Question for Home Schooling Kids

[bjcheung77]

Hello Everyone,

My kids are getting to the tender age of starting Kindergarten in September! Woot Woot, the other is starting pre-school.
I was wondering would it save more $ if I get my wife to home school the kids? Or would it be better to have her working?
If I get my wife to work, we can potentially have the grand parents take over the home schooling activities as they've retired.

Will it be a bit of a dent in the wallet compared to actually going to school? Does anyone here use distributed learning?
Or is all the courses correspondence/online? Even if they're starting from kindergarten onwards up to graduation?
It's just a thought as I would like them to learn more than the "general curriculum" at the primary school near by.

Decisions, Decisions,
Thanks all!

[cookderosa]

Hello Everyone,

My kids are getting to the tender age of starting Kindergarten in September! Woot Woot, the other is starting pre-school.
I was wondering would it save more $ if I get my wife to home school the kids? Or would it be better to have her working?
If I get my wife to work, we can potentially have the grand parents take over the home schooling activities as they've retired.

Will it be a bit of a dent in the wallet compared to actually going to school? Does anyone here use distributed learning?
Or is all the courses correspondence/online? Even if they're starting from kindergarten onwards up to graduation?
It's just a thought as I would like them to learn more than the "general curriculum" at the primary school near by.

Decisions, Decisions,
Thanks all!

You'll want to check and see if grandparents can legally homeschool your kids in your state, and if so, if you need to do anything special- that could be a factor.

There are so many free and inexpensive resources, that I would go so far as to say ic can be less money. That said, your wife will WANT things that cost money- having the world as your oyster means wanting to visit museums and sign up for art classes and take music lessons and join sports and play groups- so believe me that it's easy to spend money. We have 4 children, so we have saved by using textbooks down the line- in other words, my 11 year old's math book was also used by his 3 older brothers. Math is math, no reason to reinvent the wheel each year and try the latest and greatest. We have done some curriculum changes through the years after thinking we "had" to try this or that because someone else loved it- and we hated it- those missteps cost money and time of course (and let me inject a plug that I'm starting a new business this fall- I'm starting a curriculum rental business!)

But in general, I will say that cost aside, the rewards of spending time with my children have been worth any potential sacrifice. I budget and we make it happen. Abe Lincoln learned with a bible and a candle, I think we can swing it in the burbs.

PS I will say in my opinion, it probably costs more to homeschool than public school but considerably less than private school.

[dfrecore]

With a parent staying home, you're going to lose some income. I haven't worked outside of the home for 15 years, those are years when I could have been earning a good living, but chose to stay home instead.

From what I've seen in our nearby elementary schools, there is almost no cost to anything; everything is provided for you except some paper and pencils and crayons. We have definitely spent plenty of money homeschooling our 2 kids, but I didn't do anything outrageous. I think we spend less than $600/year on curriculum when they were younger, and now it's closer to $1200-$1500/kid as they get older, especially online classes. But, many of our things I bought used, and we definitely used the same textbooks and passed them down; so you might have to buy 2 $20 workbooks to go with the expensive $65 textbook - but then you can also resell your textbook when you're done. Some other things that were more expensive were plays, camps, and things like science materials for the labs, which could cost $200+. But those were all totally worth it. I'd rather have some banged up textbooks and spend my money on science labs, but that's me.

When I look at the cost of sending my kids to the local private schools, the amount spent on curriculum is a LOT less than the private school tuition - a LOT less. Maybe 10%-15% of the cost.

It's just a matter of deciding what you want to do.

As for how, there are so many options, it's crazy. You have to spend time researching, because every family is different and does things differently. We did not use any online courses when my kids were little, and my daughter still doesn't like it (almost 14 and will be starting high school). My son gets a little bored, but if I can find something he likes, he's ok. But at the age your kids are, it was much easier to just teach them myself, since I would have had to sit with them and make sure they were paying attention anyway. Plus we weren't all about that much screen time for them.

I advise that you go check out a homeschool conference if you can find one nearby this summer. There is so much curriculum available, it's ridiculous. You can also check out Susan Wise Bauer's The Well-Trained Mind, about the classical method of education, or A Thomas Jefferson Education, or Charlotte Mason (good for your little guys' ages). There are way more out there than I could tell you about, but a homeschool conference is the best way to get to touch and feel a gazillion different curriculums and see for yourself what is out there.

I will say that you don't have to go crazy with curriculum for a 5-yo. You can start with a simple math curriculum to teach basics, a phonics program to teach them to read, and maybe a science book like Mudpies to Magnets, and spend a lot more time doing creative things like art and music and nature and things like that. I can't tell you how much "math" time we spent playing "store" where I put price tags on food and then they had to use real coins to buy stuff from me. They wanted to do it every day for like 6 months. We spent about a million hours listening to books on tape (from the library, so free). I read until I was hoarse every day. We spent a lot of time in the kitchen learning to cook and bake (now THAT is a skill that has paid off in dividends!). We did a lot of training on how to do different chores (yes, your 4-yo can learn to clean a toilet and do a pretty good job!). We spent time outside, playing, planting things, jumping on the trampoline to get the wiggles out, etc. Lots more time doing all of those things than sitting at the table doing "schoolwork".

Good luck! It's a fun journey. I wouldn't have traded this time with my kids for the world. Ok, well, sometimes I would have traded them to someone if they'd asked, but only sometimes.

[wombat777]

Agree with what others have said ...
less expensive than private school, but more than public school
save $ by reusing for multiple kids and reselling
lots of free/inexpensive resources out there, especially for the younger years

Another option we have used is book-sharing with another family. We each have some materials that we've traded back and forth over the years. It has worked well for us because our kids are staggered.

A great website to check out is:
Cathy Duffy Homeschool Curriculum Reviews

She reviews a lot of curriculum. She does a good job describing the curriculum as well as explaining what types of learners and teachers it might work well for.

When I am looking for new curriculum, Cathy Duffy's site is my go-to. Then, when I have narrowed down my choices, I will go to a convention to view the material in person to make my final decision. IMO the problem with going to a convention unprepared is that EVERYTHING looks so good. That's when people spend a boatload of cash unnecessarily.

Have fun as you research the opportunities!

[dfrecore]

IMO the problem with going to a convention unprepared is that EVERYTHING looks so good. That's when people spend a boatload of cash unnecessarily.

You are so right! I have a rule and budget for myself at the conventions. First, I research everything that I want to teach that year, and narrow down my choices. Then, I go to the convention with a list, and only purchase what I've researched if I get some sort of deal - free shipping or a discount or something. Otherwise, I have $40 or so of funny money, to be able to buy something that looks interesting that I've not heard of before.

Then, when I get home, I go through my materials and research some more, and look for stuff I want on used sites, before purchasing anything new.

It has worked well for me, and I STILL end up with stuff we don't use. But, at least then I can resell it all and recoup a little money.

[tesu-acct-student]

I was wondering would it save more $ if I get my wife to home school the kids? Or would it be better to have her working?

If one parent stays home, there are a lot of money saving opportunities available, opportunities that don't really exist when both parents work. I recommend The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn for input on what I'm talking about.

If I get my wife to work, we can potentially have the grand parents take over the home schooling activities as they've retired.

I cringed when I read this. Have you talked to the grandparents about this? Homeschooling is a HUGE commitment. I homeschooled my three kids for nine years and I wouldn't dream of asking any of the grandparents to do it. And now that I'm a grandma, I'd be annoyed if my daughter asked me to homeschool my grandchild. Babysit my grandchild on occasion: yes. Homeschool my grandchild? No. But maybe your parents (or inlaws) feel differently--certainly possible!

[bjcheung77]

If one parent stays home, there are a lot of money saving opportunities available, opportunities that don't really exist when both parents work. I recommend The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn for input on what I'm talking about.



I cringed when I read this. Have you talked to the grandparents about this? Homeschooling is a HUGE commitment. I homeschooled my three kids for nine years and I wouldn't dream of asking any of the grandparents to do it. And now that I'm a grandma, I'd be annoyed if my daughter asked me to homeschool my grandchild. Babysit my grandchild on occasion: yes. Homeschool my grandchild? No. But maybe your parents (or inlaws) feel differently--certainly possible!

Thanks for your feedback, I was just thinking about options and will discuss with my parents and all parties that's going to be involved...

[LaterBloomer]

I used to think that homeschoolers were just plain weird. Then, I "met" Cookderosa (only on line). With all of her wisdom, I had to reevaluate my position. My gut still thinks, "weird," but my mind says that this is a good option for some folks.

Now, I'm going to go off on a bit of a tangent. There are lots of military spouses where I live. Many of these folks have put aside their careers to follow their spouses' military assignments. They've given up earning social security, pensions, etc., in addition to salaries. If your wife is going to be a stay-at-home mom, I hope that you've considered that she could be negatively affecting her future salary and retirement income. When I grew up, I knew a child whose father was a surgeon. Between how many years ago that was, and their country of origin, the wife was only prepared to be a stay at home mother. He had a stroke at a relatively early age, and it was a scramble for the family to stay above water. There was nother family where, due to health reasons, the father couldn't work. As the wife had worked all along, and was able to continue to do so after his illness prevented him from working, they were a bit better off. Yes, I'm crass and way too money centric than is good for me, but I thought I'd share.

[dfrecore]

I used to think that homeschoolers were just plain weird. Then, I "met" Cookderosa (only on line). With all of her wisdom, I had to reevaluate my position. My gut still thinks, "weird," but my mind says that this is a good option for some folks.

Now, I'm going to go off on a bit of a tangent. There are lots of military spouses where I live. Many of these folks have put aside their careers to follow their spouses' military assignments. They've given up earning social security, pensions, etc., in addition to salaries. If your wife is going to be a stay-at-home mom, I hope that you've considered that she could be negatively affecting her future salary and retirement income. When I grew up, I knew a child whose father was a surgeon. Between how many years ago that was, and their country of origin, the wife was only prepared to be a stay at home mother. He had a stroke at a relatively early age, and it was a scramble for the family to stay above water. There was nother family where, due to health reasons, the father couldn't work. As the wife had worked all along, and was able to continue to do so after his illness prevented him from working, they were a bit better off. Yes, I'm crass and way too money centric than is good for me, but I thought I'd share.

Regarding SS - I will still get SS when I hit 67, because all of the money I made before I quit made me eligible. And even if it didn't, I am entitled to my husband's SS when he dies if it's higher than mine is. That is true for all married people.

If my husband was a surgeon making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year (I'm assuming) and I worked at something where I did not make close to that amount, then if he was ill and we lost his income, there is no way we would be able to stay afloat on just my income anyway. I would hope instead that we would have been saving some money along the way, so that this wouldn't be as much of an issue. Or have long term disability insurance. Or no debt and a paid-off house. Or all of the above.

Many times, and for many reasons, a spouse does not work because it is best for the family. I don't work, and my husband travels extensively. There is no way I would have been willing to put my kids in daycare for 10 hours a day so that I could work in the very remote possibility that my husband might not be able to do his job in the future. If something happens to him and we can't make it, we can sell our house, move somewhere less expensive, and I can find a job. But to think that I could make up for his income in any way is unrealistic, even if I had been working all along. He just makes a LOT more money that I ever did, and probably ever will.

Another thing to consider; if you read a book like "The Millionaire Next Door", you will see that MANY of the couples that are millionaires have one income. That's because (and this is true in my house), a man may be better able to go out and make more money than their peers because they have a wife who takes care of everything. Yep, I do EVERYTHING in our household. I'm totally ok with this. I'd much rather run this place as the CEO/COO and have him out working making the money he's making. He knows that there is nothing to worry about on the home front, which makes him better able to focus on and succeed at his job. And by the way, almost all of the very successful people we know (especially where the man is in sales, which is our personal experience) has this same thing. It seems as if the more money a man makes, the more often I find that his wife stays home. It is just a winning combination for many families.

I'm not saying that everyone has to or even should run their own families this way. You get to run things the way that works best for your family. I'm just saying that your wife staying home might actually be the best thing that could happen to your family financially. That's how it worked for us. My husband made the same amount I did when I left the workforce, and has tripled his income in the last 15 years BECAUSE he was very motivated to provide for his family. It was as if our decision for me to stay home kicked him in the butt and into high gear.

Good luck whatever you decide!

[dfrecore]

Thanks for your feedback, I was just thinking about options and will discuss with my parents and all parties that's going to be involved...

One of the many things to consider here is the ability for your parents to have the fun grandparent-grandchild relationship with your kids if you do this. My parents adore my kids, and my kids adore my parents, and I would not have wanted to change their relationship in this way. You have to be more strict with them than my parents would have wanted or enjoyed doing.

I prefer to be the hard-ass around here, so that they can just have fun together. I even prefer to take that role so that my husband is the fun one. Not that I don't have fun with my kids, but he's definitely the easier one (unless they really mess up, then watch out!).