My kids are 4 and 2. Both will be in preschool this fall. Kaitlynn (4) has been going to preschool for almost 2 years (I started her a little early because she needed the socialization). She's an October B-day so she will be almost 6 when she goes to school.
Anyway, I'm having the age old debate with myself......should I send her to public school? Private school? Or Home school her/them? My husband and I have been discussing this topic profusely as of late.
I just recently had a traveling evangalist tell me "It's the will of God sister, to Home school your kids." I think he was only half joking.....as he and his wife plan to homeschool their 2 sons.
I personally went to public school----it was fine until High school, and then I HATED it!!! I was constantly teased and made fun of because I had long hair and wore a skirt. I had acne, and that did not help.......I'm telling you, it was AWFUL!!! We BEGGED and I mean truly BEGGED my dad to send us to private school!! He did not!!
My pastor's kids are home schooled and they're doing great!
We have another family that the kids go to public school---and these girls are AWFUL!! They are VERY VERY worldly minded with BAD BAD attitudes (of course I believe part of that is from a pretty bad home life--which is slowly improving.)
Private school costs so much that I just am not sure I want to go down that road......and it seems mostly inhabited by the "rich" kids.........
Just would like some other opinions.........
sharon
I'm homeschooling my kids. I went to public schools growing up and didnt really have a problem with them. The school i graduated from was involved in a school shooting the year after i graduated, less than a mile from my home. 5 students and a teacher were killed. Schools are getting so dangerous these days and they don't teach kids the important things. There are more reasons that i won't go into, but public school is just not something i want my kids being raised in. I have said when my kids get to high school age i will let them decide if they want to go to public school or continue homeschooling. But it really just depends on what the schools are like when that time comes.
Financially, private schools are not an option right now. I would only send my kids to a private school if it was an apstolic school that i could observe and know they are doing right (i've heard too many horror stories about bad private schools. many of my friends were first introduced to drugs and bad language and much worse at private schools that they never encountered in a public school)
I have been to public school, private school, and home schooled. All three have pros and cons.
Public school was the best learning environment in my case. I was able to take advance placement classes that counted toward college credits, I had amazing teachers, and good friends. Public school was like any other thing in the world, you can either make it good or bad. I surrounded myself with Christian friends (not necessarily Pentecostal) and we stayed away from the bad influences. The private school was more "worldly" than public school to me. The kids there were perverted and insisted on not being "private school sissies". Home schooling was just not very productive. My mom is a procrastinator, and that's definitely not something you need if you are going to get anywhere in home schooling. I also know a lot of home schooled kids out here ended up having to get GEDs because no college would take their credits, so you have to be careful and make sure you have everything in order, and see if the colleges around you accept home school diplomas.
I guess really it just depends on the quality of the schools in your area, I would go out and research it. And if you're planning to home school you need to be the kind of person who buckles down and gets the work done. There's no wrong answer here, it's more of what's right for you and your children.
Good luck with your choice, and I'll keep you guys in my prayers! :thumbsup2:
Quote from: MirandaLynn on March 07, 2007, 03:05:32 PM
I guess really it just depends on the quality of the schools in your area, I would go out and research it. And if you're planning to home school you need to be the kind of person who buckles down and gets the work done. There's no wrong answer here, it's more of what's right for you and your children.
That right there is the best advice you can get.
THAT is the truth!!
My pastor's wife spends HOURS and Hours each day with her kids each day home schooling. They do their homeschooling directly THROUGH the public school ---on the internet. It is all completely accredited. THAT is VERY important to me!!
2 other girls in my church were home schooled. If they want to go to college, they will have to get a GED because theirs was NOT accredited.
I know this may sound selfish......I am just not sure I WANT to home school them........I honestly just don't know.....thus why I'm seeking some sound advice......
AS far as what my pastor wants......He doesn't care really, but I know he sees the advantages his girls have had with being home-schooled.
As far as being "smart enough" I'm sure I am!! I have 2 Associate degrees (one being in nursing) and have enough credits for a bachelor degree, just haven't had the time to go finish the nursing credits.......
sharon
Personally I think it depends on the school and the child. My kids go to an AWESOME public school. Yes there are things I don't agree with but it is mild. I don't want my boys too sheltered. I want them to know that not everyone believes the way we as a family do--they are going to have to deal with that eventually and I want them to learn to deal with it with grace and understanding.
If things in the school district get out of hand I would find a Christian school for them. Last year I was having some issues with the school and was trying to make this decison....God moved us and now they go to a public school that comes short of encouraging prayer. They legally can't encourage it but they do have a moment of silence every morning that is used for prayer.
I could not homeschool my kids. I don't have the patience. I would if I had to though
Quote from: myhaloisintheshop on March 07, 2007, 03:22:51 PM
I could not homeschool my kids. I don't have the patience. I would if I had to though
That's why we aren't considering it with our kiddos, I just don't have the patience/drive to be a teacher. It's a lot of hard work!
The thought of all that's involved with schooling gives me yet more reasons to not want to have kids. :smirk2:
I went to public school 1st-8th grade and homeschooled in high school through a Christian school here in town.
And I still turned out warped. :ugly:
I don't even have children but I know I wouldn't have the patience for it. *grin*
I LOVED public school. I'll send mine to one (they're fairly good around here) - although I might not if it were my little sister's school. But that's just cause I'm familiar with it.
But I have cousins who are homeschooled and they are good kids .. Smart BUT they have children with some sciences and maths - plus the ACE program is not actually recognized at many universities here.
i can see pros and cons to all 3 choices.
public school
my kids attend, and i personally came through it just fine. yes there were times when kids teased me about my skirts, but i was confident in myself and what i believed. yes there were bad influences, but i had people at church who took time with me and encouraged me spiritually. my parents made sure i was involved in more church activities than school activities... bible quizzing and youth camp were mandatory every year. i actually debated doctrine with a high school math teacher, and a college history professor :teeth:
private school
too costly to send my kids, and none around here teach apostolic doctrine. i know of several people (20+) at my church through the years that sent their kids to private christian schools of another denomination, and i can count on one hand the number of those kids that stayed in church past the age of 18. there are several right now at church who attend private school, and they tend to act superior to kids who are in public school. i personally just don't understand how a parent can send their child to a school that teaches a different doctrine from what is taught at church and home, and not expect that child to end up confused and ultimately leave the church altogether :smirk2: *no offense intended, just my tiny opinion*
home school
great concept, but not for everyone. for 2 of my children i think this would be great, but the other one and i have too much personality conflict for it.... she would learn, but neither of us would enjoy the experience. i know kids that were homeschooled all the way through, and have very successful jobs/careers and a great social life. i also know kids that were homeschooled and have very poor social skills. i also know kids who were homeschooled and ended up in a LOT of remedial classes in college. the key to homeschooling is to be on a schedule just like regular school, seize every opportunity for advanced learning, and socialize (cell groups are great). if you are not very dedicated and disciplined you will be doing your child a disservice by homeschooling. you also have to consider personality and learning style.... some kids need the individual attention, and some need the support of a group; some also just need that break from home. if done properly, there is more cost involved in homeschooling than many people realize also.... it can be almost as much as private school.
Quote from: acjmom on March 07, 2007, 05:47:29 PM
private school
too costly to send my kids, and none around here teach apostolic doctrine. i know of several people (20+) at my church through the years that sent their kids to private christian schools of another denomination, and i can count on one hand the number of those kids that stayed in church past the age of 18. there are several right now at church who attend private school, and they tend to act superior to kids who are in public school. i personally just don't understand how a parent can send their child to a school that teaches a different doctrine from what is taught at church and home, and not expect that child to end up confused and ultimately leave the church altogether :smirk2: *no offense intended, just my tiny opinion*
I agree. All of the private schools I've been exposed to have what they call "Chapel Services" and it's basically a mini church service. And yes, the singing and worship are great, but I would think to a smaller child it would be confusing to see a preacher/teacher saying something that may contradict with what we believe.
I personally I'm pretty sold on home-schooling when the time comes. Private is way to expensive. And I could never allow myself to send my kid to the public school's in this area! My husband and I both went to public school in this area. And we also both dropped out and got GED's :)* lol. They are horrible around here! Aghhh so much I could say about them but I won't rant.
It stinks when public schools are like that. I know the ones in Houston are horrible, but we were lucky and attended one out here on the outskirts of town, and it was great. Do yall live in/near a big city?? I know a lot of times the schools are bad around big cities.
Not really. We do live close to Gary though ;)* lol
My pastor's wife is the most frugal woman I know................she found that her homeschooling (through the public school system as I posted earlier) costs like $5 and they provide the computer to them free!! It is amazing. If I decide to go this route, I will definately consider what my pastor's wife does..........
Funny thing, I was discussing this issue with Kaitlynn's preschool teacher-----she WISHES she was home schooling her own kids!!! She said her husband INSISTS on sending them to public school for the socialization.......but she wishes to home school them..........AMAZING insight to me!!
She said it is sad that my town (she lives in a much smaller town 7 miles up the road) is too CLIQEY (I know that it's not spelled right........). Even the adults are in Cliques!!! It's sooo SAD but true!! I mean for crying out loud, I'm married to the chief of Police and NOBODY talks to me!! weird!!
Plus, if you tick someone off.........they NEVER forgive or forget...........one ex policeman----he got demoted to another city dept.--- his wife actually SNEERS in my FACE!!! It is AWFUL. I just smile and be polite (I'm not gonna teach my kids to be ugly). Anyway, the people this guy is related to....one is a public school teacher and this town, and I'm kind of afraid she'll make trouble for my kids (because they would go to the school she teaches at....)
sharon
Quote from: acjmom on March 07, 2007, 05:47:29 PM
private school
too costly to send my kids, and none around here teach apostolic doctrine. i know of several people (20+) at my church through the years that sent their kids to private christian schools of another denomination, and i can count on one hand the number of those kids that stayed in church past the age of 18. there are several right now at church who attend private school, and they tend to act superior to kids who are in public school. i personally just don't understand how a parent can send their child to a school that teaches a different doctrine from what is taught at church and home, and not expect that child to end up confused and ultimately leave the church altogether :smirk2: *no offense intended, just my tiny opinion*
I agree about the cost thing, but I don't agree that it takes kids out of church. Of the 5 UPC students that went to my private, Trinitarian school, 4 of us are still in church and we're all VERY involved with ministry - only one left the church - but that was over other issues - I don't think that the school had anything to do with it!!
Every kid is different, every school is different, it's hard to make generalisations because what is good for one would be TOTALLY wrong for another. For me, I'm GLAD that I went to a private Christian school. I think I have a greater "awareness" of what other people believe because of it - not that that changes ME - it just makes me more understanding!!
I have no idea what we will do with our kids when we have them... I think I could home school if I wanted to... but I don't know if I want to or not...
Personally, I think that sometimes public schools are as good or better than private schools... My husband went to a selective school - academically it has been the best school in my STATE for 20 years or something... and he had a great experience there!! And all his school friends are now lawyers, doctors, etc...
Hey, Sharon there's one point you made that indicates you maybe haven't found all the options yet with homeschooling (and several others agreed). Getting a GED isn't the only option for college-bound homeschool students. I was homeschooled K-12 and graduated with a diploma given to me by my parents. It wasn't through any accredited school as we've always 'done our own thing' with curriculum, but it is completely legal and is recognized by the government. Most colleges I've taken classes through and/or checked into (both online and in person) only require that you pass their entrance exams to be admitted into a degree program, anyway. *shrug* The other really nice thing about being homeschooled in high school was that I was able to take college classes as a high school student and gain some credits in advance! It was great! :thumbsup2:
For what my vote is worth... ;)...I'm extremely thankful my parents invested so much time and energy into my education and future, and I plan to homeschool if I ever have children.
But I also know that homeschooling isn't for everyone. If parents don't have the discipline to guard 'school time' or don't put the time needed into planning and/or checking the child's work, I feel very sorry for the child. I know a young man that's around....21?...was supposedly homeschooled most of his life, and still can't read. :tantrum: That's not real homeschooling. I also know of parents that wouldn't be able to teach their child because of their relationship with the him or her.
Just keep praying about it, Sharon! God will show you the right choice for your little ones. :thumbsup2:
That's my :twocents:
:beret:
My mom is going through the same thing...sorta!
My little brother and sister have been in a private school the last 5 years. now my pastors wife is physically not able to run the school and no one else at the time has the certifications to do so. so mom is trying to decide to homeschool or to send them to public schools. I HATE public schools around here. They are so cliquey and if you dont have the right name/clothes,etc youre not worth anything. So shes pretty much decided to homeschool them...
Ryan and I have decided to homeschool Emma when the time comes. I dont want her in the perverse, wicked world of public schools around here. Private school would be fine if we could find a good one, but as of now, our church school is the only one, and will be no more as of May soooo......
Sharon, Just keep praying! God will let you know what is best!
My OLD town (40 miles away) had an AWESOME Holiness school......called Christian Heights! The girls HAD to wear dresses........isn't that cool? I wish wish wish we had a good one here....... The Holiness school I'm talking about was basically assosciated with the church of God Holiness..........sad to say a dying breed! Anyway, I WISHED a MILLION times I could have gone there!!!!
sharon
my brother and sister are also 16 n 14 so it would be very different for them, where if you send them to public school from Kindergarten they are used to it.....
Quote from: Jennie-lynnie on March 07, 2007, 06:38:56 PM
Not really. We do live close to Gary though ;)* lol
Ok, I take offense to that statement. I live closer to Gary than you do and we have one of the best public school systems in the state right here in Valparaiso. Our elementary school (1 block from our house) has the highest test scores in the area.
I have to say, I went to Catholic school for Kindergarten, public school for 1st-10th and christian school for 11th-12th. When I came into the christian school (through our church) I tested completely out of high school work. I still did coursework for 11th and 12th grade but it was "college level" work. I think that's baloney. I was only a Jr in HS, in honors but not AP classes in public school. THAT right there tells me that I was getting a better education in public school. Plus, the christian school that I went to, you only had to complete through 9th grade level to graduate!! That is ridiculous!!! Also, the christian schools did NOTHING to help me get ready for college. I dual enrolled my Jr year (took Latin and higher Maths in public school) and my guidance counselor at public school helped me with SATs and college prep.
On the being made fun of... I was the ONLY apostolic/holiness girl in my entire school (over 5000 students) and I was never made fun of for it. I was friends with people from all different "groups". I was very involved in school programs as well as church programs. I was a witness and gave countless bible studies. I can't even begin to tell you how many people are in church today because of the work that I did in the public schools in Richmond. The only reason I switched to christian school was because I was tired of being the outcast AT CHURCH. I was the only church kid who went to public school and was therefore left out of a lot of church/youth functions because of it. Even my little brother went to the christian school. I chose to stay in public school until 11th grade though. Not a day goes by that I don't wish I would have just stayed in public school. I feel like I sold out my education for some church socialization which shouldn't have been so.
Oh and about the backsliding... our church has had a school for 20 years now. I have seen VERY few people brought into the church through the school. I have seen MANY MANY kids from the christian school fall out of church. Just in thinking of the kids I went to high school with for those 2 years, I would have to say that more than half of them have backslidden. I'm thinking now and I can count only 6-7 out of 30+ who are still/again in church. I think my brother might be the only one in his class who is still in church.
I have no experience with home schooling so I won't even talk about that. I just know that I want my children to have the best opportunities and I don't think staying at home with mommy is giving them that. I also do not have the patience to do so.
All of this is just my opinion... not out to hurt anyone's feelings or anything like that.
Oh, one last thing:
Quote from: Chseeads on March 07, 2007, 03:49:47 PM
And I still turned out warped. :ugly:
I don't think any school could have done anything to deter you from becoming warped.
lol. That could have been taken wrong. I didn't mean that had anything to do with the school systems. That was just the only "big" city I could think of around here. lol. Sorry if that sounded wrong.
Quote from: MirandaLynn on March 07, 2007, 06:32:49 PM
It stinks when public schools are like that. I know the ones in Houston are horrible, but we were lucky and attended one out here on the outskirts of town, and it was great. Do yall live in/near a big city?? I know a lot of times the schools are bad around big cities.
That was the only big city I could think of to answer that question ^ lol
I think home-schooling is going to be difficult. But I'm sure it will be worth it too! :)*
I'm hoping to put Janessa into Christian School in September. I don't like the public school system here.
i'm reading a lot about public schools being "clique-ish".... isn't that how everything is?! :smirk: there are cliques at work, in the mall, at church, and at any school. my mom taught me not to be one of those people. i was friends with druggies, art freaks, nerds, cheerleaders, jocks, military brats, you name it.... i had TONS of friends. i was more shunned at church than in public school. unfortunately growing up in my church if you weren't related to the "right" person, or have lots of money, you were looked down on and frequently not included. nobody at school ever teased me for not wearing "Keds" :smirk: fortunately that has changed a LOT since then, but there are still some small "elite" groups. one of the absolute worst cliques i've ever run into was when i worked at the courthouse as a college student. it was like all the women in the office i worked in had some sort of secret club going on..... they ridiculed me about my skirts, not wearing make-up, not cutting my hair, and anything else they could come up with... there was an instance where a girl's cat had kittens, and the mother cat got hit by a car. she was afraid the kittens wouldn't survive cuz they were only a week old, so i mentioned that my s-i-l (who we lived with at the time) had a cat still nursing her kittens and maybe she would take them. well she took them and one of the girl from work's kittens died. i was hailed as the "cat killer" from then on. i even went back up there a couple years later to look up a file on someone, and a lady that remembered me said "you haven't killed any more cats have you?!" :roll:
anyway.... just don't let cliques sway you in one direction or another cuz i assure you, they're everywhere ;)
Quote from: acjmom on March 08, 2007, 02:10:08 PM
i was more shunned at church than in public school. unfortunately growing up in my church if you weren't related to the "right" person, or have lots of money, you were looked down on and frequently not included.
I've experienced a lot of that in Houston churches. If you don't have money or the right last name, it's a lot harder to "fit in". Not everyone is like that, but I think the ones that do behave that way are so vocal and obvious that it seems like everyone has that opinion. It's really sad b/c I've seen a lot of people backslide, or new comers end up leaving because of the rejection. :smirk2:
Quote from: acjmom on March 08, 2007, 02:10:08 PM
anyway.... just don't let cliques sway you in one direction or another cuz i assure you, they're everywhere ;)
Unfortunately, you're right. It's just something in life we all have to deal with at one time or another.
I remember when we would go to camp in the summer, you always knew which kids came from a few certain churches because they were so, well, snotty. One particular church especially. it seemed like every young person in taht church was rich and wanted everyone else to know it. You could almost hear a groan coming form all the "normal" people when their bus would pull up every year. And then there were the kids that didn't think they were anything unless they could get in with that group. You have to make friends with someone from that church or you just aren't anybody :roll:
I never experienced that as much at public school, but it was the same every single year at church camp.
Well, for now BOTH girls will be going to Preschool this fall.
Kaitlynn will be Pre-K from 9-12 MWF
Hannah will be Preschool form 9-11 T/TH
Kaitlynn is Handling herself VERY well. I am trying to teach her what is right without her condemning others (it's kind of hard concept for a 4 year old.) Anyway, At christmas time, the teacher bought all the girls a play Necklace set, and when I got to school to pick Kaitlynn up, Miss charity told me that Kaitlynn had politely told her that she could Not wear the necklace, but that she could play with it. I indeed told her that she could keep it and play with it at home (she likes to hang them on doorknobs!! LOL). I KNOW that Miss charity has noticed that Kaitlynn ALWAYS has a dress on, but she hasn't asked me about it or anything.......Kaitlynn tells me all the time....."Mommy, I'm an Apostolic girl" and the other girls aren't......and that's it..........she plays with all the girls and gets along with everyone! I want it to be that way ALLLLLL through school!!
sharon
I got soooo many questions at school about how I dressed and what I believe. I want my boys to have a foundation strong enough that they can face those questions and stand for what they believe with pride.
That is one reason I am for public schooling--its a great witnessing tool. I don't mean when they are in high school either. I had kids asking questions when I was in elementary school. I witnessed to 2 teachers in middle school.
yes! Andrew is 8 and you all may be sick of hearing it but when Andrew got baptized last fall, he told all kinds of people at school. There's no doubt that somebody noticed how he just beamed with joy. And other kids have brought up stuff like trinity with him and he has had scriptures to tell them. Now, Andrew is not very assertive with strangers so it takes having friendships for him to open himself up. I don't know that he would ever learn that and have those experiences if I home schooled him because the kids he would be friends with would be church kids.
It does all depend on your circumstances. We just have to be careful that while we are trying to "keep" them, we don't keep them weak. Which in some cases is completely irrelevant.
If you remember, last year I started a thread like this. You know what it came down to? Seeking God and asking HIM what we needed to do. I could've pro'ed and con'ed all day about each type but it comes down to: have you asked God what He thinks? and what was His answer? We can't see 5 years down the road, but He can.
Basically, tonight after church, God opened up a small space of time and I addressed this Particular concern of mine with our pastor. He told me that he knows EXACTLY how we feel...........and WILL definately be in MUCH prayer with us as we make a decision over the next year!! He said that they struggle a LOT with doing the Home schooling stuff, and that some days for him and his wife are AWFUL......he wasn't trying to dissuade me or persuade us not to....just wants us to do what's right for OUR own kids!!
sharon
that is great Sharon!