You guys are great! You bring up so many good points. I did share with my husband what I've learned from you. JDAx3 and GeoMamma, the amount of time kids get to actually socialize in school is an excellent point. My husband's main concern socially was that my daughter wouldn't be learning to make friends on her own without my involvement, the way kids do at school. After talking about it a lot last night, I got him to accept the fact that we might be able to provide these opportunities for her and he'd be willing to concede on that point and give it a try, IF he didn't have other concerns....
So apparently that wasn't his only issue, nor did he see it as the major issue. He now tells me his biggest objection is that my daughter and I often butt heads, particularly when I'm trying to get her to do something she doesn't want to do. He definitely has some valid points. We are strong personalities and she will often do the least amount of work unless prodded (one of the problems that I have with her school is they don't expect enough of her and she's getting lazy). She is very emotional and still, at 8, prone to outbursts (she spend a lot of time in her room 'thinking about how she could have handled that without yelling and crying'). We deal with some of these issues just trying to get her to put more effort into her writing homework. He thinks it's a disaster waiting to happen and will lead to a lot of stress for me (and ultimately, the family) and that we will both be miserable.
To answer Cricket2's questions, I'm a SAHM, so there is no change in income for the family if I were to do this. Also my daughter is definitely warming to the idea. She doesn't really deal with change well and she has lots of concerns BUT she said she loves the idea of being able to spend more time reading and following her own interests and she admits she doesn't learn anything new in school, so she's excited about that. She also hates the pace and repetition. She sees a lot of positives about homeschooling and is willing to try it.
To answer Kriston's question, my husband is a data guy. And I'm sure I will be getting lots of concern from family members (many of whom are in education). I like your approach and will have to remember that.
So this brings me to a whole other questions....
Anybody that homeschools, did you or do you struggle with getting your child to accept that you are now their teacher and they have to do assignments the way you expect them to be done? I foresee difficulties particularly with writing, which is my biggest issue with the school. The school expects very little in the way of spelling, grammar, or sentence structure. I feel like my daughter is not getting a good basis in basic writing. I know it is going to be a struggle for both of us, at least for a while, but I think it is worth working through. My husband thinks it will be a constant battle. Anyone else with these concerns when you were thinking about homeschooling and how did it work out?
Again, I really appreciate all your responses. This is such a big decision, and not knowing anyone who has been through it, I didn't know where to turn. You guys have been a wonderful source of information and support!
