Homeschoolers

[MommaTrish]

I've been thinking of thinking maybe homeschooling my middle child. ((This is still very much in the maybe category)) While he likes going to school, he is very much a social creature, he's not adapting well to all the rules and structure of it. I know this is his first year, but he gets in trouble so often and he doesn't seem to be learning from it. He's not doing anything horribly bad, he's just well, it's hard to describe. I'm afraid he might be bored with it. Already. I know he's a distraction to the other kids in his class, and I'd hate for him to be the cause of others not doing well.
I was wondering how do you go about homeschooling your more outgoing easily distracted children? I know my mom homeschooled my younger brother for a year and a half because he was having so much difficulty adapting to school but she's more, well, formidable than me. ((Does any of this make sense? lol))

[scrap2day]

I haven't homeschooled but I just wanted to give you encouragement. You sound like a wonderful mother to want to find a solution to honor your child's spirit and help to encourage a love for learning in him and are still concerned that the other children are not overly disrupted in their learning.

I'm sure you'll get lots of advice from the homeschooling moms here.

[MommaTrish]

Well, we're afaid that even with changing his diet that's not going to be enough and we might have to try medicine for him... but we don't want to. Neither of us had good experiences with medicine for ADHD even though we were on different kinds. And I'd hate to put him on medicines and change who he is.

lol so forgot to add the rest of what I meant to type...
That's why I'm thinking we might try homeschooling with him. As much as I always said I didn't want to homeschool, I'd rather do that than have him be always in trouble or on medication.

[Darcy Baldwin]

Trish - have you gotten with his teacher to find out if there are things you can do in the classroom to help him out? Is he advanced for what they're doing in school? Does he have some hearing problems (thus making him easily distractible if he can't pay attention as well?) It's faily new into the year, I would try to exhaust some issues at school first if you haven't already done so. Without labeling him ADHD, I'm sure there are things that the teacher has already experienced with other ADHD kids that you could try with him.

Also, diet issues can be life altering. Does he get a carb breakfast or a heavy protein breakfast? Going to a heavy protein breakfast can sometimes help those spirited children with their day (check into the Feingold diet method). Cut out the processed foods and chemicals wherever possible. Is he getting consistent good sleep at night (10+ hrs).

With my more spirited 10yo, and an easily distractible 7yo, we change venue a lot. We use a lot of physical things to help get shake out the willies (not in the bad way lol). We use various methods to connect with all their learning centers, and a lot of quiet time for things that they really need to concentrate on.

[MommaTrish]

It wouldn't be an immediate change, more of something to consider at the end of this year depending on how he does. I've talked to his teachers several times, and they said they've noticed a slight change in him so far. They suggested we try using his same rules at school at home, whichc we have, but he's not doing much better here with them than he is there. And that's really been the only thing they've suggested. But we'll be pushing for more advice from them in a few weeks at the first parent/teacher conference, because my husband would prefer Ryan stay in school.
He's eating breakfast at home now, fruit and a bowl of his cereal we got him (some organic, gluten and dye free cereal my mom found) but that's all he has time to eat. He's started taking his own snacks in, whereas before one kid would bring snack in for the whole class each day. We figured if we were changing his diet we weren't going to make other parents responisble for trying to find snack that fit and then getting enough for everyone. We've been watching all the ingridents in food we give him at home for dinner. The only thing that hasn't changed is his lunches since he gets those at school.
He gets actually about 11 hours of sleep each night. He goes to bed at 7-7:30 now and get up at about 6.

[Sharon Kay]

Speaking with experience here ... two boys with ADHD ... and it took us years to figure out that was what it was ... the meds helped tremendously!!! Both boys are still on it and take different kinds (what worked for one, basically did nothing for the other). I did end up taking them out of public school (one was in through 7th ... the other I took out at the end of 6th because it was working so well with the older one).

The boys have been on meds for many years now. I do NOT believe the meds changed the boys ... it just gives them time to THINK about what they are about to do or say before they do it (and generally decide not to) ... their pediatrician said a patient described the difference really well to him ... and that description (it's kind of long) is what made me decide to help the boys.

They both had troubles concentrating in school...there are soooooooo many distractions. ...one of mine had troubles with the book to brain to paper ... he could do it ... it was just difficult.

I have been homeschooling them and this is the 3rd year for one and 4th year for the other. We use Switched on Schoolhouse which is completely computer based ... it KEEPS their attention ... lots of visuals, mini movies, and even games (like vocabulary). Nice thing is it grades all but the subjective questions and it gives me guidance on what to look for. They both make A's now ... it's not that the curriculum is easy, because it is not ... it is because they are given a quiet place to work with minimal distractions.

Good luck on your decision.