Ok. I don't like moms that home school. I just need to put that out there. Yes there are exceptions to my rule. But very few so check in with me before you think its you. I have hung out with a few fun ladies and had a great time with them only to find out after the fact that they home school and been surprised they are so normal. I have this stereo type that the kids of these ladies are really
super weird and anti social because their moms are super looser and weird. You know the kind of ubber protective moms that cut the crust off their child's PBj and makes homemade Popsicles with toothpicks in ice cube trays. God those women annoy me! One woman was talking about how her kids were so smart the teacher didn't see it. Or they learned curse words at school ect.. as their reasoning for pulling them out. That's so narrow minded and lame I don't even try to argue with that kind of dis functional personality.
In general I feel like you should have a teaching degree to teach. There are some big important things that educators learn whilst getting a teaching degree. I doubt any homeless guy on the street could just walk into a school and get hired so why do these moms give themselves the green light so quickly? You have almost the same skill set as the homeless guy when it comes to educating others. The biggest and most important aspect is the social skills they learn. No matter how smart you are you will achieve very little with out people skills. And though some moms add field trips and play dates to their home school regimen I still think its not as diverse as the experiences they get in public school. I am talking about the kind of experiences they will encounter later in life in the work force. Going to work in your pajamas sitting at the kitchen table, meeting deadlines the women that breast fed you has set forth, and playing with kids your mom has pre selected isn't going to cut it. I will be straight up honest with you too. I don't have the patience or the will power to home school. I wouldn't know how to separate mommy "me" from teacher me and laundry folding window washing me. It would be like wearing too many hats. Studies show the more you take on you do poorly in each situation vs taking on very few things and Mastering them. I would hate to fall short on my child's education cause I am taking on more than I can handle. And since by nature most people are not very self introspective I doubt they realize what a shit job they really are doing.
This year I am homeschooling Olivia. If you can even call it that. I prefer to call it tutoring. She is only 4 and this is preschool stuff not real school stuff. I had her in a preschool last year and the most she got out of it was how to glue cotton balls to construction paper. Of the five hours she was there 2 were nap time. I knew I needed to push her more than the preschool was and bridge the gap because she could be behind with her hearing loss. I added Derek into the mix as well. And the whole thing is stretching me beyond what I thought I could pull off. I get overwhelmed when they don't seem to pick up on what I am teaching and we have had full on war some days. A teacher would be more patient and also probably has an understanding of the way children their age comprehend. I am so glad to get to spend more time with them because of it. Olivia will start Kinder next year and Derek will be old enough for real preschool. I am impressed and humbled by what school teachers do. I think they choose their profession cause they have a gift(a gift I do not posses). I will never be stingy with thank you notes and Christmas presents for these people that light the way for my children. NUFF said!
On Wednesdays we have the Mott kids come over to play and then the next week my kids go to their house. Its so cool because all of her kids are the same ages and sex as my kids and they live closest to us of all the familes in the ward. A while ago Andrew revamped the game of musical chairs to work on the tramp and the kids loved it. Its so much fun! I usually have them put a sticker down on the pad for each child playing as the place to land when the music stops and then we take one sticker off each round till we have a winner. I always have candy or something for the winner. I hate moms that expect you to just play for the fun of it. Up the anti a bit and get some real competition going! Every time they come they beg me to play it. I don't mind. I have nothing better to do. 
