By family, I guess I mean parents and ILs.

My FIL thinks I'm stupid for even considering homeschooling. Gee, tell me how you really feel, lol!! His reasons is that he always votes yes for the school levies, therefore his tax dollars will be going to waste since his grandkid won't be in public school. (His kids went to Catholic school, how funny is that?!)

Hating myself for caring about other people's opinions-

Amy

Yes, and no.

My mother and grandmother were opposed to the idea originally because I wouldn't get enough time away from the children. Not worried about the children but they were worried about the mommy sanity factor. After I gave them my reasons and we discussed their reasons and why I did not weight them very high they were able to look at the situation with an open mind. After which they came back in agreement with me. The reality is that ds would not do well in a traditional school setting. Once they were able to get past their baggage on the subject they were able to realize just that.

My dad is the listen 'till you have all the information and then make a decision. He was supportive when he finally made the decision.

My IL's. Well, let's just say I haven't asked how they feel about it. MIL and I don't see eye to eye about anything. She sees me as some woman with off the wall ideas and is sorry she ever suggested to her ds that he marry me or someone like me :p. She was a kindergarden teacher locally for 30 years. At first she took it personally that I would not be sending ds to K. But hopefully now that that time has passed she is no longer taking it personally. We don't talk. Not like "don't talk" but don't communicate information with each other. When my grandma was alive she would relay what was going on in mil's head to me. Dh, knows better. Let's just say that mil believes that all women should go back to work immediatly and all children should be in full time day care from the time they are 3 months old. Money is the only important thing to her, and next up is showing off how much you have while hording as much of it as you can. It is not pretty to witness imho. Needless to say as far as she is concerned I should work full time so I can pay to send my children to the local Catholic school. :snort: Not likely.

My FIL. I have no idea. I few years ago I would have known but his mental health is not all that great these days. Now I only find out about his feelings on things when he is freaking out and getting in someones face about it. Not homeschooling it but anything.

I really think that all three men in my life (dh, ddad, and fil) most likely feel the same way as my dh does at this point. Dh is at the point where he agrees that this is the best way to raise ds. That forceing most boys to fit a specific mold before they are ready is only determental to their long term educational process. Boys are ment to be out climbing trees, swimming, discovering, running and playing. Forceing them to sit in a classroom to read and write before they are ready to do so is doing them a great disserevice. Honoring that each child is ready for those activities at a different time is the best way to help that individual.

Most of my family, my parents and grandparents are very supportive. I have an aunt who thinks that kids should just be in school because, well just because they should...lol!

My IL's have lots of questions about it, and obviously don't agree. They don't understand it and when I've offered to send them some information to help them understand how I came to this decision, my FIL said "don't bother, I won't read it" to which I replied..."don't ask me any more questions then, because I won't bother to answer them." I'm losing more and more patience for this man as time goes on. My SIL thinks she knows everything and will argue about anything, so I won't even discuss it with her anymore.

Luckily I have lots of IRL support through friends and don't let my IL's ignorance bother me :)

We started the school year last year as homeschoolers....much to my mother's dismay. My mother protested loudly. The rest of mine and DH's family just sort of went with it. They are pretty cool about knowing that we only do what we think is best for our kids. I was really excited about it and so was DS and DH. Well, then I found out I was pregnant....I vomited day and night for 26 weeks (lost 25 pounds, in the hospital twice for dehydration). Anyway, we ended up putting DS in public school for 1st grade, because I wasn't able to accomplish anything at home. Well, my mother acted like she had "won"....and it really pi$$ed me off. In fact, I knew that she would act like she had "won", so she was the last person to find out ( he was in school for 1 week before she found out).

I love my mother, but she has been the least supportive of all of my choices. My DS is her first grandchild, she was there for the birth and the nurse handed him to me to nurse him when he was 20 minutes old, she said "you're doing what?" "You can afford formula, why do you want to breastfeed?" Now that she is educated (by me) and has 6 breastfed grandchildren (my brother has 2) she is a HUGE breastfeeding advocate. I think the same would go for homeschooling, had I been able to prove to her with a successful homeschooling year, that I could do it.

edited for typos

My mother was against it until my brother got custody of his kids and she started going to all their teacher conferences at school (very good local school). She was very dismayed at the level of education, class size, and lack of parent involvement (she volunteered in our classrooms when we were kids). I also gave her reading material. Now she is all for it. She even agreed to continue homeschooling them if something were to happen to dh and I.

My SILs are all for it, just based on the social aspect at schools. One of my SILs was sceptical until her dh started coaching high school football and she attended the games. Just based on what the girls were wearing changed her mind on our homeschooling.

My sister homeschools and my brother told his kids if they ever want to homeschool, they will pull them out of school, so I think I converted the whole family.

:joker: my father reported me to CPS and stood at my ex's side in court while he tried to get custody.... He thinks I can't possibly teach my kids cuz I ain't got no edukation :rolleyes: :p He also thought that I was a horrible parent for not having cable... since there is sooo much educational programming.

My IL's on the other hand are all for it. They homeschooled thier two kids and would think me stupid for putting them in PS.

My parents are for it because they homeschooled me after realizing they couldn't do anything to help "fix" the public school system (this is after my dad tried to get on the school board). My in-laws say nothing, my Grandmas, well one approves, the other does not which I never knew as a kid. I don't really care what anyone thinks. I do what is best for us, and if someone has a problem, unless it is a good point, I don't listen to them.

Usually they come around. SO hang in there, don't worry about what they think and let your kids be themselves.

I'm not sure what my mil thinks, she's never said anything. My one sil is a computer teacher and she thinks i'm crazy as does dh's youngest sister. She told me that you can't keep your children sheltered forever :( My moms brother homeschooled his daughter and he and his wife are completely supportive and full of help if we want it (LOL) My mom is a retired teacher of 30 years. I didn't think she would like it b/c she wasn't really supportive of her brother but she has been to me. She has offered advice, when i wanted it, and has even given me some of her old materials to use if i can.

My mil is awsome! :D She finds us all kinds of workbooks and reading books and even some other stuff if I ask for it specifically and she can find it :D I'm loving her more and more as I'm coming to realize some things about her and about myself.

My fil thinks it's awsome too. He hates public school. There's kind of a torrid story there so I'll just leave it there.

My dad doesn't say much one way or the other. I've never asked him outright but if I did I'd know. I think once I'm more secure in the decision myself I will.

My mom.....well....you'd think she would support me because she really wanted to hs my sister and almost did, but no. I think she thinks it's a personal affront to her, like I'm attacking her dream or life's work or something (she teaches jr high english/history).

However, if I need a weird supply I know she can find that I can't she will get it for the girls for thier birthday or something.

So...:confused:

I try very hard not to care too much but I can't help it. I just love the world and want everyone to be happy.

*sigh*
jessica

Yes, for the most part they have been.... on both sides, mine as well as my husband's. They don't "get it" sometimes, and ask questions (his side) about SOCIALIZATION (arrgh) only, for their concern.

And actually it didn't/doesn't matter to us if we have their support or not. We're very independent people.

~ Becca

this will be our first year hs'ing & all families have been supportive up front. But who knows what goes on behind the scenes .. LOL ;)

My mom, mil, and cousins are very supportive. My brothers and sisters.....well, let's just say we had a GIANT blowout in Feb and haven't talked since. It still breaks my heart. :wah: I really wish my family supported my decision. Apparently, it's ok for me to hs Devin, because they feel that his issues are too much for the ps to take on. But since Logan is "normal" (don't even get me going there) then I'm abusing him by not letting him attend school. Also - their issue seems to be sports/socialization related.

It's funny, because I really don't judge the decisions in life they have made, but because I'm the baby (by quite a few years - I'm 9 years younger than my youngest sibling) they all feel they know more about what is right for my family than I do.

Sorry, mama. Just perservere. I for one am very thankful I made the decisions that I have and am glad I didn't let them bully me into changing my mind.

Originally posted by Thmom
:joker: my father reported me to CPS and stood at my ex's side in court while he tried to get custody.... He thinks I can't possibly teach my kids cuz I ain't got no edukation :rolleyes: :p

Whoa, Nelly! That's the height of unsupportive! My mom's denial is merely annoying....

Mom is a Professor in the Edu-ma-cation Department at Appalachian State University. [Insert your own Snuffey Smith/ Deliverance jokes here. ] At the moment, she's just doesn't discuss it. Not big on confrontation, that woman. We all know how she feels when she doesn't talk about the OBVIOUS. She went into silent mode when I told her (didn't speak to me at all for 2 weeks), and now she just doesn't discuss it when we *do* talk.

Dad (they're divorced since I was 2) is totally supportive, as is his fiance. Most of the families with young children at Dad's work (Ludwig Von Mises Institute) apparently homeschool. Who'd have thought a free-market think tank would be chock full of homeschoolers? ;)

In-laws are not unsupportive. Haven't figured out exactly what they think. Basically, it's probably what they said about everything else: "Christy, you don't do anything the way I did it or would do it, but you are a good mother." They are so nice about things, even if they aren't sure what we're thinking!

Honestly, I'm very grateful that we have the level of support we have. Especially after hearing about all the grandparents who call protective services. This isn't the first time I've heard of it. I wouldn't say mom will never do that, but she hasn't yet. :rolleyes:

The only real support I've ever gotten... in over 6 years.. is from God and my husband. It has taken me almost 4 years to realize that *that* is all the support I need :) Once you attain this type of confidence (it wasn't easy for me because I truly felt the need to justify my reasons for hs'ing) then you no longer feel any pressure to make others see your point of view.

As far as your fil's reason behind taxes/public school.. My smarta** reply would be

"Take a *real* close look at the majority of kids coming out of a public school and you'll see that your tax dollars have been "going to waste" for a long time! " :)

My mom and dad just came to see me today and thier way back home from thier anniversary vacation :D

Apparently my dad's all for it now that I've answered the "socialization" question for him.

All I did was explain how here it's the law that I can use as much (or as little ;) ) of the school's classes and even extracurricular (team sports etc) stuff as I want.

I also told him how I want to find a friendly old folks home and take my girls to visit every week or something. He thought that was the coolest idea and was happy.

Apparently all he needed to know was that I had a plan. :heart:

Man I love him so much!

jessica

My mom is a special education teacher and she wavers between support and sabbotage! lol I don't think she realizes she does this, though. She is VERY supportive of my homeschooling Nathan because she sees kids like him fall through the cracks all the time. Austin, on the other hand, is just a handful. ;) Of course, I do complain about things he does regarding 'school work' - actually, that shoudl be doesn't do. We were at breakfast on vacation and she said something to me about putting Austin back in school this year. I said it wasn't an option... she pushed... I got irritated and said, "It's not an option for our family, and I won't discuss it anymore". But then, she has been wonderful in helping me with curriculum ideas and finding cool educational things for the kids. She did lighten up on the vacation because we went to dinner with my sister and her bestfriend - who had been homeshcooled and was a junior at the Air Force Academy. ;) See... the kids CAN amount to something. Mom asked her about things she did in high school - ummm... she graduated at 15. Then she went on to a couple of colleges before even going to the Air Force Academy. She was telling mom that the best thing was that she learned a love of learning. :)

My Dad doesn't say much at all about it. I think he knows and trusts that what I am doing is best for hte kids - even if he doesn't understand it (or anything I do, for that matter! lol).

My in laws... I know the3y don't approve of anything I do. They were ok wiht it lasyt year because we were using a cyber charter. This year we aren't. And I told them that the shcool disctrict was giving us a hard time about paying for the charter - and they didn't realize that the school disctrict was paying for it. Ummm... that's how public charters work. :D

DH is very supportive - but he would also be very supportive if I thought they needed to be in school. He does most of the history and science with the boys. So he is also helpful, not just supportive. I also have a neighbor who homeschools - and 2 years ago there were 7 homeschooling families on our STREET!

My mom will be here next week while I am in the hospital for a couple of days... and I will have math and LA for Austin both days. I am trying to just get him into the routine of doing at LEAST those two things every single day - so I will need her to make sure he does them while I am gone.