to homeschool or not

[Sunset Dreamer]

Here's a question for all you parents...those of you that know me know that my son gets very ill due to his asthma. The mold and mildew in the schools cause his asthma to worsen. He loves school, and begs me to let him go. He doesn't want to be homeschooled because he wants to see his friends and doesn't want to miss out on art, music, library and more importantly, gym and recess. This year he is going to a different school. I'm hoping that he will be able to make it through the school year without getting sick. (He was out of school for 4 months last year.) My question is this... if your son/daughter had these problems, would you just homeschool them? Or would you give the school another chance? I've already made my decision, just wondering how others would deal with this situation.

BTW he's 10 and this is his first year in junior high school

[Jared]

Well coming a from a teen/child.

If you take him/her out he will become depressed and miss his friends but if its for his saftey you need to to do whatever is best for him/her.

[Chicksta]

My dad wants to do that with my 2 younger brothers while he takes them "around the world" with him, although this was my step mums idea. My brothers are in year 4 and year 5 and they are way behind in school so they may have to repeat again. Which means my mum will not allow them to be homeschooled she would rather they stay in school..

Benefits of homeschooling -
1. You the parent will have control over your child's education.
2. You will be able to spend more time with your children/child, which can help to build a stronger bond.
3. You'll be able to eliminate outside interferences that can impede learning like bullies and drugs even.
4. You'll have the ability to teach one on one.


I reckon it depends on your situation, location and the child's needs, homeschooling may or may not be a real viable option. There's no right choice for every family. Ultimately, the decision will be based on personal choice and opinion. Whatever the decide, it should be kept in mind to remember to keep your child's needs at the forefront when it is determining whether homeschooling them is the right decision to make.

[Candescence.]

Doesn't he have asthma pumps?
It's very important for children to socialise with others their own age and being at school would enable and teach them how to do that. If you keep them at home too much then you'll probably find they'll be a lot more reluctant to socialise with people on the outside world because it's what they're used to. I wouldn't want that for my child tbh, so I'd consider all the factors before making my decision.

But of course his health is your first priority. If the mold was so bad in his previous school that it was making his asthma worse, then I would have definitely considered moving him. But since he's starting a new school now, my advice for you would be to hold it out for a while and see how he gets on. Not all schools are the same; maybe this new one he's going to is a lot more looked after than his previous so you'll probably find you'll have no worries and he'll be getting on like a house on fire.

I'm not against home schooling, but at the same time I wouldn't advise it unless the circumstances severely called for it. And like I've said, do think twice before you pull him out of his usual, everyday surroundings.

[Cat]

If he's a child with poor health and you pull him out of school, that will further isolate him. Don't make him into an invalid as he seems pretty determined to stay at school. Unless the actual teaching system in his school is so bad, it's in his best interests to leave him be. I notice you say he's going to a different school so how do you know the condition of the whole building? Saying that it's not always the actual building, but the fact that in any school, other kids will have colds, coughs, viruses which he will pick up, same way he can pick those things up from family and family friends just visiting the home.

Oh and I've not had a child with asthma, but do have a family member with such chronic asthma they're on steroids constantly, plus several different pumps per day. They go to school as often as possible, despite the fact they missed a lot more than 4 months last year alone.

[tiffany.]

This is a decision that has to be addressed with school officials, family memebers doctors, and the child themself. One always wants to do what is in the best interest of the child. I know of one parent who was unhappy at work and used that as an excuse to quit and then dragged her child out of school to homeschool so she would not be bored. I have read many good points here to consider, and all of them play into the final decision but Sunset , always make the decison that is best to your child . Take into account all that is said ,but use the advice and wisdon of school officials, doctors, as well as those who have homeschooled their children... You know your child better than anyone, and i wish you the best with this and i hope all turns out good for your child.

[jeff]

In my opinion the socialization that takes place is even more important than the acedemic development a child is supposed to experience. People make adjustments, sometimes later in life sometimes earlier, including complete career changes, and if they are emotionally healthy and motivated they will be fine. But those who can't successfully interact with others will be at a disadvantage. I'm sure that some home schooled children are fine in this regard, but it would be a major concideration of mine if I had to make the decision. By the way, I do know one home schooled kid who's father was a college professor and on the outside the kid appeared perfectly normal and happy. He was pulled out of high school as he didnt get along with others and later was ostracized by the other members of the hockey team he played on. Maybe this example isnt really applicable here but I thought I would pass it on. In that case I think the parents justified the easy but wrong decision in home schooling the kid.

[Valley-Girl]

I home schooled my eldest son for 6 years. The one who is mildly retarded. We were told that he would never even be able to give us the phonical sounds for the letters much less ever read. The last few months of last year we integrated him into the school system. They did extensive testing, academically, physiologically, and socially. He blew them away with his results. They found that he was well rounded, VERY social, something they expected to be really bad (you get you children involved in sports at the YMCA, church groups, semi private music lessons and you are taking care of the socialization aspect of life) As a matter of fact they expected that he would be held back a year or two, but he tested high enough to be placed in the next grade, now keep in mind this is in the special education resources. He did not achieve "normal" status, but he is reading at a late third grade level and math is at a 4 th. Keep in mind we were never suppose to be able to reach those levels in an entire lifetime. Now that said, as he got older it got harder. You have to be extremely disciplined to do this, it is way too easy to put something off. You have to be beyond patient. I would gladly talk to you about my experience, because Sunset, I just love you. lol. We belonged to a homeschooling group that got together every month to do group field trips. We put our children in the same activities and they made wonderful friends, as did the parents. I know many children who spent their entire school lives in home school, and I asked them if they missed school. They all said that they wish they could say that they did, but in reality they were grateful that they were home schooled. These children learned how to be self driven and motivated which will be wonderful sought after quality in the work force and some colleges take home schooled children for admission first because of their drive, discipline and motivation skills. You will have to be part of an umbrella organization and meet your states requirements for each grade, and in high school there is a lot of paperwork and requirements that you must meet to obtain a HS diploma. My son will attend school this year, we both want that, but he would not be where he is today without me homeschooling. Good luck hun

[SIMMERING]

In my opinion you should leave him at school. Sure, children need the academic side of education but they also need to know how to socialise and interact and generally have fun. If you are concerned about his health perhaps a preventative is best. Look for something to strengthen his lungs. Look into swimming. A LOT of asthmatics took it up for that very reason. Have to add, Ian Thorpe was a chronic asthmatic and ALSO allergic to chlorine. He got over it and became the world champion he was.

[Sunset Dreamer]

Thanks for the opinions. I stated in my original post that I had already made a decision... this is what it is. I had decided to let him start school again this year He goes to school on Wednesday. He is going back to school full-time. I plan on monitoring his asthma and keeping a record of his peak flows ( the number that tells us how much air he is getting in and out of his lungs). If there is a conciderable drop in the numbers over a period of a few weeks, I plan on pulling him from the school. Those of you who suggested preventative medication, he is on them already. He takes 5 prescriptions on a daily basis, and when his breathing becomes challenged, is usually put on two more. Plus, he uses a nebulizer twice a day. Again, thanks for your input... We'll see what this school year brings.