My son is 11 - in 6th grade and is having some problems. He is a great child and a great blessing. At school he is becoming known as the "tattler" because he doesn't mind standing up for what is right. He often comes homes from school upset & hateful to his sisters because of being made fun of at school. I am upset, of course, I don't want him to be mistreated. He has asked for about 2 yrs to be home schooled & it seems to be getting bigger in my spirit & heart. I'm scared to death because he is in middle school & I feel very inadequate about being responsible for his education at this point. Any help would be greatly appreciated & any thought about what I should do. Should I let him tuff it out and learn to deal with it or keep him home & educate him there?

2busyamom,
My opinion is that you should pray and listen to God about what to do(it sounds like God has been talking to you already). I don't think that going to school should be stressful to children or it takes away the ability and enjoyment of learning. I have a 10 yr old daughter. She will be in 6th grade next year, but I have homeschooled her from the beginning. I understand the fear in beginning to homeschool, though. My advice would be to find a homeschool support group and at least one good homeschool mentor that could help you with the basics or to just ask questions to. I don't think you have anything to lose by homeschooling. What God has called you to do, He will equip you to do. Extraordinary things are done through ordinary people by God! That's all we are, ordinary people that have been called to educate our children. I don't know any homeschool parent who has not felt inadequate to homeschool, but that may because of our society. Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go(or whatever you do)" I added the last part. I will be praying for you.
Sage

Hello Ladies!
It is so exciting to hear from potential homeschoolers! Making the decision to actually do it is so hard! I remember going back and forth in my thinking for months and feeling really torn. Other moms seem to know from conception that they will homeschool. I wish I had that certainty in the beginning. But, what I didn't have in decisiveness, I had in faith and stubbornness. God has blessed our obedience and homeschooling has been a blessed experience. Easy? No, but so worthwhile.
My point is that sometimes we just have to jump in the pool. Read some books, talk to some friends, find a support group, go to a conference, then DO IT! God will go with you!
Christine

I too am a mom, one 12 going into 7th grade, 9 going into 4th, and twins age 3 1/2. I have also, been thinking for years of having my kids go thru homeschooling. In short one has been bullied since kindegarden, a hard worker, very serving and take charge, and is very unique in her confidence, but has very few friends, and school has never been easy, the other is very bright (read at 8th grade reading level in 2nd grade), may or may not get classroom work done depending on his mood(easily distracted), and is bored, and what to do with the twins (who need to be in preschool)? Any ideas?

I agree with the others. Pray and seek God's guidance, and if He is leading you to homeschool, then go for it! Find a support group near you if possible, or just a few other homeschool moms to connect with. We lived near San Jose, CA, when my oldest was kindergarten and 1st grade and there was a wonderful, Christian homeschool group there. Sorry, I can't remember the name. Home School Legal Defense has a list on their site of support groups by state, so you might be able to find a group there (hslda.org) You could even do a Google search for homeschooling in your city/state. That's how I found the group we joined when we moved to Texas this year. I started homeschooling my kids from the beginning, but still I had seasons of doubt (and even fear) as they grew up. Could I handle middle school? Could I handle high school? We just took each challenge as it came along, and God was always faithful to meet our needs.

Wow, how exciting to hear of someone considering the journey of homeschooling. I have been homeschooling now for 2 yrs, my son is 10. I have to admit that this just feels right. Each day I wake up, for the first time in a long time, I feel complete. I will be the first to admit that I was not a very good student. But my thoughts regarding training my son is this. 1. God has equipped me with everything I need to care for the gift he has give. 2. I love him too much to lead him into destruction, 3. I can read, therefore I can teach him. I have also hooked up with a wonderful support group in my area, who are a wealth of knowledge.

Be blessed and I'll be praying

So, what did you decide to do?
Blessings,
Christine