Let us know how old was your child when you first decided to homeschool. If you didn't homeschool your first child, answer for the first child that you did homeschool.

This  is a tricky question.  We definately discussed the option before he was born, but it wasn't until just recently that we decided to homeschool.  He's 3.

This is a little tricky for me (and those who have multiple aged children)

We decided to homeschool our twin sons at the beginning of 2nd grade.

But we have already decided to homeschool my 3 year old daughter
before she was 2 years old and even ready for typical school.....

So, I need 2 polls  

Hi Lisa, yes these polls are tricky things to figure out how to ask the right question in the right way. Above, I opted for asking for the "answer for the first child that you did homeschool."

lol! I understand.
It's still a little tricky then for me with twins.
Even though we took them both out of public
school the same day, we had actually considered
homeschooling Jeremiah a few months earlier than
Jackson, because of some issues that kept
occurring.

I feel that Jenna, our daughter, is very lucky,
because we have worked on getting all the 'kinks'
out of this change in lifestyle, and now feel more
confidant in our decisions and choices.

I know our sons have benefitted and learned some
important things about what they have experienced
in their educational journey, but I think it would have
been easier on everyone had we already known what
direction their education would have taken before they
even were school aged.

But I suppose it's a wonderful journey either way.  

For us it was when our oldest was 10 years old, although we thought about it for much longer, but afraid to jump in so to speak.
she is now 13.

Our other children, well why would we not? Which leads me to Oh Gosh ,I let my oldest go to Public School! What were we thinking?

Happy Birthday Jenna!

Quoted from Pandora, posted March 6, 2007, 3:50pm at here

Our other children, well why would we not? Which leads me to Oh Gosh ,I let my oldest go to Public School! What were we thinking?
Happy Birthday Jenna!

Stacey, Life is such a journey, isn't it?

Thank you for the Jenna Birthday Wishes, too.
That's very sweet of you  

I recently decided to begin homeschooling Kylie, who is 3.  After I try this with her for a bit, I am going to see about pulling Robert, 6 out of school.  Diego, 10 months will be homeschooled.  

I knew I wanted to homeschool already while my children were still in PreSchool and so I pursued and graduated with a Degree in Early Childhood by the time they were 4 so I could open a childcare business and homeschool them, too, which was a way I could also support us (because their biological father wasn't helping) but their biological father said no, after all that. That is his right and if we weren't unified, I couldn't do it.

So, I then pursued a Degree in Elementary Education so I could at least teach within the school system that they would be attending. By the time I was done with that, he had changed his mind, I had remarried and when they were done with 2nd grade, we stopped public schooling. God gave me my forgotten dream, because he remembered even after I had let it go.

Now they are in 4th grade (sort of) and I have a goal to at least do this through 5th grade, but would really like to continue.

My older son, now 26, went to ps. That experience was so utterly horrible that hsing these younger ones was a no-brainer. I don't think I'd really heard of homeschooling when my older ds was young.

Diane

11, 9, 6 and 3.  We had our 3 daughters in PS in AZ but when we moved here we decided that Albuquerque could not offer us the same experience we had back there.  Homeschooling has been a great option for us and our kids are thriving!

This is kind of a tricky question for me,too.  I heard of homeschool for years, because my best friend was homeschooling her son who was well on his way thru grade school before my boys came along.  As soon as Jesse was born, she started inviting me to the homeschool confernces, which I loved and still do.

But, it wasn't until the rubber was going to met the road, (when Jesse would enter 1st grade), that I finially made my decision.  I suppose the decision really is a no brainer no that I'm doing it.  I think for me it was about like trying to decide to jump off a cliff.  You know, fear of the thing is worse that the thing itself.

So, any way, Jesse 7, is homeschooling and Micah 6, will start next year.  This year he is in a Christian kindergarten and loving it.

My oldest is still in PS and we decided to let him finish 1 month left.  He will be HS'ed for the "3rd".  He will be 8 in June.  I think he will be more challenged at home and gain some self-esteem back (the teachers at PS have been mean).  My little ones will not go to PS.

My oldest went to Private then PS.  Private woefully inadequate and PS tolerable but got worse.  We Homeschooled after 5th grade for both children.  (What was I thinking!)  My youngest (now 14) was fed up with PS.  Both never wanted to return to PS and say when they become parents they want to homeschool.  My oldest is homeschool graduate attending UNM  and is doing great. I wish I had homeschooled them from the beginning but I just did not know.  Both kids never wanted to return to PS for highschool and feel they are not missing a thing.  Oh, and when people ask you about socialization, my husband's reply is, "yes since we took them out of PS haven't had a problem with socialization.  I can say I really enjoy my teenagers.

We have a 10, 7, and 2 yo. I have been thinking about this since my first was born. We decided to put them in PS and they have done okay for the most part. Recently however we have decided that HS would better help them succeed and thrive in all areas of their life. So they are finishing out their 1st and 4th grade by homeschool. I am taking it day by day and do not know how long we will continue. My goal right now is through mid-school.

Well, unfortuately I did not homeschool my nineteen-year-old who attends UNM.
My two  younger children attended grades: K and 2nd in public school when I quit teaching to homeschool with them.  This is year four!  The olly regret I have is that they ever attended public school.  I admired homeschoolers and was aquainted with several before we began homeschooling.

As some of you know I wanted to homeschool my son from the time he was born. It wasn't until kindergarten was about to start that I managed to persuade his daddy that this was a good idea. I answered kindergarten.

I homeschooled my now 29 yr old for a year or two, but it was tough in CA in 1985. Not a lot of networking and she was even told 'your mom will go to jail' by a complete stranger. I didn't have a clue of how to homeschool her well. We then did private school, and I went to work there. That lasted 13 yrs, My middle child (now 23) was always in a private or alternative school.  . We tried p.s for the son at age 11, and that was a mistake. He was 'gifted' (i.e. he could think) and even in that class, he was bored. Wound up in the principal's office in the first few days. That lasted about 3 weeks before I woke up. Both are very intelligent and caring people, and although we had our times, all turned out fine.

I feel that my options are limited with Ben, now 6, and there are so many more resources, and I am so much more relaxed about it...except for my 'panic' moments. But I knew we would homeschool him from the get-go. No p.s. or private school (and I looked in my panic moments) would understand him and be able to keep his uniqueness. Sorry, I sound a bit soap-boxy. But we have fun and he is learning, both of which are what I want.

My daughter was the first to start homeschooling and she was 10 years old/4th grade at the time. Six months later my 14 year old son/9th grade joined us. My five year old has been homeschooled since he was two and is doing so great.

I always wanted to home school my son.  I started with him when he was very young, pre-k age.  I sent him to elementary because I was single for a while.  Now that I have the chance, we started homeschooling in the third grade.  

I was home-schooled 4th grade through high school. (wow, I graduated from home-high school 15 years ago!) My parents pulled my sisters and myself all out at the same time. My older sister was starting 6th grade, my younger was starting 3rd. We all went on to get college degrees. My parents got a lot of negative during that time, but persevered, trying to figure out everything as they went, feeling certain it was the right thing to do. They had almost no money and really pieced curriculum together.

For me, I always knew I'd give the same opportunity to my kids! My husband, when I met him, was in full agreement with this. He hated PS and felt he didn't learn much at all there, but taught himself everything. He had teachers who said he'd never make it. Thank Goodness, his parents always supported him and not his teachers! He was one of few from his class who went on to get a PhD.

So now I'm enjoying teaching my own little thinker.  

we just started this year my son is 10, my daughter 8.  Both my husband and I knew we would never do APS, so we did private catholic school.  The first school we attended started out okay, but turned out badly.  The second, was a fine school but we felt somethings were just not what they could be .  My kids (both normal, no special needs, no excessive behaviors)  were so hum drum about school it made me sad.  There were many a day where they would say why can't we just stay with you?  You could teach us.  This wasn't even a possibility in my mind!  Then we just by coincidence started talking to other families who homeschooled and our personal circumstances changed (we got pregnant again!)  We started talking about it seriously for our family and realized maybe it was the right fit for us.  With mutual agreement between the 4 of us be decided to take a leap of faith, so here we go...and the journey has begun.  

When my daughter was around one, I've always thought that I can't homeschool her especially if I have more children later.  I always wondered how other moms or dads homeschooled their kids and that it would be crazy. But little did I know, when she was about 3, I sent her to a preschool class twice a week, to make long story short, after  about two months, I realized that homeschooling her would be the best choice I could make for her and the family.  After that I would not even considered sending her to public school, not now. Not at this young age.  Now into our second year of homeschooling and having a 1.5 little girl running around, is the best decision my husband and I made for the girls.  We will continue this as long as we are able to do.  It has been a great learning experience for her and for me too!  I feel like I"m learning with her throughout this whole process! She loves homeschooling and she loves going to the park and having field trips and taking homeschool classes all over the places! The journey can be scary but the results you can't compare.

Started homeschooling in the middle of 5th grade, age 11.