- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- grandparents today articles
- grandparents today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
The Homeschool Decision
Is It a Viable Alternative for
Your Grandchild?
Your Grandchild?
By Teri Brown
When the Baxters* told their parents about their decision to homeschool, they received a decidedly mixed reaction. "We told my mom first, and she was very negative about it, saying that she didn't think that was a very good thing to do, they'd miss out on too much, etc.," says Laura Baxter*, mother of three from Trafford, Pa. "Then we told my mother-in-law. She was quietly supportive, just basically saying that as long as it was something we felt we could do, then it didn't matter to her."
While Baxter's mom has gotten over her initial negativity, she still is wary of the outcome. Her in-laws, however, are extremely supportive, and their warm acceptance spills over to helping with their grandchildren's educations. "My in-laws are supportive," Baxter says. "They often ask the kids what they've been studying, and they take opportunities to share things with them as they come up naturally in life."
Tamra Orr, author of A Parent's Guide to Home Schooling (Mars Publishing, 2002), agrees there are many things grandparents can do to support their homeschooled grandchildren, but first they must conquer anyprejudices they have about this unusual form of education.
