Homeschooling why we do it.

 It has been a hot minute around here. I don't always talk about this because there is a lot of negativity around the whole idea around homeschooling. And a lot of the negativity is justified. The unschooling method that people misinterpret and how everyone seems to think that homeschool is just for weird Christian fundamentalists. It makes it a tad bit harder to navigate the homeschool life. I know, from my personal experience, that it isn't for everyone. Also, I get that those posts about homeschool and it being abusive isn't aimed at me. Those posts are in regards to parents who do misuse the system and treat homeschool as a political statement, religious lunacy(these are the same people who do not understand basic biology), neglect hidden in the "unschooling" method. 

I don't feel to yell, NOT ALL HOMESCHOOL! Because those issues need to be addressed and badly. No, my reasons for homeschooling one of my 2 boys is as follows. Because he wasn't getting the adequate assistance he needed for a kid with Autism and learning disabilities. He was being mistreated, and no matter how much I asked what they needed from me, the district would roll their eyes and deny him help. No Paras for him, no extra help, you get the picture. 

It was during Covid lock down that we learned just how behind he is and the struggles. We also learned he learns better by the computer and doing things at his pace than when the teacher was not doing. She openly admitted to not knowing what work to send home for "homework". I said "whatever he didn't finish in class?" She just looked at me like I had 3 heads. I figured this was a woman that had checked out a while ago and she did not want to bother. I would get one story from the classroom assistants and the teacher herself on how my son behaved and then another from the same person during the IEP meeting. 

And usually the reports during the IEP were negative vs the positive ones outside of it on a day to day basis.

He was learning more at home than at school. Where as my youngest learns more at his school than home. We don't feel homeschooling the youngest would benefit him. There is a level of understanding which kid needs what. Not every kid is the same as the other. And you should parent with that same understanding. What works for one, wont necessarily work for both. School was definitely different for each. 

My oldest needed a different kind of education plan and so we started his homeschool journey in 2020. This was after trying to find a specialty school that could understand and do better. None would accept him with his behavioral problems. Schools specifically with autism as a specialty. Then we looked into k-12 and Florida virtual school. Neither has an ESE program and did not have a way to assist with that.

 So we went with homeschool programs outside of it. Non religious. Time4learning is one program we love and education.com . There is also ANTON on the ipad and Duolingo ABC. 

It is not easy to do this. Homeschooling is difficult. There is a lot of work involved with it. But, if this is how he will thrive then this is how it must be. I wish it wasn't, I wish he would have gotten the help he needed. And until he can, we will homeschool.