Daughter Wants Homeschooling, but Son Doesn't

When a child is reluctant to homeschool, you need to find out exactly why. He may not understand what is involved. For instance, he may think he will be stuck in the house each day, and not see his friends.
Q
I homeschooled my daughter for kindergarten. She's been in school for a year and a half, and now I want to take her out. Every day she begs me to get her out of there.

Here's the problem: I also have a six-year-old son in the same school and he loves it. They have such different personalities — one wants in, one wants out. I want them both out. I have no doubt that I can do the job — I just wonder what's best for them. I don't want to leave one in public school and not the other. I think they should both get the same education.

I used the Abeka curriculum with my daughter when she was five, and that's what she used last year. That's what I intend on using this year — it's bright and fun.

A
Perhaps you need to find out exactly why your son is reluctant to homeschool. He may not understand what is involved. For instance, he may think he will be stuck in the house each day, and not see his friends. Explain to him that he will meet new homeschooling friends and that most days he will be out and about in the community or exploring new places and learning opportunities. You might offer him a "trial period" where he tries homeschooling for a few months. If he is unhappy, he can go back to school.

Abeka is a good curriculum, but rather rigid. Parents have told me they were often behind with the recommended work, and sometimes felt overwhelmed. Both of your children are very young, and don't really need the structure of the Abeka curriculum. If you'd like some suggestions about homeschool curricula, read Choosing A Homeschool Curriculum. For more advice and interesting articles visit our Homeschooling channel.

Isabel Shaw is a freelance writer and homeschooling mom of 15 years. She and her husband Ray homeschool their two daughters, Jessica and Amanda. Besides being a contributor to FamilyEducation.com, Shaw has written for Home Education Magazine, The Link, Homeschooling Horizons Magazine, The Homeschool Gazette, and other publications.

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