Great!!! Stick to that plan and you will be well rewarded.
What sort of problems did you run into,
Absolutly NONE. And that is the truth. We started in the public schools, then tried private. Came across a program that was designed for homeschooling that ANYONE can do and gave it a try. Both my children were scoring post-high school on the standardized tests the public schools give every year by the time they were in the 8th grade. Not because we're such great teachers, not even teachers, it was just a good program. Look it up on the internet it's called, Accelerated Christian Education (ACE). It is non-denominational, the only "religion" they learn is bible verse memorization.
I know alot of homeschool parents who try to use programs such as ABECCA and have alot of trouble. The problem with these programs are they were designed for a classroom situation, not homeschool. Think about it. In a class room setting you have children who are all basically on the same level in each subject. In the homeschool situation (unless you have twins) each child is going to be at a different level. So if you have 2 kids you would have to teach 2 Math classes a day, 2 English so on. That is very diffuclut. The ACE program was designed that there is almost no TEACHING involved. It is a program that has ALL the teaching in the work books for the children to LEARN themselves.
and are there any groups you recommend?
We did not join any groups. Our children spent their time with us (we are self employed, so when school was done they then worked with their dad and I, and I mean actually worked to the amount of their capabilites) Our school day ran from 8:00 till 11:00, see the amount of time wasted in the school system. When work was done we then did our recreation time together also, usually involved horses:) We never tried to shelter them from the bad nasty world but was always there with them dealing with it ourselves so they could learn how themselves. Such as rodeo's. You get a good mix of the bad side of humans at rodeo's, drunks, druggies, fighters, etc. but they saw how we handled these situations so learned first hand. I think it is wrong to over shelter, they have to learn to deal with it but ALWAYS with mom and dad there with them, not just some support group.
(I know we have a little time - or at least that "homeschooling" is the only option for a couple years.)
ACE has preschool programs that give a head start on reading and so on. They have audio and video's to help with reading, and also algrebra:)
Any way we loved it, and it made our family very close, my kids are both married now, they both bought their own homes BEFORE they married but we are all still each others best friends because we were their parents first. My son is pretty much running the business now, which is why Big Mack has so much time to talk to you guys, my daughter went on to cosmotology school and is working at SuperCuts and loves it.
Don't let anyone tell you that they will be socially inept. They don't learn to be social from other kids but from you and they will be happy.
Becky
SD