Thank you for your encouragement. I am so excited to do it and I know in my heart it will be the right thing. It especially hurts to have my own family act like I am abusing my children for doing this, however. Just today we told my husbands parents that we had decided to hs this year for sure. They shook their heads and said what a shame that we are 'making them miss out on so much at school, it was a big mistake and we better reconsider before it's too late." They think I'm ruining their lives. I know they are just ignorant of the facts since when I offer to let them read my stacks of books and articles and even go through the curriculum that I have painstakingly researched and put together they just wave me away. Kids belong in school and I am cruel for not putting them there with their 'friends'. I guess time will tell.
We faced much of the same thing...when we started to HS. My sister-in-law and her husband are both PS teachers...My brother-in-law's wife is a PS teacher also....They were never too vocal to us about our decision to HS...But, at family functions I could tell they were watching our children closely......
In the beginning we strived to build a solid foundation for our kids to stand on. We stressed the importance of reading with understanding. Our kids have become avid readers...and now are mostly self learners...We just "rig the rigging" and they sail the ships.
Once again I will say..."Stick to your guns"....You have been given a very important commission to raise your children. We , of course very naturally, questioned ourselves along the way...but we always, always, always had some sort of confirmation that we were/are doing the right thing. It's been and continues to be the very best thing we have done as parents.
Best FRegards,