Homeschool?

[Tanya]

Hi! I homeschool my two boys. Is there any other tattooed moms that homeschool also?

[Courtney Lou]

Hey Tanya. I too am a homeschool, tattooed mom. My son is 8. We are mainly unschooly although with a bit more direction. It has been difficult to meet up with other like minded homeschoolers in our area. How do you find homeschooling?

[Tanya]

Homeschool is love/ hate for me. I love the time I have with my children an that I get to see the lights go on in there heads when they understand things. I kind of got thrown in to homeschooling. My middle son was a slow learner when it came to reading and fast with math. His teacher kept embarrassing him and making him feel stupid in front of his class, so in turn he started being made fun of. He is the type of child that if you are kind he will work hard and help you in every way he can, but if you push him in a corner he will fight back. I have always taught my children to walk away if at all possible, but never allow anyone to run over you. He kept getting into fights and at his school if you get so many strikes you are kicked out. The school told us that he was going to have to go to alternative school. I did not know very much about alternative school, but I found out pretty quickly that my 11 year old son would not come out of that place any better, but way worse. The school did not separate kids of different ages and so my son was around teenagers that had been sent there for lots of horrible things. My son was getting an education in how to screw up your life. Needless I took him out and quit my job to take care of him. Within a few months my son was reading more than he ever had and the sweet little boy he use to be came back. After I took him out of the school I received a letter in the mail that said we had to appear in juvenile court. I completely freaked out because I did not know what was going on. Come to find out my son pulled away from a cop at the school and the cop filed charges. When we went to the judge he told us to take my son to a psychologist to see if he had any learning disabilities. The psychologist recommended that we put him on medication so that he would behave in school. That sent anger through my heart! You should not have to dope a kid up to make him learn. I also kept telling the people that he was a totally different child when he was home. The person they were seeing was not the one I was seeing. So, I decided to keep homeschooling and a month later I took my other son of because the teacher was telling him that if you saw the word daddy but you called it father that was ok. Uhhh HELLO!!! No that is not ok!!!

Now I am so glad that I have been able to be with my kids! The only thing is that I lost everything that I had worked so hard to achieve. I had dropped out of school at the age of 16 because I was pregnant. After my husband and I had our second child I decided to go back and get my GED. I receive my GED and started college. I had my last child in 2000 and I graduated college in 2001. I managed to get an AAS degree in Computer Network Support Technology and in Graphic Design. I also graduated with honors! It is hard to grasp that I killed my self to become something more than a statistic and then I end up sitting at home. I have overcome most of it and I have started my own Photography business.

Right now we are kind of testing different types of learning styles to learn what suites my children best. I am so sorry that I wrote you guys a book.

[Courtney Lou]

Our homeschooling journey started with trouble in school as well. My son was in a charter school for kindergarten and 2/3 of first grade. I loved the school and his teacher, it just did not work for him. Everyday was a heartbreak. I took him out and within a couple of months he was back to the happy, positive child he had been pre-kindergarten. I ended up leaving my senior yr of college when I took him out of school and am reassessing what I want for myself and my son. It has been an earth shaking life change but I wouldn't go back for the world. School works for some kids and not others, just like everything else. We all have to do what is best for ourselves and not feel obligated to travel the well worn path.

[Tanya]

Thank you. I never really thought of it that way.

[Butterfly_Tattoo_Artist]

Hi I've got a 4 year old getting ready for kindergarden. What system do you use?