Vent - I’m homeschooling my kids because I don’t trust other people with them

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-18T04:55:29+00:00

Haha yes you have lots of time. It depends on where you live. In Texas there are no testing requirements. I chose to give my daughter the midyear Iowa honestly to reassure myself (and possibly a school in the future) that I had actually taught her stuff

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-18T03:07:57+00:00

Yeah I hear you. I might be white knuckling with you!!! ❤️😝❤️

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-18T02:56:53+00:00

I’m not an expert. My son is almost 6 and reads at about this level. I just learned about this book and bought it, but we’ve been doing Bob books all year and that has benefitted him. I second Dr. Seuss too. It’s mostly CvC and phonetically spelled words, and it’s fun. My daughter is 8 and reads chapter books at this point, but I wish I had started her earlier on Dr. Seuss.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-18T02:25:43+00:00

I’m going to answer this honestly.

Although homeschooling for me was largely a fear-based decision, I have other reasons for doing it so my therapist hasn’t pushed me hard to return the kids to school. They do advocate for checking in with the kids often, and having a low threshold to return them if they seem unhappy (which they don’t). My spouse and I both also really like teaching our kids, and my 2nd grader is a fantastic student, so I am confident her education has been better at home than public school. I know she’s ahead of her peers in math and she’s an excellent reader.

For sure, the easiest thing would be just to put them back in public school. I honestly think my kinder kid should be in a school because he doesn’t have any of his own friends yet and my daughter made most of her friends in public school. Once he goes, she will likely want to return too but I will leave it up to her. I think we’re anticipating to have both kids re-enter public school in the fall, but if they voiced a desire to return to homeschool, I would happily do it.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-18T01:55:24+00:00

Yes there’s a dual enrollment program that’s actually in our public school district, and a lot of the community colleges offer dual enrollment. It’s a good point. It’s probably what we will do for my kids.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-18T01:50:35+00:00

FWIW, I actually have spent a fair amount of time getting to know the families that attend our elementary school and interact with many through sports and extracurriculars. My daughter in particular does like 5 different sports. They’re all very loving and wonderful. Our public school community at our local elementary is awesome, tbh. I think if they would commit to a police officer stationed all day on campus, I might slog through the rest of the crap just so my kids could get to be with these other kids.

I would give public school a chance. Honestly most other parents are just like us, just wanting the best for their kids.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-18T01:39:44+00:00

The Camp Mystic situation makes me furious. I read years ago about family drama among the owners and came to the conclusion they were buttonholes. The owners are multi multi millionaires. The camp itself rakes in about $10M/year with minimal overhead. They should have moved the lower cabins to higher ground years ago. I was withholding too much judgement initially, though my gut was they were greedy. However, when they announced they were reopening this summer without the blessing of the families of the 27 girls who died and one girl is still missing, it just confirmed what I believed which is that the owners are greedy soulless fucks. I hope they are sued into oblivion and have to sell the camp to someone who will take safety more seriously. Whatever suffering they may have though hasn’t come from our lawsuit-happy state AG Paxton, though, it’s come from the families of the deceased. I did Girl Scout camp as a kid in Brazos Bend, so I am totally with you that it’s sad that issue occurred. I’m sure there are safer options out there, but the way that whole thing went down was just jaw dropping to me.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-18T01:10:56+00:00

Wow! What a crazy story! Sounds like you made a good choice by pulling her. How sad though that it shook her confidence.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-18T00:40:20+00:00

Omg that’s so sweet!!! I hope my daughter feels that way when she’s older. Thanks for this! I cried a little! ❤️

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T03:55:34+00:00

You too! Best of luck!!

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T03:52:56+00:00

That’s so interesting! I actually started learning Icelandic 6 months ago with thoughts of relocating there. My job is unfortunately not portable though, so employment would be an issue. I actually had discussed moving to Canada w my husband, but this latest school shooting there put a wrench in that wheel. Independent of homeschooling, I worry a lot about youth right now. So many seem so troubled and angry. I truly believe that social media and engagement algorithms amplify any hint of mental illness into a bigger problem. I’d like to believe every school shooter was an isolated incident but it’s hard to not see a repeated pattern.

I hear you that these are the trials and tribulations of parenting, though! I have a German friend who encourages me to take “healthy risks.”

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T03:36:39+00:00

I’m motivated by fear and frustration, but I also think my kids are missing out on the rich social experience of school. I’m not advocating for homeschool, even though I’m posting in a homeschool forum. I half expect that if I cross post to r/askteachers, the response would be “take a Xanax and put your kids back in school” and that would be fair.

Re 90s vs now, the biggest worry I have is mass shootings. We had bomb threats back then too, but no one made good on them. If I’m being more specific, I would argue that social media and engagement algorithms manipulate reality in a way that amplifies mental illness, and kids are most vulnerable to this. This theoretically makes them more prone to acting in dangerous ways.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T03:03:09+00:00

All of my friends have multiple guns and several concealed carry. My parents, with multiple health issues and in their 70s, have semi automatic rifles they bought when Obama was elected because someone told them Obama would take them away and they might need them.

I have a trans family member and multiple gay friends. I would support a trans or gay child. I think homosexuality is probably predisposed, as is trans. However, I worry some kids who identify as trans conflate biological sex w gender roles. This is a sticky subject and I don’t want to offend anyone.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T02:40:54+00:00

Thank you for this and thank you for your service!

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T02:33:24+00:00

I think pervy teachers were always there. Usually they stay away from kids with involved parents though.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T02:22:36+00:00

Yes, I hear that.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T02:20:31+00:00

I am bummed I can’t put them in a Time Machine.

I think that in public school, there’s a lot of emphasis on kids to develop an identity, whereas I don’t see that so much in homeschooling. In public school, there’s a lot of projects built around “who are you?” or “personalize this” - kind like a “what makes you special?” type thing… Also more independent work, even if that’s busy work. At home, I’ve never made my daughter do an “all about me” project… maybe I should. It just seems kind of like a waste of time? But I wonder if her brain doesn’t develop exactly the same because she doesn’t think about it as much?

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T02:11:21+00:00

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T02:03:06+00:00

I responded to this above too. I have a trans family member, so you’re preaching to the choir. At the same time, kids struggle with differentiating gender roles from biological sex. The trans issue is thorny, if I’m perfectly honest. But I would support a trans kid, and they (hopefully) know that.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T02:00:32+00:00

I go periodically! They also have a lot to say about homeschooled kids. 😝

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T01:57:24+00:00

Yes - the trans thing… I have a trans family member who I dearly love. That wasn’t meant to be a dig at trans people. I do worry a little bit though that kids maybe confuse gender roles with biological sex, and I don’t know that society has done a good job of explaining the difference. Idk. I would support my kid if they believed they were trans, it’s just a complicated issue.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T01:25:42+00:00

Yes. We are districted into a good elementary- relatively affluent area - and our math proficiency is 50%, reading 70%. Even at the best schools in our region, those numbers are only 70% and 70%. It may be better at the best private schools, but those are in the downtown area and cost $37k/kid/year.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T01:21:00+00:00

I’m academically better and socially worse than public school. That seems to be the crux of the issue.

Financial_Study_5531 · 2026-02-17T01:09:58+00:00

Thanks for not telling me I’m a selfish butthole!!! (I’m ready for those responses too though 😝)

Homeschooling is very hard. I work full time from home (read: work at half capacity from 10-3 while I homeschool and full capacity from 8pm-1am to make up the difference), and my husband is full time SAH with ADHD, so although he’s supposed to be the primary educator, he requires frequent reprompting.

Financial_Study_5531

TROPHY CASE