throwing away the box

[Bettybean]

Hi everyone, I have been browsing this forum for a while and have decided I know feel brave enough to introduce myself .
After much soul-searching and researching we have made the desicion to HE our children and it is so liberating.
Our son, M, is still only 21 months old and his brother is due to be born in August, so I guess you could say we're starting early!
We have discussed this with my mum, who was a teacher until a stress-related illness caused her to leave the job. Her inital response was 'Are you mad?'. But after having doen some of her own research and thought about the lifestyle it will allow us to have as a family she has come to the conclusion that it is a good alternative to the small primary school in the village (the same one I attended!). We just need to break it to the in-laws and friends...
We live in Snowdonia, North Wales and are about to move into a small quarryman's cottage with 3 acres of land which we have spent the last few months renovating. We intend to keep animals and have space to grow veg and space to run and play of course!
M has the option of starting in the local nursery in September, a coupe of hours a morning, 4 mornings a week. I think, with a new baby, it may be good for him to go and have the chance to play with other children while I get a couple of hours with new baby. I am worried though, that in a couple of years he may wonder why his friends are going to school when he isn't. (That's if there are any other children the same age).
We intend to follow an unstructured education (autonomus?) and have been allowing him to develop in this way since birth, so I'm hoping that when they're older it will just be a way of life rather than a noticable 'education'.
I've read a lot of posts from parents who have withdrawn their children from school for many reasons, I welcome any advice, but would love to hear from other parents who have never sent their children to school about their experiences.

So, hello, I'm so glad I found this site to accompany us on our first wobbly steps of living 'outside the box'.

[Sheila Struthers]

Bettybean

[Mickey]

Hello and welcome!

[Ali Admin]

Hi Betttybean and from me too.

An increasing number of families are making the decision to home educate long before their children reach what is erroneously known as 'compulsory school age' (probably because schooling strangles real education at the age of 5).

Will look forward to hearing how things progress.

[Renegade Parent]

Hi Bettybean!

My smalls are 4 and 2 and school is not on the agenda for us. I think autonomous is probably the best word to describe how we learn -- all of us. Pleased to meet you :-)

Lisa

[Diane]

Hi Betty,

Your situation sounds lovely. School is a training ground for people who used to work in factories and therefore should be done away with in the form it is now.

Welcome to the forums.

Diane

[Bettybean]

Thank you all for the warm welcome. It's refreshing and comforting to find similar minded people and I've enjoyed reading some of your stories on here.

I don't know when the HE journey ends, but I know it's begun

xx