My children are homeschooled and I do less schooling than I did when they were in public or private schools. They attend a University Model School. You set up the homeschool and classes you want them to take can be taken at the UMS. These are classes taught by retired public school teachers or college professors. They have 15 to 25 children in each class. School is Monday - Thursday 8:30 to 12:30. The children meet for lunch, and have plenty of time for studies and entertainment.
The school does not punish the children, if the children are disrespectful they are sent to the headmaster and the parent is notified to come handle the situation. If they want to go to the bathroom, they get up and go. If it becomes a problem parents handle it. The parent can observe the class if the student is disrespectful, and cannot maintain maturity for classwork. The parent is the school, UMS are the subject teachers.
Parents are responsible for the children, they have to do their duty or find another location for the child to go. My children are doing wonderfully, my nephew tested the waters with the school and I cared enough about him to rein in his rebellious spirit. I observed the class everyday from November thru the end of the year. His crap stopped as well as his influence on some of the other children. Those that wanted to learn appreciated my commitment to my nephew. I’m probably the only one in the family he trust to discuss his future plans now that he’s out of school.
If parents do not encourage participation in the young years, the children are not going to want it in the later years. My children had babysitters maybe 6 to 8 times in their entire life. Any other time they went everywhere with my husband and myself. Yea it took time away from being the frolicsome husband and wife, but now that the girls are going to college and my son is in the 11th grade, I’ll have alot of time for frolic in the future.
Lucky for me, I have a husband that agrees with this accessment. The school system may be bad, but the parents allow it because they then do not have to be the bad guy to ensure correct behavior. Parents have turned over their responsibility to anyone that will take it, and for that their children will be the loser.
Stories:
My children were hanging with a child that did something without discussing it with their parents. The kids couldn’t understand why what she did was not bad, and her only offence was not talking with her parents first. I tried to discuss the matter and emotions started to flair. I just told them to hand me their drivers licence. Dumb founded they protested saying they had done nothing wrong. With that I asked, “Do you think Moses did anything wrong? Why did he walk 40 years around the mountain if he had done nothing wrong?”
Because of his associations with people that were not responsible, he was also punished and with that said I told them that because of their associations I believe that they should see life the way Moses had to.
24 hours later I gave them their license back, but that was 3 years ago and they are alot more protective of their associations. I got my point across.
Any of my childrens friends under my care are as if adopted for the time they are with us. I don’t buy for one in my care if all in my care can’t also receive. I treat every child thru my house as though they are mine. All the kids thru my house know that I care for them and feel secure knowing that I would do anything for them including punishing them if needed.
That’s an interesting model. How do you avoid liberal indoctrination, with all classes taught by college professor types I’d think that’s a concern.
I did a homeschool cooperative when I was a teenager. All our moms got together and taught various things a couple hours on Friday. It was a good way to get some enrichment courses. I liked it. I don’t know if we’d do something similar when we have kids though, my husband and I can teach a lot of subjects ourselves.
I really like the idea of actually teaching my own kids so I’m not likely to delegate as much as you, but it sounds like it works well for you.