It was the best thing. My oldest is so content and doing very well. He's in ROTC, took an art class and discovered his artistic talent, and is really enjoying the choices of classes honors, ap, electives etc. My middle son likes his teachers, middle school is middle school with the finding the social status issues but he is thriving and doing very well he really likes the projects he gets to do. My 2nd grader well he's so far beyond 2nd grade is the ps but for now it's okay. Once they were enrolled I signed up for online classes at the community college, took up running and life is good. Like you stated you knew you were done whenyou couldn't give them your best, or something like that. I am right there with you.

[JennifersLost]

Putting the kids in school last year was the best thing I did. And I honestly thought we might not ever go back at the time. It would have been okay if we didn't. Being in school was so different - they got those report cards with grades, they learned to be a little more competitive as they jockeyed for position with other kids, they saw what it was like to learn from other adults and in the process saw where other teachers are better (or worse) than me.

Having said that, I am having a blast having my oldest home again. It's so different now. I've had a break. I've learned I can throw myself into my own projects. I know how to guard my time better. That's not to say you'll ever go back, but the beautiful thing is that you never know what may happen and it's all GOOD!

[Basketmaker Amy]

Enjoy your peace and quiet...you've earned it!

[Unicorn]

Wow! Just Wow! I'm going to chime in and add my hopes that you will stick around and offer your wisdom and insight. You have been missed these past months. I was just thinking of you the other day, and wondered if you would be back in time for your blueberry picking adventure stories, etc.

Enjoy the Peace and Quiet! But don't be a stranger!

[Nancy in MI]

I wish you all the best in this new season of your life. I hope you will stick around-I really value your ideas and opinions.

Nancy

[CleoQc]

I'm jealous...

[8FillTheHeart]

Ria, I can totally relate to your post. I was tired when this yr started, throw in my ds's mental/behavioral problems, a TN to VA move.....tired doesn't even begin to describe how I feel anymore!!!

We enrolled our 10th grader in a private school. He loves it and I love not having to work/argue/urge/plan/grade....etc, etc....hours upon hours. It is the best decision we have made regarding his education.

I also love homeschooling my younger kids. I can't imagine sending thme to school. But golly, high school sucks the time and energy right out of me. I have one starting high school next year and I am really struggling with what I want to do with her. Part of me simply doesn't know if I have the energy to do it again. She really wants to stay home. She works hard for me and doesn't have the issues that her older brothers had, but the planning/teaching/grading wears me out just thinking about it.

Enjoy your freedom and take the time to nurture yourself! :)

[CookieMonster]

:)

[Doran]

And don't let anyone here make you feel like you have to leave just because you are no longer doing it. Everyone has valid opinions, whether they are currently doing it or "retired". :)

If it was a good move for you, then it was good for the boys and that makes it good all around. :)

Gee, GothicGyrl -- what do you take us for...a bunch of MEANIES?!? D'ya think we'd really run somebody off around here just because s/he was no longer homeschooling?? :p Heck no! It's folks like Ria, Lady Katherine and Ellie who can give us the real pep talks. They can tell us what they did to find motivation when it was lacking, they can give us their veteran's opinions, and they might even be the first ones to tell us, when we're down and out of anything remotely like a good attitude, "Woman, it's time you stopped banging your head against the wall. Either suck it up and do it right, or send that child to school!"

Seriously, I know none of those kind women would come on that strong, but the point is, OF COURSE we value their perspective. With any luck at all, we will all, one day, retire from our homeschooling commitments - for one reason or another. It's wonderful to be able to hear from those who have "gone before".

Best wishes, Ria, in your new journey! And to you, too, GothicGyrl!

Doran

[BizyPenguin]

I just read your post and it was wonderful. I never thought I'd send my ds to ps either, but when my dd was born 2 yrs ago, I was burnt out, stressed out, hormonal, and slacking. My dh realized this and gave me the nudge I needed to throw in the towel. Ds is back home again, but those two years ds was in ps allowed me to gain my sanity. I commend you for having the courage to admit that you were failing your boys and I admire you for doing something about it. I always say that we take hs'g one year at a time and that I'm praying that we can afford to send ds to a Christian HS in the future. All the best to you and yours!

[Jackie in AR]

Good luck, Ria, as you begin this new stage of your life.

[Mad Charity]

I'm almost done, too. We get acceptance letters at the end of this month and will know which school they will attend at that point. I love homeschooling and really, really wish we could continue but we just can't. It has stopped being good for us. It sounds so strange to my friends when I discuss the apprehension I feel about sending the kids to school because it seems so normal to them for kids to BE in school. They sort of look at me in a freakish sort of way. It is a difficult decision and not made lightly.

[GVA]

The longer I go, the more I see that there is no one-size-fits all solution to educating our children. I cringe these days whenever I'm around a "homeschooling is the only way to the very end" person because none of us really can say that, and as we've discussed before, sometimes folks homeschool who shouldn't.

With DH's level of disability increasing (he hasn't been to work since mid-October) EVERYTHING is on the table at our house. If I have to send them to the classroom, it's going to be because it's the best choice for us. It's not failure.

[lynn]

I get these frequently with things ordered from e-bay. I can not find them at WM, staples, etc. Any ideas?

[Remudamom]

I'm pretty burned out after 15 years, but we don't have a good alternative. We've got five years to go. I just keep trying to kick myself in the butler.

[Liz CA]

You can see the detailed explanation in this thread (on page 3) if you are interested:
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6307

We were going to wait until fall, but decided to go ahead and put them in school now. It's a good move for all of us.

Ria,the ex-homeschooler (tee hee)

I was/am on the same journey and ds is now taking classes at the community college and can't wait to be enrolled full-time.

I have never regretted homeschooling but a new chapter has begun and it's going to be all right, perhaps even better than all right...:D

[Anne/Ankara]

Thanks for updating us, Ria. It does help to know how everyone is doing, and how the homeschooling routine is not "required" of each of us! The bottom line, of course, is doing what is necessary for the family. Good for you-- and keep us informed as you see what's going on in the schools these days!