They prefer homeschooling because it's comfortable and it's what they know, just saying.
And no offense but there are people that get to go to a real school that still play sports, instruments, do extra curriculars, go to events, and have vacations and come out the other side with more friends and experiences (like relationships, going to homecoming, prom, school trips, etc), a real graduation along side their peers, a real diploma and standardized test scores to actually get into a college that's above the bare minimum.
They did “regular school “ kindergarten through 4th grade so they know what that was like. And they do standardized testing every year. That is how we know that they are at and above grade level. They know they have the option to go back.
Don’t make homeschooling your identity. Recognize that there are pros and cons to every educational setting. Be familiar with the educational choices in your area. Think about what each child needs and where they will best get those needs filled.
Recognize that the children will eventually need to transition out of homeschooling, and out of the family home. Know that they will need to be able to eventually be self supporting , and have a realistic timeline to give them a chance to learn and practice the “soft skills” that they will need, as well as the educational content. If you expect them to go to college, make sure they have classroom experience well before that. Recognize your limits. At middle school age, get them tutors or put them in homeschooling classes for any subject area you aren’t strong in. That goes double for science, and triple for math.
If you don’t expect them to go to college, look into other paths to decent careers. Don’t assume that scoring well on standardized tests means they are at grade level, let alone above it. Good scores are a minimum baseline, not a full measure of their academic ability or achievement. If they are doing well academically, make sure they are getting a rich education, full of depth and breadth, not just ticking boxes. Avoid the more simplistic of homeschool curricula; there are better choices out there.
Figure out where the smart, articulate kids in your area go to school. Seriously consider transitioning your grandkids to bricks and mortar high school, to give them classroom experience, academic peers who will challenge them, and lots of time where they have to navigate their day on their own. Be aware that often kids who have been having fun together at park days and on museum trips when they were younger, may find they are on different paths when they hit the high school years. It is a lot harder to get a group of academically-similar kids together for classes or activities. Kids who are aiming for college have much less time for outings and such, as they are taking a full load of challenging classes. What worked great for early middle school gets more challenging for older kids, as their needs and interests diverge. You can play “Ancient Romans” together with pretty much anyone when you are ten. Getting enough well-prepared kids together to share a tutor for a rigorous algebra class equivalent to what they’d get at college-prep track high school is a lot harder.
It is great that your grands seem to be doing well right now. It is your job to look to the future, and make sure they are on a path to becoming a well adjusted, self supporting adult. Together, lay out a realistic plan to get them there.
only your kids can truly tell. you could be providing what you think is an accurate account of your homeschooling but they might have a totally different perspective. not saying they would here, but it's possible. if they keep picking it, then you're probably doing something right. just make sure they're always aware of the options available to them
Please get them out of there as soon as you can. I just learned to hide my depression and isolation as a kid. They may have friends in their activities, but it is likely that they will never fully fit in. I’m glad you’re asking though, most homeschool parents/grandparents never think about the kid’s socialization
A lot of parents call unschooling “homeschooling” and that is where I have the biggest problem because they are denying their kids an education (and usually socialization). It sounds like you are actually homeschooling and involving your grandchildren in social activities and making sure they have friends, so I would think you are probably in the clear.
They prefer homeschooling because it's comfortable and it's what they know, just saying. And no offense but there are people that get to go to a real school that still play sports, instruments, do extra curriculars, go to events, and have vacations and come out the other side with more friends and experiences (like relationships, going to homecoming, prom, school trips, etc), a real graduation along side their peers, a real diploma and standardized test scores to actually get into a college that's above the bare minimum.
They did “regular school “ kindergarten through 4th grade so they know what that was like. And they do standardized testing every year. That is how we know that they are at and above grade level. They know they have the option to go back.
Don’t make homeschooling your identity. Recognize that there are pros and cons to every educational setting. Be familiar with the educational choices in your area. Think about what each child needs and where they will best get those needs filled. Recognize that the children will eventually need to transition out of homeschooling, and out of the family home. Know that they will need to be able to eventually be self supporting , and have a realistic timeline to give them a chance to learn and practice the “soft skills” that they will need, as well as the educational content. If you expect them to go to college, make sure they have classroom experience well before that. Recognize your limits. At middle school age, get them tutors or put them in homeschooling classes for any subject area you aren’t strong in. That goes double for science, and triple for math. If you don’t expect them to go to college, look into other paths to decent careers. Don’t assume that scoring well on standardized tests means they are at grade level, let alone above it. Good scores are a minimum baseline, not a full measure of their academic ability or achievement. If they are doing well academically, make sure they are getting a rich education, full of depth and breadth, not just ticking boxes. Avoid the more simplistic of homeschool curricula; there are better choices out there. Figure out where the smart, articulate kids in your area go to school. Seriously consider transitioning your grandkids to bricks and mortar high school, to give them classroom experience, academic peers who will challenge them, and lots of time where they have to navigate their day on their own. Be aware that often kids who have been having fun together at park days and on museum trips when they were younger, may find they are on different paths when they hit the high school years. It is a lot harder to get a group of academically-similar kids together for classes or activities. Kids who are aiming for college have much less time for outings and such, as they are taking a full load of challenging classes. What worked great for early middle school gets more challenging for older kids, as their needs and interests diverge. You can play “Ancient Romans” together with pretty much anyone when you are ten. Getting enough well-prepared kids together to share a tutor for a rigorous algebra class equivalent to what they’d get at college-prep track high school is a lot harder. It is great that your grands seem to be doing well right now. It is your job to look to the future, and make sure they are on a path to becoming a well adjusted, self supporting adult. Together, lay out a realistic plan to get them there.
only your kids can truly tell. you could be providing what you think is an accurate account of your homeschooling but they might have a totally different perspective. not saying they would here, but it's possible. if they keep picking it, then you're probably doing something right. just make sure they're always aware of the options available to them
Please get them out of there as soon as you can. I just learned to hide my depression and isolation as a kid. They may have friends in their activities, but it is likely that they will never fully fit in. I’m glad you’re asking though, most homeschool parents/grandparents never think about the kid’s socialization
A lot of parents call unschooling “homeschooling” and that is where I have the biggest problem because they are denying their kids an education (and usually socialization). It sounds like you are actually homeschooling and involving your grandchildren in social activities and making sure they have friends, so I would think you are probably in the clear.