You don't know me, and I'm sorry for introducing myself earlier, but my name is Stefanie and I found your blog through Susie. My husband was one of Matt's roommates at Elim the year before they got married, and you know how it is, the guys are friends, but the girls do the regular communicating. :)
Anyways, I'm explaining myself, and then if you want my opinion you can feel free to ask any time. I was homeschooled all the way through, met my husband who was also homeschooled all the way through, through homeschooling, so I'm a bit partial to it now. I nannied for four kids in the public school system for 6 years though, so I've been exposed to both quite a bit of both. I can give you a ton of pros and cons for both and share my experiences, but I don't want to force my opinion on your blog because I can totally understand if you don't want a complete stranger's opinion. So, comment back, or message me or something if you want to hear more. Or you can email me at musiclover322@hotmail.com
My husband is Adam Harriff, he was in the room with Matt, Vic & Brandon what would have been Matt's second year at Elim, my husband's third. He was a year ahead of Matt.
Anyways, homeschooling, very very helpful for first starting out, because all children learn differently and in the public school system they teach one way, occasionally you'll get lucky and get a good teacher who's willing to give your child some extra one on one, but it's hit or miss. Most school's in Rochester (on the east side at least) will let you change classrooms over a break, or request certain teachers if you know there's one you really like, but they can't always do that because of class size restrictions, so again, hit or miss, depends on who you talk to. With the family I nannied for she actually had to hire me two nights a week to do homework with her one son so that I could basically homeschool him on the same stuff he was learning in school because he just wasn't getting it the way they taught it in the classroom. It wasn't the end of the world, but she had to pay out of pocket for a service that should have been provided in school. *Not that I wouldn't have done it for free, but when you're first married, if someone offers to pay you, you take it!*
Also, have you seen how NYS teaches reading now? They use what they call "sight words". Basically they teach memorization of basic words in everyday writing. But, they don't teach why the words are read/sound the way they do aka no phonetics. I teach piano as a profession, and if you've ever done music you've probably known the "spaces spell face" and "Every Good Boy Does Fine" for the treble staff to read notes. You have no idea how many 1st and even a few 2nd graders can't figure out how to spell face, or can't get the "E" in every. It's kind of scary when you see it, because most of these kids have insane vocabularies from the social part of school, but they can't even figure out where to begin spelling "every". That's something that really bothers me with public school.
The one thing I do like, is it makes a kid less dependent on mom. I've got some homeschool students who's parents aren't very involved in their churches or any form of homeschool group and they can not speak to me. As in, they're afraid to talk to an adult other than mom without her in the room. If you're going to homeschool you really have to be diligent to make sure you're kid gets outside socialization. I know it's cliche, and a stereotype and all, but it really does happen with some kids. There are several great homeschool groups in Rochester (are you even in Rochester? I honestly don't now) and I still have alot of contacts in them if you want names or anything.
Another plus of public school is structure. You get a set schedule all the time, which helps create structure at home as well. Also can be a negative though, because with homeschooling, if there's some great family thing going on and it doesn't end until after normal bedtime, oh well, you start school a little late the next morning. We did a ton more traveling as kids because we could go when most kids were in school. Do you know how much cheaper everything is two weeks before or after spring break?
I think that covers the basics. Any more questions, feel free to comment, or email. I was so excited to see a comment from you! I've been blogging for about two weeks, and introducing myself gradually and leaving comments, but yours was my first response! :) Thanks! You made my morning!
Can I ask what your last name was before you got married? Are you from Rochester area, or never were other than Elim? I was part of Greater Rochester LEAH for 8th-12th grades, and before that Western Wayne County LEAH, which my mom helped start when I was in kindergarten. Could we have ever met before?
I recognize the Forrest name, probably from seeing it on newsletters and things as a kid. I'm guessing we were at a same event or two, but probably never actually met. That's funny though, what a coincidence.
There's a little girl (actually the one in the pictures on my blog) who's alot like your son in the clothes aspect, but she prefers no diaper even. When I change her when I'm watching her she starts squealing and clapping as soon as you pull the diaper off and then she fights you like anything when you're trying to put a new one on. She's figured out how to take hers off too now, so her mom needs to make sure to put pants on over, even just around the house or she ends up with a naked baby, and at 13 months that's not such a good thing. :)
Oh, and I've been to NYC once, in the pouring rain, for 2 days when we first got engaged. My father in law makes annual trips, and I wasn't invited til after we got engaged, and now that we're married we're not included anymore either and it's just too expensive to do it often on our own. I think we're trying to February break, but we'll see how cold of a winter it is. If not maybe April. Adam's mom has a cousin who lives in Brooklyn we can stay with, just not when his dad is there too, cause his dad won't let us, it's weird. But I've never been to Central Park, we didn't bother since it was pouring out, really we just walked around and tried to find places to ring out our clothes on occasion, it was that rainy
My thoughts on homeschooling: Well, coming from another thoroughly homeschooled person...
I think homeschooling works for some people. I think the most important part of of choosing to homeschooling is ARE YOU GOING TO BALANCE IT? My parents balanced it. We learned about sex, we were at youth group, we had friends. We got our licenses as soon as possible. We learned to speak to adults, play with little children, be responsible. Now, granted you can do all that in public school too. But homeschooling does give you control over how your child learns, if and when you stop or spend more time on something, and you can incorporate God into homeschooling more than Christian schools can (I think).
But if you don't make a concerted effort to get your child into other venues - youth group, swim lessons, basketball teams - you'll end up being THAT homeschooled kid. I've met too many of them. And I know you have too.
I think a lot of it's about being normal parents - not wack jobs who are hippies and need to take a chill pill.
Danielle,
You don't know me, and I'm sorry for introducing myself earlier, but my name is Stefanie and I found your blog through Susie. My husband was one of Matt's roommates at Elim the year before they got married, and you know how it is, the guys are friends, but the girls do the regular communicating. :)
Anyways, I'm explaining myself, and then if you want my opinion you can feel free to ask any time. I was homeschooled all the way through, met my husband who was also homeschooled all the way through, through homeschooling, so I'm a bit partial to it now. I nannied for four kids in the public school system for 6 years though, so I've been exposed to both quite a bit of both. I can give you a ton of pros and cons for both and share my experiences, but I don't want to force my opinion on your blog because I can totally understand if you don't want a complete stranger's opinion. So, comment back, or message me or something if you want to hear more. Or you can email me at musiclover322@hotmail.com
My husband is Adam Harriff, he was in the room with Matt, Vic & Brandon what would have been Matt's second year at Elim, my husband's third. He was a year ahead of Matt.
Anyways, homeschooling, very very helpful for first starting out, because all children learn differently and in the public school system they teach one way, occasionally you'll get lucky and get a good teacher who's willing to give your child some extra one on one, but it's hit or miss. Most school's in Rochester (on the east side at least) will let you change classrooms over a break, or request certain teachers if you know there's one you really like, but they can't always do that because of class size restrictions, so again, hit or miss, depends on who you talk to. With the family I nannied for she actually had to hire me two nights a week to do homework with her one son so that I could basically homeschool him on the same stuff he was learning in school because he just wasn't getting it the way they taught it in the classroom. It wasn't the end of the world, but she had to pay out of pocket for a service that should have been provided in school. *Not that I wouldn't have done it for free, but when you're first married, if someone offers to pay you, you take it!*
Also, have you seen how NYS teaches reading now? They use what they call "sight words". Basically they teach memorization of basic words in everyday writing. But, they don't teach why the words are read/sound the way they do aka no phonetics. I teach piano as a profession, and if you've ever done music you've probably known the "spaces spell face" and "Every Good Boy Does Fine" for the treble staff to read notes. You have no idea how many 1st and even a few 2nd graders can't figure out how to spell face, or can't get the "E" in every. It's kind of scary when you see it, because most of these kids have insane vocabularies from the social part of school, but they can't even figure out where to begin spelling "every". That's something that really bothers me with public school.
The one thing I do like, is it makes a kid less dependent on mom. I've got some homeschool students who's parents aren't very involved in their churches or any form of homeschool group and they can not speak to me. As in, they're afraid to talk to an adult other than mom without her in the room. If you're going to homeschool you really have to be diligent to make sure you're kid gets outside socialization. I know it's cliche, and a stereotype and all, but it really does happen with some kids. There are several great homeschool groups in Rochester (are you even in Rochester? I honestly don't now) and I still have alot of contacts in them if you want names or anything.
Another plus of public school is structure. You get a set schedule all the time, which helps create structure at home as well. Also can be a negative though, because with homeschooling, if there's some great family thing going on and it doesn't end until after normal bedtime, oh well, you start school a little late the next morning. We did a ton more traveling as kids because we could go when most kids were in school. Do you know how much cheaper everything is two weeks before or after spring break?
I think that covers the basics. Any more questions, feel free to comment, or email. I was so excited to see a comment from you! I've been blogging for about two weeks, and introducing myself gradually and leaving comments, but yours was my first response! :) Thanks! You made my morning!
Can I ask what your last name was before you got married? Are you from Rochester area, or never were other than Elim? I was part of Greater Rochester LEAH for 8th-12th grades, and before that Western Wayne County LEAH, which my mom helped start when I was in kindergarten. Could we have ever met before?
I recognize the Forrest name, probably from seeing it on newsletters and things as a kid. I'm guessing we were at a same event or two, but probably never actually met. That's funny though, what a coincidence.
There's a little girl (actually the one in the pictures on my blog) who's alot like your son in the clothes aspect, but she prefers no diaper even. When I change her when I'm watching her she starts squealing and clapping as soon as you pull the diaper off and then she fights you like anything when you're trying to put a new one on. She's figured out how to take hers off too now, so her mom needs to make sure to put pants on over, even just around the house or she ends up with a naked baby, and at 13 months that's not such a good thing. :)
Oh, and I've been to NYC once, in the pouring rain, for 2 days when we first got engaged. My father in law makes annual trips, and I wasn't invited til after we got engaged, and now that we're married we're not included anymore either and it's just too expensive to do it often on our own. I think we're trying to February break, but we'll see how cold of a winter it is. If not maybe April. Adam's mom has a cousin who lives in Brooklyn we can stay with, just not when his dad is there too, cause his dad won't let us, it's weird. But I've never been to Central Park, we didn't bother since it was pouring out, really we just walked around and tried to find places to ring out our clothes on occasion, it was that rainy
My thoughts on homeschooling: Well, coming from another thoroughly homeschooled person...
I think homeschooling works for some people. I think the most important part of of choosing to homeschooling is ARE YOU GOING TO BALANCE IT? My parents balanced it. We learned about sex, we were at youth group, we had friends. We got our licenses as soon as possible. We learned to speak to adults, play with little children, be responsible. Now, granted you can do all that in public school too. But homeschooling does give you control over how your child learns, if and when you stop or spend more time on something, and you can incorporate God into homeschooling more than Christian schools can (I think).
But if you don't make a concerted effort to get your child into other venues - youth group, swim lessons, basketball teams - you'll end up being THAT homeschooled kid. I've met too many of them. And I know you have too.
I think a lot of it's about being normal parents - not wack jobs who are hippies and need to take a chill pill.
hehe. :)