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<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>Hi everyone,<BR><BR>I am on this list but have
not yet participated with this group. We are a family<BR>who is considering
homeschooling and I am particulary drawn to unschooling.<BR>My daughters are 2
and 4 and right now they are in church preschool a couple<BR>of days a week for
1/2 a day so that I can run an at-home business. What I am<BR>planning to do is
close the business and/or sell it this summer and start keeping<BR>my kids at
home full-time. I really think my 4 year old is suited for
unschooling<BR>because she is so inquisitive and loves to learn. Every question
she asks becomes<BR>an opportunity to teach and she just keeps asking so she can
learn more and more.<BR>I am so hesitant to put her in public school because I'm
afraid she will lose her love<BR>of learning. Right now she is having some
difficulties socially at preschool. Last<BR>year she had a great year. This year
a group of kids came from another class and<BR>all know each other and play
together. My daughter constantly comes home telling<BR>me she doesn't have any
friends and no one will play with her. Yet other adults<BR>tell me how
wonderful my child is. She is certainly outgoing and loves to play
with<BR>others. I'm not sure what is going on in her class. I've spoken to the
teacher, but<BR>they seem to think my daughter is using the term "friend" to
mean "best friend" and<BR>they tell me all the children play together.<BR><BR>So
my husband hears this too because he picks up the kids on Fridays and
spends<BR>the afternoon with them. He thinks she should go to public school
mostly for social<BR>reasons. I'm trying to convince him that
homeschooling is not about staying at home<BR>24/7 to teach in a classroom-type
setting. (He thinks we need a room in the house<BR>for "schooling.") I
think every room in the house (and out of the house) would be
our<BR>school.<BR><BR>Someone recommended I get the book "The Well-adjusted
Child" and I've got it on<BR>hold at the library today and plan to read it
ASAP. I am wondering if any of you out<BR>there struggled with a spouse to
make the decision to homeschool. Also I would love<BR>to be able to meet
with other homeschoolers as sort of a "information session" like<BR>you might
have at a school. I'm sure there are others considering
homeschooling<BR>who would like such an event too. Just an opportunity for
several homeschooling<BR>families to talk about their experience and a typical
day (if there is such a thing) and<BR>why they chose to homeschool, etc. The
funny thing is that my husband's brothers'<BR>families are homeschooling. Nine
kids between the 2 families, ranging in ages from<BR>5 to 20. They are all
wonderful kids and sure there are struggles with a few, but I<BR>don't see
anyone that is not prospering. I'm not sure why my husband still
thinks<BR>public schooling would be better after watching these 9 kids grow up
so well-adjusted.</FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><BR><BR>I'm hoping
to make it to the playgroup on Jan. 31st. Is anyone else going? I've
been<BR>to Lake Crabtree but not to the playground. Am I going to be able to
find it and<BR>find others in this group easily?<BR><BR>Thanks for any
information that you all can provide. I am glad to have found
this<BR>group.<BR><BR>Katy</FONT> </FONT></P></BODY></HTML>
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