Among many reasons obviously, but.

Yesterday I was dropping off my dd at soccer practice. I see other parents just picking up their kids and other kids just leaving on the school bus. It was 5pm at this time. By the time they get home, have dinner, do homework, dang, it's time for bed by then. Has anyone really had any time together??

We were finished with schoolwork by 2 yesterday and just hung around home until time for soccer.

I hear ya.  We are VERY busy people, with all of our activities with church and such.  But, I hear these parents complain to me about how busy they are and how they wish they had time to just 'be together'....well, it's cuz the requirements for graduation are to the point now where kids HAVE to go to summer school just to get enough credits to graduate, they are in 5 different clubs after school, plus have at least 2 hours of homewokr every night.  Ugh.

Like you, we're normally done by 1 or so in the afterrnon and work on housework or other fun stuff till T-Ball or Tae Kwon Do.  (Or church).  I truly feel sorry for some of these kids.  :(

Every day is different for us around here since I do work. Alot of our work is usually done in the afternoon, but still. I remember when I was working evenings and I would have to go to work before she got home from school (when she was in ps) it sucked. I imagine there are alot of parents like that too.

Everyday I see how my son benefits from having me home and teaching him. He is 4 years old and I started to get him used to preschool lessons.  This fall , we will start a kindergarten curriculum.(thanks to all your advice and  books available here)  He will be ahead of the game.  Our school district would have kept out until  the following year due to him being  a December baby and not making  the age 5 at Sept 1.  My son loves to learn- as weather gets better he doesn't want to do writing his letters.  He loves learning about the world around him and he doesn't have to fit  in with the crowd or school's expectations.

He went rollerskating yesterday for the very first time- he would never had the chance if my husband and I had not  made the sacrifices to allow me to stay home.  My jobs before , had me gone crazy hours taking care of other  people's children.  I loved working with  my son everyday.  Our days can get crazy- but he is there with me in the middle of it.

Sorry about rambling,( I had a quiet moment in the house - my son is having day out with Dad- I was just reflection on how lucky I am  and thru all of  you  guys words of advice and encouragements directed toward me and other moms who are just starting home school.

Thank you

My little neighbor is 8 and in public school - she was over on Sunday and she is already worried about boys.  She said she was going to be a vampire when she grew up so she could be sexy.  OMG I about fell over.

I just do NOT see that in the homeschool kids at that age, or even a good bit older.  Our group is a secular group - many different religions and a lot of 'no religion at alls' belong, and no matter what the religion, I find the VALUES of homeschooling kids tend to be MUCH higher.

My son asked me why his cousin - who is 6 months older than he is - is so concerned with girls.  I told him I thought it was so many kids in one place makes all their harmones more active.  He said "No, I think it is the pressure to be like what you see on tv.  I see it on tv, but I don't have the pressure to be like that."

Gad, he's smart.  lol

Those of us that are able to homeschool are very blessed. My husband and I lead a 10-12 year old group on Sundays for our church. We were talking to the kids about worries that they are having, the majority of them stated that certain school subjects worried them the most. That really broke my heart for those kids and reassured me that I'm doing what is best for my children. My children spent a year in public school and wanted to come back home, of course we brought them back with gladness!

 I know exactly what you mean!  The time that we have with our family is just one of the many reasons that we love being able to homeschool. 

Thank you for reminding me how very lucky we are.

That's WHY I'm homeschooling next year! I'm tired of the running and the things my kids pick up from other kids in school. My DD is 7 and already calling her friends on the phone... it's too soon:) But I'm really tired of the school...but that's a whole other story.