I am thinking of homeschooling next year for my 10 and 7 year old. For those of you who do this how crazy is it?? I'm trying to figure out how this could work without me losing my mind completely! Love to hear everyone's experience with this.

I"m not gonna be much help, but I might be in the same boat as you. My DH and I have 3 kids that go to private school (close to $200/mo. per kid) plus we have to pay for the PACE's (books that they use) which is about $30/every 2 weeks per kid. So not cheap!

I run a home-based cake business and my DH and I discussed keeping our youngest (who is 6 and will be going into 2nd grade next year) at home next year to be home-schooled....basically as a trial thing to figure out if I can handle home-schooling all 3 of them since the school is just SO expensive!

I told my DH I'm going to need a couple things............

First and foremost a DESK. I wouldn't even consider it, without having the same desks they have in school which is a desk but it has a back board and 2 side panels...so it has 3 sides and forms somewhat of a U around the kids so that they can't get distracted and can't see the kids next to them (brilliant as far as I'm concerned lol). They have their goal cards (with what work needs to be done daily) in front of them so they know what needs to be accomplished.

I think the most important thing is going to be to run it like it's school. No t.v. on, not a bunch of other stuff going on at the same time......no sitting on the couch doing work......at a desk, or at a table and that's it!!

My kids already know that if the "teacher" is mommy, then the "principal" is Daddy, and they do NOT want to get sent to the principal's office for not listening to the teacher because their "principal" still uses corporal punishment LOL.

Exactly! I would want a separate area for them to sit and focus without any distractions. My son has ADHD and right now public schools are failing him. So it is almost inevitable that he will be here soon doing school. I am trying to figure out a schedule but I guess what you get them into their routine you can work on yours. Guess its great that I can work from home and still teach them!

We started homeschooling this year. I have 3 kids. I have pretty much quit making cakes. I never had a business, but I find cake decorating to be so time consumming, and I always did the decorating after hours(once kids were in bed). I didn't want to be a tired grumpy teacher. Homeschooling and designing,baking, & decorating cakes take so much time. For me I've had to focus on teaching and not my hobby. I still will do the kids birthday cakes and when I have an "itch" to decorate, I do smaller simpler cakes now.
I will say, I have met so many women who homeschool and work from home. Several sell cakes, one even includes her children in the decorating process and the other moms ohh and ahhh over it! It is all what you can handle.
I also don't like to be tied down. If an intersting learning expereince pops up, I like to capitalize on it. I love field trips!!! We are involved in a couple of homeschooing groups and it keeps us very busy. I would suggest getting involved in a homeschooling group, I've learned alot from othe mothers who teach.
We work at the kitchen table, sometimes we work in the living room. Today we sat outside and did some shoolwork, the weather was too gorgeous to be locked up inside all day.

Good luck with your decision!

I am a homeschooling mother of 6 and I own a home based cake business. My husbands schedule helps (4 days on 4 days off). Sometimes its a bit of a juggling act but worth it. My oldest daughter is a first class sugar flower maker and is learning what I do

We have homeschooled all of our kids from the beginning (oldest 15) so I dont really know anything else. Maybe if I had gotten used to time alone it would have been worse but really my kids know that when I am working they are not to interrupt and my older 2 are fantastic mothers helpers.

I just work around my homeschooling. It works for us

I am currently a SAHM with three kids. I am not officially homeschooling them yet since my oldest is five, but this fall we will be registering him for homeschooling.
I am also working on starting a home based cake business in the future, but for me it would only be part time.
I think it is important to have a good routine so that you can give your children what they need and then plan to have some time for yourself. In our home we always have "table time" after breakfast, where we all sit together. But then later on my kids get a lot of free play (since they are so young) and when they get older, they will be able to do more individual work/study/learning. They don't need me 100% of the time.
In the homeschooling community that I belong to, there are many parents who do a co-op (and many of them work as well as homeschool), which is great because you could get time for yourself, it does not cost money and the kids will be learning while away since they are together with other homeschooling families.
I also just want to add that is hurts to read that a school is failing a child. I hope everything turns out well for your son. Learning is fun and my kids LOVE learning -every day! And I love the freedom you get when you can learn from home.

I have an advantage w/ the private school my kids attend with the homeschooling too, because they have a "homeschool program" where they keep all the books your child needs, and the score keys, etc. on hand at the school and then you just come in and get a month or 2 weeks worth of books, whatever you need, pay them, and then they keep track of your child's records, etc. I think there is a flat fee of like $100 or something for their part in all the filing, but the kids also come into the school once a year for 2 days and do the standard state testing. They also allow the children to join in on their sports programs through the school (in our case it's volleyball and basketball) and they also include the homeschooled kids in the "prom" senior year!


You might see if you have a private school near you that offers this, it could be a great way to have your kids get involved in "school activities" without having to go to "school" everyday of the week!

Wow! Thanks for so many replies and sharing what you guys are doing. I love doing cakes and having my business as well as my "me" time but my kids are always going to have priority over any of that.

Thanks for that info KHalstead! I bet there is a private school that does this around my area. I'm just now starting to research and looking into our options. I have several close friends who are thinking of doing the same so we are planning to work together. We will definitely join a homeschool group for the field trips and other activities. My kids have always had a set routine so it shouldn't be too much of an adjustment for them.