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34 Responses to “Will Homeschool Work For Your Kids?”

1. Yen Hernandez, on January 28th, 2009 at 1:05 am Said:

   
   
2. Jaysa, on January 28th, 2009 at 1:06 am Said:

   Hi Bro. Bo!

   Your blog now is very timely with what I am facing right now. I am in a crossroad where I have to choose if I will continue to homeschool my son, EJ with CFA or send him to a regular school next school year.

   This is our first year with homeschooling and there were really times that I was asking myself if I had made the right decision to homeschool. Maybe because the past year, my family faced a lot of “storms” such as the 1 month no electricity in our place due to huge amount of debt of our electric company which greatly affected our computer business, the sudden death of my brother in law due to motor vehicle accident which is very tragic for my husband and my in-laws since it’s their first time to experience death within the family, then the MILF-Government Conflict which resulted to war (We’re living here in Datu Piang, Maguindanao where most of MILF camps are based), then my husband got hospitalized due to nervous breakdown (due to his brother’s death), and the week after, my son got hospitalized for more than a week due to pneumonia.

   Thank God, Mayette is very supportive of me everytime I text her regarding my concern. My homeschooling group also in the net (pinoy homeschool) helps me a lot by reading posts.

   My husband and I initial reason why we enrolled our son in homeschool program was because the quality of education here (sad to say) is very poor. It was in the process that I realized that there’s more to homeschooling than our initial reason. Some of the things you have mentioned above being enjoyed by Bene are the very things that my son, EJ is also experiencing. I experienced teaching in a regular school that’s why I can really compare the benefits of homeschooling which for me is the best.

   However, you did mention to at CFA website that homeschooling is not for everyone. It entails a lot of sacrifice as you have mentioned above. This is where my dilemma comes in. Did God willed us to homeschool?

   There are instances kasi that I asked this question especially if I’m already pressured with the lesson since we’re 2 weeks behind from the start due to the delay in the delivery of materials. This pressure sometimes causes me to be rude with my son, who is still in Grade 1. I do apply your advises to teach his lessons through his interests and learning style but due to grade submission deadlines, I need to enforce my style. Everytime I hurt my son through my words and action (tao lang din ako), I am also hurt and it defits the purpose of homeschooling. Another thing that doesn’t apply in our area is having a support group which can understand homeschooling. It’s really different if there’s a “physical” group where same as you do there in Manila, you’re able to do activities with other homeschoolers ( I really envy the homeschoolers there). That’s why until now, I am still considering sending him to regular school next year due to those reasons (Although labag sa kalooban ko)

   But if I have to choose, I would really love to homeschool my kids if not for the above reasons. Anyway, we’re still in the fourth quarter of this school year. Please help me pray what God wills for our kid’s education. He knows my hearts desire regarding this matter and for sure He’ll unfold it in His time.

   Continue to be a blessing to others Bro. Bo!

   God bless!

   Jaysa
   Poblacion, Datu Piang, Maguindanao

3. Menard V. Pineda, on January 28th, 2009 at 8:30 am Said:

   Very good job for yor son Bo, i’m very gald of it may god will bless you always for you!

4. Yeleixa, on January 28th, 2009 at 9:14 am Said:

   I don’t understand fully what is homeschool. As a matter of fact, it is the first time that I have read about this “thing”. How does it work? I mean, can a child or a person still have to hold a degree?

   An apology for my ignorance.

   Yeleixa
   Cebu

5. mom@law, on January 28th, 2009 at 9:18 am Said:

   Hi. I am really contemplating on doing this for my son. However, I am a solo parent, and as such, could not devote that much time to his education, as I am busy to fulfill all other needs for my son, such as primarily, footing our monthly expenses. My son is just about 1 and a half years old, and in time, perhaps, I would be given more leeway on how to go about this. Has there been any solo/single parent there who has homeschooled, and how has it been for her/him? It would be a pleasure to know, that this works, even for us. Thanks and more power.

6. bosanchez, on January 28th, 2009 at 9:56 am Said:

   Hi Friends,
   Thanks for all the questions!
   About fees: Around P20T a year
   About degrees: Yes, it’s DepEd accredited.
   More answers when you log on at www.CatholicFilipinoAcademy.com

   Hi Jaysa!
   I will pray for your decision.
   My wife loses her temper too, so what you’re experiencing is normal.
   You will grow in your patience. And always remember that your son is more important than whatever deadlines he must meet.
   God bless,
   Bo

7. donah, on January 28th, 2009 at 10:55 am Said:

   I think this is a great option and opportunity for the kids to learn more than what the regular school can offer. This is, though, expecting more time from the parents. I will be considering homeschooling for my kid (when i have one), im still single, but i’m also a teacher. I know that there are a lot of things kids can learn far from the classroom corners.

   Great job! I’ll visit you some time

   God bless!

8. jobal, on January 28th, 2009 at 2:54 pm Said:

   Hi, Bo!

   How i wish i can homeschool my youngest son who is now 3 years old. My concern is that, I have to continue working 8-6, MOn. - Fri. because my husband is jobless and still looking for other possibilities to earn. Other parents like you are luckier because you own your time and are not regular employees. I believe in the core principles of CFA homeschooling program. Also, we live in the province where homeschooling is not popular and therefore has no estblished group. Im also into education being a student services staff and have an idea how a regular school differs from CFA.

   I hope my husband can financially support the family needs soon so that i can persoanlly attend to my son.

   Continue to be a blessing to others through your gem thoughts and wisdom.

   jobal
   nueva ecija

9. jana, on January 28th, 2009 at 5:40 pm Said:

   Hi bro Bo!

   Im really considering to homeschool my son because he has very short attention span (he would always say he is bored in school) but the problem is my husband and I are both working. He is in sales and im in teaching. What will we do?

10. ping sotto, on January 28th, 2009 at 8:51 pm Said:

    When you wrote “Simplicity” my reaction was … “Whoaa? You mean driving around in jaguar’s and merc’s is a sin even if one acquires these legitimately without neglecting one’s duties to his brethren?” Then you came out with “Simplicity in Abundance” modifying your stance in Simplicity. That made me sigh with relief.

    And now … homeschooling …

    There are definitely pros & cons in homeschooling and I’d like to see a more thorough study (not purely an inductive one, I’m sorry, that could be dangerous) to guide our readers. I’m worried that some parents out there might think they’re not giving their children what “ought to be given” (like some of the reactions I saw).

    Most, if not all, of today’s leaders & titans of industry attended “normal” school. Could they have been much better had they attended homeschool? Maybe yes, maybe no … Just wondering …

    With much respect,
    ping

11. Marvin, on January 28th, 2009 at 11:50 pm Said:

    Hi Everyone!

    When my eldest son was three years old, we ran across the concept of homeschooling from the book written by Dr. James Dobson entitled Bringing Up Boys. That book was not about homeschooling per se but it mentioned homeschooling as an option, in much the same way reference to it was made in this post.

    Two years later, we homeschooled our son at the Catholic Filipino Academy. My wife resigned from her job, partly because of her desire to get into home-based business, and partly because of her desire to homeschool our son in the mornings. I have a <a href=”http://familyforkids.com/2008/11/06/three-facts-every-friend-should-know-about-homeschooling/” rel=”nofollow”>blog post about it at familyforkids.com</a>.

    But be forewarned: when we attended the orientation for the homeschool program, the speaker–it was Rene Espinosa–has warned us in no uncertain terms: <b>homeschooling is fulfilling, BUT it is not easy</b>. You better be committed to it, much more than simply having one spouse full time at home.

    I’d say, whether homeschooling or otherwise, a parent MUST be committed to the child’s education.

    Yes, there are many educational models and homeschooling is one of them. What’s most important is that parents, most especially Christian parents, MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for the education of children. Whether that can be accomplished by homeschooling the kids, or sending them to Christian schools, or public schools, or other alternative types of schools such as Waldorf School…is up to the parent. Circumstances are different, the people involved are different.

    In our case, we chose to homeschool our child primarily because at three years old, I already saw the temperament of my son, and he was like me when I was his age. I excelled in school, yes, but something was terribly missing and I became rebellious, to the great disappointment of my parents and teachers.

    Now that I’m 40, I understand what was really happening back then: I was a <b>kinesthetic child</b> and classrooms bored me to death. Even today, long meetings bore me to death.

    Friends were concerned about the “social” life of my son. I told them that was the least of my son’s problems. My son showed that he was a highly extrovert young person. Befriending neighbors and kids of community members or church goers was the least of his problem.

    The problem that we deliberately dealt with was how to effectively direct his energy. Classrooms would choke him, and I already knew it. Its why I didn’t send him there. Thank God for home school. Thank God for Catholic Filipino Academy.

    That, of course, was <b><i>our</i></b> circumstance.

    Others may have other circumstances, which require a unique approach.

    I’d rather go for the principle of TAKING RESPONSIBILITY for the education and formation of our kids.

    That’s the WHAT. I leave the HOW to the parent’s discretion.

    But make sure you take a look at homeschooling as an option.

12. Beuwolf, on January 29th, 2009 at 7:50 am Said:

    Hi!

    I agree definitely with this article. Yes, there are indeed many great schools out there, but spending time and training up your child in the way that he should go is priceless

    Besides the first 6 years of the child is the most important to him for his values formation. Most parents send their kids as early as 4 for Nursery, but these are still the years that the parents should have been impressing Godly values and the fear of the Lord to their children.

    I and my wife have a child on the way, due this coming February. And we are convinced and decided to pursue the Home Schooling Option.

    Thanks for the examples of what to do, the resources and the encouragement that we are not the only ones who are considering this option.

13. Bles, on January 29th, 2009 at 12:06 pm Said:

    My husband and I are considering homeschool for our child(he’s still less than a year old though) or children, if we are blessed with more!

    When we moved to a different state recently, we met 2 families who are home schooling their kids and they love it for those reasons given in the article.

    Although, we moved to a place where the school system is good, we will still give home schooling a try.

14. Tacio, on January 29th, 2009 at 1:14 pm Said:

    Hi Bro Bo!
    I have fun reading of your books. I only have three of it and the last one given to me by my friend last december 2008….its about the 8 secrets of the truly rich. Because of that book I am inspired to work on the double not just for the future of my family but for other people and ultimately to God. Salamat sa inspiration bro, I hope mapalago namin tong nasimulan naming business..In relation to home schooling pinag iisipan ko kung kaya because parang mahirap talaga.
    Sa ngayon bro Bo marami akong loans because of previous problems…at least sa ngayon I know how to differentiate good debts from bad debts.So mixed yata tong mga na-acquire ko na mga debts but any way, i realized that its not yet the end of everything its just the beginning to track success.Si mam Julie Gadiongco nga ng Julie’s bakeshop started her eatery business at the age 46 and at the age 50 may bakeshop na sya until now at 70 plus year-old na umaabot na sa 500 more ang kanyang outlets.Kaya I believe na hindi namimili ng edad ang tagumpay lalo nat nandyan ka bro touching our lives and bringing ourselves closer to God…With all your endeavors Bro Good luck and God bless you and to your family…
    P.S Bro also help us pray to every area of our life na sana mag reign SIYa.Salamat

15. Jaycee, on January 29th, 2009 at 2:29 pm Said:

    I really think homeschooling is best than normal, in normal schools they can learn 2 things,, the good and the bad,, cause learning socially ahm like in public schools also in private,, students this days decreases there morallity,, they learn how to say bad words,, they know how to be insulted by other classmate although this is natural,, its better for them not experience any of this for future use,, more discipline can be made in homeschooling,, they can be more responsible and your bonding will not be broken,, you will love your child and they will love you much more,, clearly sure,, its not that we are overprotective,, we just want thm to be good,, to be with God,, of course we can be the one responsiblefor this,, makes them do less sin,, ,

16. King, on January 29th, 2009 at 4:34 pm Said:

    Hi Bro. Bo! I was here.

17. tintin, SFC in socal, on January 29th, 2009 at 6:22 pm Said:

    Bro Bo,
    I would like to comment onto this blog.. recently I was given an opportunity to judge in a national event here in US for public speaking of teenagers aged 12-18.. And I took the chance since I was curious about how are speech contests here in America being held. And to my great surprise, they are really very good! They all showed exemplary performance, may it be persuasive speech, humorous speech, team policy debates, oratorical, extemporaneous, etc.. It was held in Concordia University, a Christian University here in California… I was so surprised that these kids were all home-schooled. In the beginning I have this perception of “home-schooling” is just meant for rich people, and the students will not be as smart and some important values might be lacking.

    But being in that University for a couple of days, being able to interact with the parents and watch the students, I have found it true, it is NOT EASY to provide quality home school to your kids. Everything starts at home, the values parents instill to the kids, the discipline, and most especially the growth in faith as well.

    That’s why I applaud to those who were able to raise their kids through home school and be successful and enjoy the things they do.. More power!!

    ~Tintin/MK Villanueva
    SFC-Southbay, California

18. Josette, on January 29th, 2009 at 7:09 pm Said:

    Hi bro bo, thanks for sharing this story of your life to us, this will be a base if will have my own family.. anyways, just want to ask lang, how about the educational credentials if the children taught at home? i mean, we need to have a transcript of record in order to find a job. what you can say about this. thank you and il wait for your reponse Regards and May God Bless You

19. vicky, on January 30th, 2009 at 10:24 pm Said:

    Greetings,

    I think this idea of homeschoolingis good specially for us working overseas.May I know how can I enroll my children?

    Thank youand God bless.

20. Jes, on January 31st, 2009 at 10:08 pm Said:

    The world is constantly changing and the option of home schooling is great especially now when parents are more than qualified to be teachers. I just think that it will not work for me because I work well in a competitive environment. This is why I am an academic scholar. I have to go to a learning place to focus on what I’m studying. For me the school is a break from home and the home is a break from school. A vacation is a break from both. God himself put us in this world and be subjected to its elements because he valued our freedom of choice. In the same way we have to give our children the chance to experience as much as they could. Loving God is in itself a choice. We do not own our children we are just caregivers. This is the same reason why we oppose abortion “We do not own them”.

    Just like many other barriers. Home schooling is another barrier between the poor and the rich, the educated parents and the uneducated parents. At the end it doesn’t matter because what matters is the best interest of the child.

    “When outliers become outliers it is not just because of their own efforts. It’s because of the contributions of lots of different people and lots of different circumstances— and that means that we, as a society, have more control about who succeeds—and how many of us succeed—than we think. - Malcolm Gladwell “

21. Courageous, on February 17th, 2009 at 9:43 am Said:

    I must agree that homeschooling is a better alternative to traditional education for the above reasons stated by Bo.

    I think Bene is a good product of homeschooling and this should convince parents out there to consider this option as viable especially in the midst of financial crisis.

22. Jona, on April 18th, 2009 at 4:59 pm Said:

    Hi Bro Bo,

    I have an 8 yr old boy. He was diagnosed to be autistic. He is now going to a special school. As part of what I have learned with the teachers and his doctor we at home should also spend time teaching him. Now, he can do most of the things on his own, do chores, and even takes care of me (like prepare my things for work, he packs up my laptop as I use it at work, we make him set the table every eating time…and lot lot more!). He can already express himself in one to three words. I feel that he has improved a lot and can do things like (even better than normal kids) of his age. He is very good in spelling and I noticed that when I want him to learn things like drawing, new words to spell, writing (well, I’m proud that he can write very well), he “do” learn. I really want to put him to a regular school and I am waiting for his school to give advice that he is ready. I am a regular recipient of your very nourishing soulfood emails and have read about this homeschooling. I am very interested but will he be qualified? I know given enough time he can really be like any other kids.
    Hope you can enlighten me.
    Thank you very much Bro Bo! Thank you for your endless energy to inspire and guide us to know “HIM” more.

    Best regards and GOD bless,
    Jona

23. Nestle, on April 20th, 2009 at 4:56 am Said:

    More power to you Bo and to your family.

    As me and husband with our 2 year old boy is planning to move back to the Philippines soon as husband retires, I’ve been looking closely about the right school and education for our son. Yes I do believe Homeschooling is great!!! But I just wonder if it is possible that I could hire a teacher for my son and If I can does anybody here have idea how much is the wage for a private teacher?

    My son at 2 is smarter than me in some point when I was in 3rd grade I would say. Few people that we meet tells us that we have a pro-gifted child. So I don’t want to send him into normal school because I know if he could learn good pretty fast then he could also learn bad pretty fast.

    Any advice from Bo and from anybody here would be greatly appreciated.

    Sincerely,

    Nestle
    Minnesota, USA

24. jayme, on April 20th, 2009 at 8:17 am Said:

    Hi! Homeschooling is such a wonderful thing, however it does not apply to all. As much as I want to be with my daughter all the time, I just can’t, because I am a single mom and I need to earn for both of us.

    Bo, you’re quite lucky to be able to do these things with your kids.

25. ascii, on April 20th, 2009 at 12:00 pm Said:

    i beg to disagree i still go for regular schooling than homeschooling..

26. Janny Manla, on April 20th, 2009 at 9:10 pm Said:

    I have been thinking about this homeschooling two years ago pa….especially when my younger daughter had bad experiences sa two private pre-schools na pingapasukan ko sa kanya, and my eldest daughter naman seemed not enjoying her school either….isip ko lang, how i can manage this because i am a single mom and have to work to have food on the table…sana nga, yong mga sinisimulan kong financial avenues, ay maging stable na, so I can finally have the freedom of time, and spend more quality time with my daughters, which is what i dream the most….including syempre, homeschooling.

    pray for me,

    thanks!

27. confusedmom, on April 21st, 2009 at 6:13 am Said:

    Hi Bro. Bo,
    Pardon my hypercritical comments since nobody is perfect in any way and nobody should judge anybody but just to give you a picture, here goes…

    In a place where parents sue each other, sue teachers and principals just to grab a hold of that very precious ranking of being the first or the valedictorian of the class, where teachers couldn’t even determine which correct preposition to use (not that my english is perfect), where kindergarten teachers don’t understand a bit about the psychology of kids, I am at the moment at a loss where I should be sending my 2 year old boy to school when the time comes (maybe within two or three years from now).

    I have been greatly blessed having parents who understand the importance of having good education. I was sent to an exclusive girls’ school in manila and then I graduated from the best (should I say) public university, UP. Now I am here living permanently in a nearby province (a very rural place to give you a picture). I have been observing local private schools (and even those in the nearest towns) but could not find any I could say would satisfy me for my son. A close friend of mine, my mom and my brother have been badgering me about sending my son to a good school which for them exists only in manila. Could be true, but, with my situation right now I couldn’t picture myself going back and living in manila anymore. This place is just so serene and generally peaceful that it’s a bit difficult for me to leave just like that.

    this is the second time I came across homeschooling from your blogs / articles. now i am greatly considering homeschooling my son even just for the “foundation” (as my mom calls it), which is going through kindergarten or nursery. after we get through that maybe i could again review if we did good and if we should continue with homeschooling.

    the only thing i am concerned about homeschooling my boy is the part where he has no socialization experience with other kids. but since we are only 3 hours away from manila maybe I could bring him to attend the weekly meet ups with other kids.

    right now my consideration of homeschooling above regular schooling is around 60-40%.

    pray for me please that i may be able to choose correctly which is best for my kid.

    thank you bro for your inspiring stories that keep me on my toes even though i am at the most isolated place in the world.

    God bless!

    Still in a quandary,

    MH Confused Mom

28. angel c elones, on April 23rd, 2009 at 11:35 am Said:

    hey Bro.Bo,
    I’m a teacher in one of the most known Catholic School in the country. I’m in fact fascinated with how your 9 year old son lives and enjoys his life.By the way, I’m married for 2 yrs and an expectant mother as well. I have heard a lot of good things about homeschooling since it really builds a bond between parents and their children, but the problem is that, parents nowadays are too busy. Sometimes, we even assume that parents send their children to school just to relieve themselves from taking care of their kids the whole day. One proof of this is that, some ( I mean “some” only ) parents would complain about summer vacation……. This is so sad because we are a catholic institution and I myself is a product of Catholic school.Our goal is to form a family who is close with each other, cares with one another and of course God-fearing.But then again, so many factors constitute to this matter.Maybe you can give additional talks about family bonding. I love children, and I as a teacher could clearly see the effects of one’s own family on how a child works, speaks, copes up with his problem and even how they mingle with their classmates.So I suggest that parents should also try homeschooling especially during the formative years wherein the children would really feel the presence of their family. Through this, I hope that all parents would know and realize how important their roles are in nurturing their children.Thank you and more power.

    ( But we also have to put into consideration that regular schooling has also a lot of advantages too like socialization and independence)

29. Jiscel Tanalgo, on April 25th, 2009 at 7:47 am Said:

    Bro. Bo,
    I have a three year old daughter and by next year she will be going to school. Of course I’m concerned about what she will experience in school. I’m afraid of unpleaseant experiences she will experience in school like bullying etc. Since she’s been with us for 3 years and haven’t experience any. I just want want to know if homeschooling is suitable for my daughter. Is it possible that I can have a trial of homeschooling before she can formally enroll.

30. marge, on May 6th, 2009 at 9:17 am Said:

    hi! Bro. Bo,

    My husband and i are considering homeschooling for our children, ages 5 and 6. We’re giving it a try at least for a year, from there we will decide whether to continue homeschooling our children or not.

    The only thing that worries us is the fact that Dep Ed does not directly recognize homeschooling.

    We’re located here in Visayas, and our apprehension of having a hard time in requesting school credentials, getting updates, gives us second thought.

    Hope you could give us some feedbacks, thanks and more power!

31. Miriam San Pedro, on May 11th, 2009 at 2:10 am Said:

    Hi Bo,

    I would like to share you about my high school valedictorian classmate who chose to give her daughter and son homeschooling in Florida, U.S.A. I think she is doing a great job because the kids are far more mentally advanced than the other kids in U.S. who go to regular schools. Also, her patience is being practiced more in homeschooling. And during this time of oil price increase, it is much better to just stay home with kids and do home shooling. The fact that our HS Valedictorian chose homeschooling is already a big deal! Sometimes I think it is better coz you will be able to determine the talents of your children and be able to develop it properly. Bill Gates mentioned that the best job one can have is to choose the talents that you can use for your job or business and enjoy it. That way it comes out natural.

32. Daisy, on August 11th, 2009 at 7:56 am Said:

    Hi bro bo and to all readers,
    I read all ur comments and yeah all of us have different opinions,experiences and knowledge
    on homeschooling but as u have mentioned that
    we can’t do much as we wanted because of time
    money and responsibilities that occurs on this
    education that we wanted for our child. When I watched Bo’s Core Principle of Homeschooling,
    I already wanted to have that because I was convinced
    that homeschooling is better because we can
    see and follow the phase our children,their likes their talents and their weaknesses. I just wish I can do that but I cant because I am working abroad but bro Bo thank you so much for all your blogs. May u not tired of serving God and His people. I always pray for you too.

    Love from,
    daisy-Ireland
    we can see and

33. Rex, on October 5th, 2009 at 12:19 pm Said:

    There should be a qualitative study about how the kids are faring after CFA. So, I would like to suggest if CFA can sponsor a research study on this from third-party Filipino Catholic Universities? DLSU Educational Leadership Department perhaps? Or, perhaps a researcher can research about this? That I would be interested to read.

34. Ma. Theresa Rosales, on April 23rd, 2010 at 8:52 pm Said:

    Hi po! I am a mother of a 4 year old boy and presently an OFW here in United Arab Emirates. I have heard regarding you homeschool program from my neighbor here because she is also sending here kids to Catholic Filpino Academy. My problem is I can’t seem to find you wedsite. It seems that your account had been suspended. I wanted to inquire badly because I am planning to send my son for homeschool. My son is coming to live with me here by next month. He finished his pre-school/nursery 2009-2010 at Jesus Marie International School. I would really appreciate if you could help me regarding my queries.By the way my name is Theresa.Thanks!

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