farfalla Report post Posted January 6, 2009 Well we have now moved and nearly settled in.. still boxes to unpack! We talked to Niam over the xmas about school, and showed him the websites of the nearest ones to us- basically he has flipped and has school fear now! His last school in Guildford we great- they tried all they could with him, and got the assessment process going, but his experience there wasn't ever good............... So now we are going to Home ed him, i am a bit scared and wondering if i am doing the right thing, but i know a friend (hey clare), who managed it, so i am going to give it a go................. We have transferred all the info here, and lea are being good about things (so far), we just have to wait for a phone call to talk things over........... as at the mo i dont know what the heck i need to do, i have tried to look at things online but they are a big mess in my head................ So thats about it from me so far. OOOOO apart from its his birthday today,.............. 13!!!! He hates parties, but is letting his cousins come down for a little buffet later.............. How will i get on - god knows - i havent got a clue ha ha Happy new year to all........ lets hope this one is good for my little baby Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clare63 Report post Posted January 6, 2009 Awwwwww so lovely to hear from you Farfalla ! "Happy Birthday" Niam......wow a teenager Think you will be amazed at how well the Home Ed goes (though you have to be very organised and do lots of preparation). There are lots of Home Ed supposrt Groups out there with opportunities for kids to get together and get social opportunities, not to mention social contact and support for parents. Wishing you a fabulous New Year ! Do please keep in touch. Clare x x x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
farfalla Report post Posted January 6, 2009 Thanks hun, hope you and yours are well, is connor back at school now? i will send you my home number so we can have a chat............ i am still waiting for LEA to ring me concerning the home ed......... ha at them being so good..... gulp! xx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anna Van Der Post Report post Posted January 7, 2009 So now we are going to Home ed him, i am a bit scared and wondering if i am doing the right thing, but i know a friend (hey clare), who managed it, so i am going to give it a go................. Hi, I have home educated my child right the way through and for us it has been a great experience. Of course you are scared but I found just as I learnt, as we went along, how to look after my son when he was a baby , I responded to and changed according to his development, the same is true in home education. Some children, who have had bad experiences at school take a while to settle down. They often seem to need a recovery period because they have been turned off learning and see it as boring and something you are made to do against your will. Once they have recovered and realise that learning is fun, something they thirst for you can then work with them. Home education is not for everyone but it enabled me to 1. Be responsive to my child's interests, aptitudes, developmental level and MOOD 2. To follow a particular interest through to its natural end (spending days if necessary) and going of at a tangent if something interested him 3. To control sensory isues 4. Offer controlled socialisation where he could build confidence based on successes 5. Give plenty of warning if we need to change an activity (when he was younger I used kitchen timers to give warning) 6. To tailor my approach to my son's preferred style of learning eg. if he didn't want to write stories we went for a walk with a dictaphone and as we walked through woods I started a story and stopped every so often for him to continue and we taped it 7. control stressors and triggers so that we rarely had outbursts In my book (now available www.asteens.co.uk) three families home educated for a period and in all instances it was a positive experience for the child and behavioural problems reduced. My view is give it a go and give it time (it took me ages to let go of a traditional school model of learning and find my own unique approach - you musn't expect instant success of yourself as you will be feeling your way to begin with) Keep us posted how you get on Good luck Anna Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted January 7, 2009 Hi Farfalla I hope Niam had a good birthday. Good luck with everything, especially the Home Ed. You aren't alone as you can see, there are several people here who can point you in the right direction and give you support. Let us know how it goes , K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
