STEELERS resemble Bengals

[Hawkman]

Now this thread resembles the Bendals. Lol. Unfocused and random at best. But there is some talent here.

Never heard them called the “Bendals”, but I think I like it.

[FrancoLambert]

You guys should hear about it from my angle as well. Since we had our 2 oldest children so close together we decided my wife would stay home and I would work. (2 sometimes 3 jobs, whatever it takes) Or one of us could work just to pay for child care for 2 kids still in diapers. Our way worked better for us. Anyway that lead to my wife homeschooling our 4 kids. My oldest son is now in grad school after graduating with highest honors from a private college. My oldest daughter is about to graduate from that same college this May, also with highest honors. My younger daughter will be headed to Murray State this fall on full academic scholarship. Our youngest son is currently a sophomore/junior and has already passed Calculus and taking Calc2 at a tutor school. My point? If you care to read forums on home schooling you will see most opinions believe we also have a doomsday shelter for the coming apocalypse, are members of some brainwashed, racist cult akin to Nazis, AND our kids have zero inter-personal or social skills at all. My wife's own aunt who is now retired from a career as a school teacher, once condemned us ruthlessly about the harm we were doing to our kids. She has since told us she is astonished and amazed at how well educated and socially adjusted they are.

I am certain there are probably some home school families that fit better into the common thought. But most of us are really no different than any other family. My wife and I both rode the bus to public schools. We are definitely not separatists by any stretch. Just couldn't financially justify doing it any other way from the beginning. Others will condemn us but this is what worked best for this family.

Congratulations, you and your wife have done a great job at parenting.
Great kids are usually raised by loving, involved parents.

Personally, I’ve seen the complete opposite as a result of home schooling.
My nephew and his wife are raising three children utilizing home schooling.
All of them are terribly deficient in the basic academic skills, especially reading.

IMO parents have to be incredibly disciplined and committed for home schooling to work.
Obviously, you and your wife were.

[Shoes]

You guys should hear about it from my angle as well. Since we had our 2 oldest children so close together we decided my wife would stay home and I would work. (2 sometimes 3 jobs, whatever it takes) Or one of us could work just to pay for child care for 2 kids still in diapers. Our way worked better for us. Anyway that lead to my wife homeschooling our 4 kids. My oldest son is now in grad school after graduating with highest honors from a private college. My oldest daughter is about to graduate from that same college this May, also with highest honors. My younger daughter will be headed to Murray State this fall on full academic scholarship. Our youngest son is currently a sophomore/junior and has already passed Calculus and taking Calc2 at a tutor school. My point? If you care to read forums on home schooling you will see most opinions believe we also have a doomsday shelter for the coming apocalypse, are members of some brainwashed, racist cult akin to Nazis, AND our kids have zero inter-personal or social skills at all. My wife's own aunt who is now retired from a career as a school teacher, once condemned us ruthlessly about the harm we were doing to our kids. She has since told us she is astonished and amazed at how well educated and socially adjusted they are.

I am certain there are probably some home school families that fit better into the common thought. But most of us are really no different than any other family. My wife and I both rode the bus to public schools. We are definitely not separatists by any stretch. Just couldn't financially justify doing it any other way from the beginning. Others will condemn us but this is what worked best for this family.

Fantastic work by you and your wife, heck I'm proud of you and I don't even know you!

[Born2Steel]

Congratulations, you and your wife have done a great job at parenting.
Great kids are usually raised by loving, involved parents.

Personally, I’ve seen the complete opposite as a result of home schooling.
My nephew and his wife are raising three children utilizing home schooling.
All of them are terribly deficient in the basic academic skills, especially reading.

IMO parents have to be incredibly disciplined and committed for home schooling to work.
Obviously, you and your wife were.

Thank you sir. Seriously. My wife is a music teacher by her education and trade anyway so I am sure that helped a lot. As for me, I'm dumb as a brick. That's why I work and she schools and teaches. You are correct in that it takes 100% dedication, self discipline, and complete commitment. It's funny how even after all these years my own family(Mom and them) still think we can just drop everything whenever and do other things because we homeschool. If anything it's more important to stick with a strict schedule year round because it's so easy to 'start later, sleep in, have loose deadlines, allow for other things'. If I didn't say it before let me just emphasize that it has to be your life, not something you do. I hear from teachers that I 'treat' at work that tell me how parents have zero involvement with their kids' education because they depend on the schools to educate them solely. My own personal philosophy on parenting is I'm all in on every aspect. Not that that makes us perfect but again that is what works for US. My kids aren't resentful when I ask/talk with them about school, friends, other, because it's the only way they have ever known.

As for your nephew and his family, be supportive even when they are not around. It takes all kinds of support to make it work. It's not an easy thing to do. And it's not for everybody. I've heard of people homeschool because their child was diagnosed with a learning disability and the parent just won't accept that. So they pull the kid out of school and homeschool to prove 'them' wrong. Some do it purely from a religious standpoint. Some people hated school so much themselves that they refuse to 'put their kids through that'. Most homeschoolers however homeschool within communities with a structured curriculum, class days and times, dedicated tutors, teachers, and parents. Both of my older kids have had prom, baccalaureate ceremony, and walked in a graduation ceremony of more than 300 students each. Homeschool doesn't have to be that much different from public school("regular" school).

Sports(this being a sports forum and all) for homeschool teams is a bit disappointing. My younger son plays on a homeschool competitive basketball team, and for the highschool tennis team. The basketball team is VERY good. Last season they won the 14u national championship for NCHC. The response is an overwhelming, "So what? They're a homeschool team", "They would get embarrassed by the school teams". We actually play all the area schools. And we beat most of them. But homeschool teams do not get the elite players to stay. A kid(HS Junior I think) named Tayson Parker was dunking in 8th grade. He moved on to play where scouts would watch him. Blake Griffin actually started out in NCHC before taking his elite skills elsewhere.

Here's a video of Tayson showing out for kids and cameras:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdzAj8ACIo8

He doesn't play homeschool ball anymore and you can see why.

[pczach]

I am truly sorry to hear that. Cancer sucks and I hope he kicks it's ass.

Best,
-Slashy

Thank you for the kind words and well wishes.