Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment I'm stuck

Doubtful! You've done this well so far, right? And homeschooling is in many, many ways just an extension of parenting.

I won't bug you about it. I think you know that I'm not looking to convert you. But if you want to talk about homeschooling--publicly or privately--let me know. I'm happy to talk pros and cons with you to help you think through your options. I know how hard it is to be faced with that sort of decision.

Hang in there!

I have been thinking a lot about the possibility of HSing, but that terrifies me. I don't think I'm cut out for that type of work. I'm afraid I would do more harm than good.

I second what Kriston says. I have been homeschooling DS6 since Jan. I love it! Also thought I would screw him up, but he is doing so much better already. My in-laws saw him for the first time since Xmas last week and commented on how much he has changed, matured, grown intellectually, etc. There are always the afterschool enrichment classes as well as homeschool support groups. I figure once I get everything figured out, IF we decide he can "fit" the pipeline, we might put him back, but at this point why mess with success...

Yes, I planned to keep DS7 out for the remnants of last year only, but he's been so much happier, gotten so much further, had so many amazing experiences that he'd never have had if he'd been where he was, it's hard to feel like full-time school is the place for him.

I am loving the part-time "school for (often GT) homeschoolers" that we discovered though. That's been great, and not ridiculously expensive either. It's been nice for him, of course, but it has also been nice for me to get some outside confirmation that he really *is* doing incredibly well, and it's not just a mom thing making me think that things are going better than they are. His teachers think he's neat and can't believe how advanced he is!

Okay, now I feel like I'm hogging the thread. Sorry! As you were...

When DS6 was denied early admittance to K last year, I homeschooled for a year and we had a great time. He came to my office with me everyday, had his own workspace and computer.

Since he's been in school I've missed it although I know that for him, for now it's the best thing. He was already to the point where I felt hard pressed to keep up.

Shari,

I have to ask. If he was denied early admittance to K last year and you homeschooled him then put him in public school, what grade is he in now? Did they skip him into 1st grade or keep him in kindergarten? And if he stayed in Kindergarten did this cause any problems since it would be basically repeating his homeschooling?

He's registered as a Kindergartener but he's only in that class for lunch and recess. His schedule looks like high school. He moves from class to class each day at many different grade levels. Next year he is set to be skipped to 4th grade full time with pullouts for recess with the 1st grade and 6th for math.

Our son was the same, though much earlier at pre-schoo and into year 1. We started to give him an Omega 3 supplement (fish oils) daily and this did help quite a bit so he was at least able to concentrate. There are lots of references to this on the web. Fish oils are good for your health anyhow apart from the potential help in concentration, so maybe worth a try.

Raddy, where do you get fish oil tablets in small kid sizes? I only know of the horse-size tablets...

Different classes for different subjects would have been a problem at our public school. There are only 2 or 3 grades in each building and my son would have had no way to get to the other buildings.

This was one of the reasons the special ed director/educational psychologist at our school said it would be difficult to make accommodations for my son. He seemed unable or unwilling to think outside the box to find a way to allow my son an appropriate education and our state law does not require it for twice exceptional kids like mine.

When we asked about part time schooling so that my son could learn things like higher level math that I might have trouble teaching him or band or maybe even a literature class where my son could listen to and participate in class discussions, and then homeschooling all the rest, we were told it was not allowed.

I think it is for the best now that we had to homeschool. We went to a school carnival last night that was open to the public and most of the kids I saw who ranged in age from kindergarten to high school age acted like my son on red dye number 40. I had a hard time imagining these kids ever being calm enough to learn. But most of them are good in sports and that is what really counts where we live.

Now that my son is almost 11, I notice that more than a few of the boys who are 3 and 4 years older are close to six feet tall, a foot taller than my son, and from what I have heard from my son's friends who are several years older than he is, there are bullies to deal with and some of the kids, especially the football players who are treated like royalty at the school, are really rude. I would worry about my son's safety as well as his self esteem if he were in school with these kids.

I'd worry about the football players' esteem once the other kids get enough material.

This was a favorite of some of my older friends when I was 12. Its hilarious.