Back to School After Homeschool

He'll do fine. But, if he knows you're apprehensive, it will affect him. It will take a few weeks to get used to if he has a hard time, but he will get used to it. Give it 4-6 weeks before you start questioning your decision. Kids are great if they are given the confidence they need. Don't give him any reason to feel there is anything to be scared about. When he comes home and has a bad day, speak to him about how to handle it, but don't pity him in such a way that you make it harder for him to go back. Give him the tools to handle it. Kids are very aware of your feelings. Fake it! Don't let him know that you're worried for him!

I think you made a good choice about Christian school. I am going to disagree with the other post-er who said public school. He goes into a large public school mid year, he may get labeled "special needs" and get put with kids who really have serious issues.

The smaller classes and close atention by teachers at a Christian school might work out very well!!!!

To prepare him: how about asking the principal if he can go out and have lunch once or twice with his new class, between now and then? Or maybe join his class for their Christmas play night or their special Christmas worship service? Or maybe they have a special day for reading and he can join them for a book!

A few visits out there will really help!

We did that when my 8th grader went from a small Christian school to a humungous, public high school! It helped.

I know that you have already made the choice to go back, but I wanted to let you know that schooling with a toddler underfoot is probably one of the hardest things you will ever do. Since you have only 2 children its hard to find someone else to distract the child while you accomplish something with the older child. I've definitely gone through this frustration. We are not so worried about whether we are accomplishing objectives "on time" because we do not have to compare our children with other children as in the school world. If we need to deal with a younger sibling who needs just as much attention as a school age child we spend the time doing this.

I'm surprised that it is taking 3-4 hours to get through a 1st grader's work (unless he's just having so much fun he can't stop :) When we talk to 1st year homeschoolers in a support group that I'm in, we encourage them to break the subjects into tiny chunks and work diligently for short amount of time to help them to learn to use time efficiently. We recommend seatwork types of work be kept at about 30 min. per grade level with a max of about 5 hours in high school. The rest of the day can be spent helping around the house, playing, mom reading to child, fun school type projects, practicing reading to self, taking up an instrument, doing art projects. Many of these things can include little ones in tow. Maybe you are expecting him to sit still too long?

Sure the older child has to learn to tolerate and maybe even enjoy the younger child, but that ends up being a lesson that can't be manufactured in a school setting.

If he's doing what you've described, you really don't have to worry too much about placing him in the school environment. I think that academically you already know his strengths and weaknesses and can do a few things over the holidays to recall to his mind and encourage him for the new way of schooling. Be careful as you prepare to go back about putting pressure to perform perfectly before going off to school. He'll do fine. You've provided him a good education so far (even though you may not think so.)

Enjoy Christmas as a family. This will do more to prepare him than you think.

Well, you might find more support and staff able to work with him better at a public school.
I know someone who wanted her child in a Christian school but the girl was kicked out of kindergarten for being quite vocal.
You owe it to your son to make sure he has teachers who will see him through and work through his low frustration tolerance.

I love the idea of getting him connected to kids in advance -- my daughter visited the class she was going to be joining just to see what the school was like, and it made a very lasting positive impression on her that we are still benefiting from. The kids were so kind. I think it will help a lot if you can make a relationship with his teacher ahead of time too. My husband always wants me not to say anything about our daughter having issues year after year about the same stuff -- calling out and being vocal, sometimes being impulsive, but I find it helps a lot to mention things in advance -- for one thing it makes it clear that you WANT your child to succeed and that you are not in denial about the issues.

Good luck!
M.