Tuesday, December 13, 2016

How do homeschoolers prevent their children from becoming bullies? What do you do if you find out your child is bullying younger children?

Question : Bullying - the flip side
How do homeschoolers prevent their children from becoming bullies?  What do you do if you find out your child is bullying younger children?

Note: this may arise in the case of young children learn to socialize.  The assumption is the by teen years the children know the difference between good and bad/ acceptable and not acceptable behavior.


Ummibaps: 
I put this forward because many a parent worries about her child being bullied....few consider that their child might be one


AA: 1 son, 1 daughter
My son 2+ wants everything my daughter 3+ is playing with and if she doesn't give, there is a fight pulling hairs and biting between them. So to end the fight I just tell my daughter to give it to him.
Please advise on how to discipline my boy and not to make my daughter surrender all the time.


MN:
Same problem but the age is 1.6.......she even try to bite me :(......wannnttt everythngggg



SAA: 3 sons, 2 daughters/ ages 16 to 7
Question : Bullying - the flip side
How to homeschoolers prevent their children from becoming bullies?  What do you do if you find out your child is bullying younger children?
In my home it sometimes develop in a very droll way
My youngest who is the apple of my husband and the elder three kids eyes sometimes bully my second last one and he is too gentleman to strike back
Had to balance it out
Talk and discipline the one stepping out of bound
Recently the youngest son was teaching eldest the Rubik and basking in glow and dishing out smart mouth bullying i had to put a stop to that too
  


SMA: 
I love SAA's perspectives. She's like a psychologist cum educator. Barakallah feeki. And so generous with her advise, sparing a lot of time to explain well Alhamdulillah


Ummibaps: 8 sons, 1 daughter / 2yrs to 18yrs Alhumdulillah
What if your child is the bully?
Not many parents care to consider the flip side, but a child overly teasing a sibling, often mocking or pinching cousins ,  jeering maids is also bullying.....
-Again,  don't panic if you come to gear your child may be bullying someone
- gather further info from those who saw the incident
- speak to you child to find out the cause
- be aware that if there really isn't a cause then small children are still learning to socialize and need to be guided
- make your child apologise to those he may hurt ....Depending on his age and maturity. ...a child who finds it embarrassing to apologise will avoid repeating such actions
There is little point in making a very young child apologise. ...If too small to understand what it means and implies then "Sorry" is a formality to get away with bad behaviour. ..I hit him,  I said sorry,  I can hit him again and say sorry then too....
Encourage your child to say good and be nice to those he previously hurt...encourage him to see the other side of people and make excuses for them

REMEMBER : if your child bullies someone it does not reflect your behaviour,  as long as you don't become defensive about it ,  acknowledge to yourself you have a situation to deal with, and work towards fixing the problem


(Note: The above is a copy of a Whatsapp conversation,   partly edited for clarity)

How do homeschooling children socially cope with bullying issues,as they grow?

Question : Bullying
How do homeschooling  children socially cope with bullying issues, as they grow?
 

Salma
This is something I wonder. Ideally, homeschooling children would be provided a caring, nurturing environment by their parents, as their friends and other sources of interaction would be screened better than the average regularly school going kid. This must be good for their personality as well as character development, as they would learn to be polite and courteous etc.
However, what when they go into university or work life, where there is all kinds if competitiveness, backstabbing etc? How do well-meaning homeschooling parent prepare their kids?

 

SZ: 1 girl, 1 boy/Ages 6 and 3.5.
I guess by the age the child starts university, he's mature enough to handle it. Yes, he may have problems at first, but I think, with some guidance, he'd learn to deal with bullies much faster than a little child.


SF:
Homeschool children don't have to go through the trauma of being bullied at an age where they cannot understand that it is not their fault rather the person doing it is the one afflicted by some sort of complex. That said I wonder weather homeschool children turn out to be more sensitive. And even though I can give a million reasons for why being sensitive is a good thing I still feel having a thick skin helps in Pakistani Society

 

MG: 2 daughters, 1 son
Alhamdulillah good thing about Pakistan is that children do have a lot of interaction with family (cousins) , sibling also bully each other, social interaction  during extra curricular activities such as sports, art class etc all help in developing their personality .. and help them deal with bullying etc

 

SNM:
Very true! We should teach children morals before everything else! Things like gardening and keeping a pet are amazing for sensitive children as well as for the confident ones
 


SAA: 3 sons, 2 daughters/ ages 16 to 7
Bullying is a social curse
It effects those who are isolated in any manner
They might be kids who are shy or smart or have more or less then the social majority
Anyone can be a target for bullying anywhere
The three types of bullying
Physical
Social
Emotional
A child needs to be able to handle all these three
To stop or handle physical bullying
He/she must know how to defend themselves and others so
Martial arts tae kwondo etc are must
I felt I could get my kids in training only after they started homeschooling
It increased their psychometric sphere and their self esteem and confidence
Social bullying is socially orchestrating or public insulting or ridiculing someone
It's quite common here in our culture
The best way of handling is Sunnah
And it can only be taught by example and counseling
and taking constant part in social reform and dawah I felt that after starting homeschooling my kids had time and I prioritized it to involve them in my social work
being part of cause or social effort to solve people problems is the strongest self esteem structure and best thing about it is its never falls in arrogance but becomes more and more humane
Emotional bullying
Unfortunately is also a norm here because we are such close knit society and the only way to handle is to be more emotionally mature
That too is taught personally through love care and demonstration
I must confess that before homeschooling it wasn't even in my priority list
 


SF:πŸ‘†πŸ»Can you elaborate how you taught emotional bulling?



SAA: 
Emotional maturity comes first by being
More
Emotionally intelligent
It's achieved in three steps
1.Emotional awareness, including the ability to identify your own emotions and those of others being aware what I am feeling and then why I am feeling that way
So many times we are angry at someone because we are hurt by them recognizing that and then communicating it with out causing damage to relationships
2. The ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problems solving this is a very important part of children development how fear of failure or regret mostly drive us to work hard understanding that
Or how instead of bribing them  we teach
achievement is for Allah and your own gratification this changes the whole paradigm of how a child view learning
Recently my son was nonplussed by a question of his cousin
how do you want to work all the time
And my son  was
Because it's fun
And his cousin was asking
How is it fun to work
When he asked me I smiled and said figure it out
3. The ability to manage emotions, including the ability to regulate your own emotions, and the ability to cheer up or calm down another person.
This the third level of ei
And makes your child central to the world he exist in
It's make him responsible and dependable
Sympathetic and empathetic
Wayyaki
Mon ami
One thing I wish to share
When I was at my first meet the Homeschooler meet Mrs. AH said something that truly inspired me
She said that we try to teach our kids survival of fittest and being street smart but that is not the structure of kindness Islam gives
And I realized it was absolutely true we have made our society into a shark tank and
Why can't our kids change that paradigm

 

Dr. MM:
Yes agreed..persistence and teaching kids patience is the key to success..and never giving up.
 

SNM: 
I think children need to know that intelligence and hard work go together. If they are intelligent but not hardworking they won't be very successful. If they're average but hardworking they can still go for success and if they're intelligent as well as hardworking then there is nothing to stop them!
 


 SAA:  3 sons, 2 daughters/ ages 16 to 7
This is not a difficult thing to manage
The elders should be taught they are responsible but not by depriving them
If you ask the elder to act mature then you must also protect her childhood
The younger must also learn that he or she are building relationships
If they fight on something put it away
Ask them are they willing to share then give it
The elder is in critical stage of her growth be careful of how you treat her
Very important we indulge mostly cause we don't have time or are too exhausted to deal with their tantrum
When the elder is playing something or is on a learning spree place her in an area she won't be disturbed
If the little one finds out ask the elder to give two times then on the third ask the younger to be patient baji is not done
 Ask the elder to do little things of care for the younger and ask the younger to serve her elders
As giving water or cleaning hands or
Give them a treat and then ask to exchange
Or once ask the elder to distribute the treats and next ask the younger
Cuddle them together and laugh and talk with them
  


Ummibaps: 8 sons, 1 daughter / 2yrs to 18yrs Alhumdulillah
Bullying
Being Bullied:
Bullying is an experience a child may have at any age ,  even adulthood,  regardless of whether they go to school or not. A few things to keep in mind regarding this:
- don't panic if your child complains of being bullied...try to draw out more info regarding the incident from your child
- no matter how outraged you feel,  don't rant in front of your child
- try to get an idea of the scenario of the incident from your child. ..was the other child upset in the class / accidentally hurt by someone / something your child may have inadvertently done that may have led to a misunderstanding? Sometimes an upset child may misunderstand or react to a situation too quickly
- try to verify the info you have from your other children or your children's friends
- considering visiting the playground / workshop etc where you can view how the children are mingling .....Often incidents happen after class while waiting for rides home,  and no adult is supervising
-once you are sure that it is a case of bullying inform a teacher or supervisor to keep a vigil on the situation
- where the bullying takes form of violence,  don't wait...Visit the place it takes place and discuss the situation with the teacher  etc
This is of course in the case where the bully is another child.....The situation is very different when the bully is an adult
  Do question your child carefully...like asking
what happened before he pushed you?
did you say something first?
Did you bump him first?
Etc
Does this happen everyday?

 

SAA: Jazzakallah for the answer
I have learned that children facing social orchestrating are unaware that they are being bullied they just feel baffled and demean in their selves unable to share their hurt what should we do to help them

 

Ummibaps: SAA.....It varies from situation to situation. ...like I mentioned earlier, things are different when the bully is an adult....
The action to take depends on the situation. ..
If the bully is a teacher at school,   there is little one can do if it's only your child who is being emotionally bullied. ..you can encourage your child to be patient. ....help him strengthen his self esteem....point out and encourage his other accomplishments....
Often complaining to the school about a rude teacher makes things worse for the child in the classroom
In situations where your child does have a choice to quit a workshop and join some other,   he can do so
Where bullying is happening by those within your sphere of influence,   you can bring it to the attention of those involved  ....older siblings sometimes don't realise how their teasing or dominating behaviour may be affecting their siblings,  a person may not realise he is bullying until it's brought to his attention



 SAA: So right
It's incredibly difficult experience
There is a lot of diplomacy and cunning required to come out of this unscathed
Those very strong in their self
And comfortable in their own company
reader or singular activities doers
Do encourage an extrovert child to have more then two or more circle of friends
Encourage them to find like minded people not just follow a mob
Encourage them to have meaningful interaction with people where ever they go
 


Ummibaps: πŸ‘
 


Sadaf‬: 
If a new child finds it hard to be accepted in a group of kids, will this also be considered bullying ?
 


Ummibaps: Children often find change difficult and sometimes threatening......a group that is established may find a newcomer difficult to accept....because it's a change. ...
So it depends on the children and situation....
As strange as it sounds...a new boy can get pushed around for a while  by another boy....and then suddenly their friends! It's weird.
On the other hand,  a boy may not be accepted by a group because of the cues they receive from an adult /teacher....older boys often end up having to fend fir themselves to be accepted....
It's even more complicated with girls!
So it can becoming bullying...there's really no straightforward answer...
In my opinion. ...I look forward to hear more from other experienced moms insha'Allah
 


Farheeda : IndeedπŸ‘

 

SAA: 
It is considered plain inhospitable
Which is not bullying
but
also not an Islamic ethics
Muslims were known cause of their  hospitality
The reason it was thought in Islam was
Close knit social system or the small group of children do not allow newcomers in
In ancient times there were initiation ceremony to induct new members even in Islam their is shahadat or sometimes bait and then they were part of brotherhood
In schools there is nothing such as that
But I've heard in some successful structure they do have houses and the child must prove by choice which he belongs to and they accept him


 (Note: The above is a copy of a Whatsapp conversation,   partly edited for clarity)

How does someone homeschool her children if she is not proficient in English?

Question :  Language a Barrier
How does someone homeschool her children if she is not proficient in English?
 


SF: 
I believe she should learn with her kids. Its never too late to learn.
 


Dr. MM: 
Yes I agree with that too...learn with kids
 

Iraj:
 Find good English teacher.
 


Bushra‬:
Read with your kids
Do word games
 


Ummibaps: 8 sons, 1 daughter / 18yrs to 2yrs
You can teach and guide and help your child seek knowledge in any language that is your family's mother tongue..math, science, logic.....The point is to communicate and educate. ....
English is needed to study and prepare for O levels or Matriculation examinations etc...so for academic preparation the family will need to seek tutors. If the family can learn the language together even better. For this exposure to the language is needed in the form of audio books, videos....different forms of media. ...
As for knowledge of the world,  deen, tarbeeyah etc a mother who doesn't speak English can still teach her child. ...a French speaking doctor, a German speaking engineer,  a Philippine nurse,  an Urdu speaking pilot are not considered uneducated.
The more languages a child can communicate,  the better...
A mother can prepare her child for life in the world in any language she can communicate with her child.
 


Sumera : 
Ummibaps, can you elaborate on your point? This somehow concerns me so I wanna analyse.

 

Ummibaps: 
Sister Sumera,
Things like how does gravity work, what causes rain,  addition , subtraction, good manners, how to garden,  construct things, paint ..etc all this is not dependent on the English language. Parents who have knowledge can teach their children what they know and help them find information on what they don't know.
Since the examination and college education is in English here,  the child needs to know the language to study and prepare for exams etc....and tutors, videos etc can help with that...but knowledge can be received in any language. ...
Even those parents who have  grown up speaking English can not teach everything....so they need to get help....and if the children decide to study in an Arab country,  or France or Germany,  Korea  for example. ....English with be little help ...They will need to learn the language. ...
They will still have knowledge but in another language. ....
And to learn any language means lots of exposure to it....
Um....I hope I'm making sense. ...do let me know if I'm not
 


Sarah :
 This brings me to a slightly different question which I am struggling with. I can't teach my children their school stuff without losing my cool.  They are four and three and have tons of oral and written homework and exams and all in Arabic.  I am at my wits end every time I sit with them and my constant threat for them to obey me is to either work with me or go to a tuition. I don't know the language and I also can't deal too well with pressure and the whole inappropriate age writing pressure.  Will I be able to homeschool?  The first thing my husband and family will say is that you can't make them do homework leave alone homeschool.  I don't blame them for thinking  that way

 

Dr. MM: 
Yes you are. Its double the hard work for parents as they have to learn first to teach their young ones...parenting is a tough task. But rewarding when you see them swim through.

 

SF: 
When I was home schooling I realized that there is a great alleviation of pressure that is pressure from school my son would return from my dresser and in the afternoon when I produced his homework books announcing it was time to do homework boy how his mood would change

 

Dr. MM: 
Boys are so volatile
Its very tough to make them sit at one place
 


SF:
Where is when he was at home sitting down for an hour or two wasn't stressful for him at all NFL as far as learning is concerned he gained a lot
 

SF:
I also feel that the most stressful time for a child to be in school is at the age of 4. As this is the time when the child is being taught how to right. Which means writing the letter A 10 x and sometimes even more than 10 times in one sitting which drives most children nuts especially boys
 


Dr. MM: 
Yeah agreed they wont repeat writing same words again and again
 


SF:
Sarah my dear . start homeschool . which school is giving such nonsense h.w. to little kids. Please read John Holt how children learn. Read home works magazines with your family. Take them to HS families. Let them meet their children.I  have been a teacher for many years and when the time came for me to teach my child I was clueless. Why? Because I was teaching him what school wanted me to teach him. Now its my third week homeschooling and we are going fine. No hw. Means we read and write what we want. He has already asked me to teach him concepts schools teach at grade 4 ( he's 7 years ) and I explained him.and  I play based activities till age 7. Research shows rote learning, and paper pencil work before 7 damages critical thinking capacity of brain.
 


Sarah : 
I know.  I totally believe the letting children learn at their own pace thing and all this pressured learning makes me want to pull my hair out. 
So cool you can actually do it.  May Allah make it amazing and super easy for you
 


EH: 
Sara that's the whole thing that people don't understand... Children are already sick and tired by the time they get home then later in the day we ask them to sit and do HW which annoys and frustrates them even more which in turn annoys and frustrates us!
It's not that they don't want to listen to us... It's just that they're sick of those alphabets....
On the other hand when we HS we only make them sit (at least at that age) for max 1/2 an hour! That too only on days they are completely willing πŸ˜‰ and they're good to go... HW/CW all done
πŸ˜„ 


(Note: The above is a copy of a Whatsapp conversation,   partly edited for clarity)

Is homeschooling cheaper than sending ones child to school?

Question :  Expense
Is homeschooling cheaper than sending ones child to school?
 


Mrs AH: 2 sons age7and 15
Cost of homeschooling your kids,just like the cost of everything else, depends on  what you are willing to invest in it,what outcome do you hope to achieve with it etc.
Out family keeps the cost of homeschooling very low,we don't really have much choice about it budget is very tight. But others may have the possibility too spend more and implicitly get their kids involved in more extra curricular activities and use a wider range of resources.
Bottom line is there is no one mainstream answer to this question and the point is to get the best value for the money you spend,be it a lot or a little.

 

MN
I think it depends....nothing is fixed in homeschooling..sometimes it exceeds from estimation and sometimes not....it depend upon your strategies..

 

SW: It can vary from family to family but one positive aspect is you are never bound... If, for any reason you can't afford something, you are free to postpone, on the other hand, you have to pay school fee on time, no matter what..
 


Umm Raeyan (lives in the Middle East) : Daughter 9 yrs old, Son 3 yrs old
As mentioned earlier similar to ones life style cost of homeschooling varies for every family; for us it is expensive than the _small schools_ definitely cheaper than the _renowned ones_.
I follow the envelope system for the house expenses and every month keep aside a particular amount for homeschooling. Sometimes I spend just a small fraction of the allotted amount and save remaining for later. This way if we come across some interesting co-curricular activity, science / craft kit or book which would cost an arm and a leg I don't have to think twice.
I try to look for free online resources and stock on stationery etc. during back school sales.

 

EH: 
I've started homeschooling since this year and I keep 1/3 the amount that we were paying to the school aside every month... So far so good... It's all being saved for future activities or things we'll need to buy.

 

SN:
Spending on home schooling depends on the style of homeschooling. I am spending way more now then I was paying to school and tutions combined when my daughter was going to school. But now I am getting the value for money.
That is, I am happy, my child is most happy, her health has improved a lot, we both are stress free, she is getting one to one attention and learning at her pace. Not to mention the cost of suffering, falling sick every month, doctor's visits, medicines and tests.
I am saving on this now.πŸ˜ƒ

 

Ummibaps:
Exactly ..value for money is the point....you spend both either way....and how much is your decision to make....It can be more expensive but...
-You may spend less at school for subjects your child doesn't want to take
- spend more on a single tutor who is the best in his field but doesn't teach at your child's old school
- spend less on textbooks that do not get used completely in the classroom
- spend more on books you feel your children can benefit from and use for years
- spend less on extra curricular activities which are part of the school package
-spend more on extra curricular activities and workshops which take longer hours and your child received more focused help and attention on his work..
Value For Money... ..education isn't cheap

 

Sb: 
Perfectly summarized.
Pre school and nursery school are definitely cheaper done at home rather then school. You don't need much to teach the little ones, and they learn more from 'on-site' trainingπŸ˜€ 
I think little spend more time out of school because if seasonal illnesses rather than in school.
It's a shame the local school system makes it harder for little ones to join school after they are less vulnerable to illnesses.


  (Note: The above is a copy of a Whatsapp conversation,   partly edited for clarity)



How important is Social media to Homeschooling children?

 Question :  Social Media
How important is Social media to Homeschooling children?
(Twitter, Facebook, instagram. ..etc )


 
 Iraj : 
Depends on the age of children.I think that children under 14 should not be allowed to use all these apps.After 14 they can use their parents cell under careful watch
 


Samar :
How to execute it. Just today I attended my 5 yrs old 's parent teacher meeting and his teacher was saying though he's very smart he is not focused and that is due to his playing games on these devices.


Samar : I haven't come across Facebook and social media app issues yet as both my sons are under 10 but I fear what will happen once they get awareness of these apps
 


Mrs  AH:  2 sons,aged 7 and 15
I would like to first point out that ,although they can both lead to addictive patterns,games and social media have different basic implications.As mentioned above, games(especially for younger kids) have the potential to slow down mental processes like focus,memory,reality check etc. Individuals gradually become disconnected from the real world surrounding them.Yes,this also applies to the so called educational/skill developing games.
Social media,on the other hand, becomes a preoccupation that demands more and more of one's time,attention and contribution. All is fine if done for a specific productive  purpose but more often than not this is not the case.If you don't have a specific goal in mind to achieve with this platform and the sole purpose is to just hang out, you might as well just sit on the roadside and sip tea and gossip all day...you'll be as efficient as that.
Even for those who start out with a specific purpose and have productive friends online,the danger of subconscious suggestions is still there and it leads many a time to wasted time (you know how kids always want to click on the flashy ads)
I must say,though,that it also depends very much on what type of personality you have, how susceptible you are to suggestions etc but whatever the personality, a young individual would not have enough control over it to stop when the situation calls for it.

 

MN
My son use to do origami and sometimes do science experiments by watching videos on Youtube....is that right?

 

SAA: 3 sons, 2 daughters/ ages 16 to 7
The social media is an important profile resource about you
The connection you have
And the connection you make following your interest give you the company of like minded people
Exposure to a lot of bad things but also
Immense variety of very good initiative
Learning to navigate the internet seas
And learning to engage social interest in your cause can help their future
Cause eventually all Business' will go online
Either he will have to do it for his own or be hired to do it for some one
But Facebook is an immense waste of time
I don't see the point of scrolling down to see what everyone else is doing liking sharing
I think a different user format maybe 
In which maybe forums are objective based
Then there is Snapchat or Messenger or Whatsapp all creative ways of communicating but again waste a lot of time
Then Twitter Instagram
For me those are for a few bear leaders to lead rest of masses to follow mindlessly
In all that what do you do for your kid
That's my question please
It's like this
Do we throw them in the sea so they somehow learn to swim
Cause it's like
Every other learning they must do
It should be intrinsic
Though I am nibbling a thought
As Ummibaps said our kids need us
Boys there fathers guidance and girls there mothers
Then why let them surf this social encounter without our shelter and guidance
Shall we form a family friend network on the internet and social media where we shepherd all the community kids

 

Eng. Shumaela: 
SAA creating a network of friend and family will not save the kids from the harms that they will get from Internet.
Internet is too open and everything is a few clicks away. Plus games and social media show you content that they want to show you. So even in private network your kids will looking at offensive material that would not like them to see.
Keeping kids away from Internet is also not good. Instead teaching them how to swim in this ocean can be a better idea.
Social media doesn't contribute in learning,  similarly games and even educational games are not really beneficial. But yes there are tons of good things and material that is useful.
I think as parent we should teach or kids what to do on Internet and what not. Social media should be a big no no. It is useless not only for kids but also for elders. We waste hundreds of hours here and they gain money. So you are giving them time and money both.

 

Sb : 2 sons and 1 daughter
Depending on their age and level of maturity, our children need to learn to navigate the internet the same way we teach them to navigate roads.
Trying to shield them forever is foolish.
Infact, shielding them too long will put them at a disadvantage. The way lessons are taught,  business conducted and contacts made has changed dramatically in the last 10 years.
 


SAA: Have you heard the saying
Teach children and the forget
Engage them and they learn
 


Ummibaps: 
As salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu
Sisters....The question pertains to Social Media in particular. ....things like Facebook ,  Twitter,  Snapchat
Internet usage is a broader topic. ...
Just a reminder so as to decrease confusion for mothers with children who are too small for social media
Please focus your answers on the above only
Yes. ..They can be discussed as separate topics
 


Sarah : 
 At what age do you guys recommend teaching the children how to use the computer.
 


Areeba :
 As homeschooled kids we were allowed on Facebook but for a set time. We didn't have access to it on our phones those days & the computer in the lounge where everyone could see the screen. My mom would sometimes would also read our posts and messages.
I think teaching kids "Balance" is the key.
During exam days & other important events we always had to deactivate Facebook account. It was a deal

 

Farheeda :
 πŸ˜³πŸ‘πŸ»good idea even very good idea
 


Ummibaps: 8 sons, 1 daughter / 2yrs to 18yrs
I find it perturbing that all parents agree that lying is sinful .....yet when it comes to making a Facebook/Google account etc,  they allow their children to lie about their date of birth and ages.....If a child is too young to make an account then the child should not have an account to begin with....
Depending on the the circumstances of the child, older children may want to use a form of social media to build their relationship with their friends...just like a parent should stay tuned with what type of friends their children have...We should make an effort to stay tuned with who are they communicating with and how they use these tools of socialization. ...
(Just like real time socialization,  expect them to make mistakes and help them.learn from them )
Like any form media ; even television or Internet usage, a child may not know how much is too much and so the parents need to monitor and limit usage...( you wouldn't want your child to spend all day for several days with a friend talking in a room nor on the phone)
Keep computers and tablet usage in public parts of the home...so that it can be glanced at by parents easily
As the children mature into adulthood things will change....but parents  can continue talking and guiding their children. .....reminding them that if they post something on social media...its not really "private".....as soon as you put something out there ,  you've made it public...
My personal opinion
 


SAAA: 
Jazzak Allah for the all round guidelines
How do you stay tuned with your child's social media network?
For me if my child's friends are liking or sharing useless inappropriate matter is serious problem
I take him to account on that
Cause the friends we keep reflect our interests and intellect
Sometimes I think I'm smothering him with responsibility he cannot very much manage
But other times when he is able to convince his playmates or friends to be careful and socially responsible in their sharing
I think it might be my sons first learning regarding his own social and Islamic responsiblity in dawa toward Haq
Either way it's a very difficult path and do cause much friction between us
Where he refuses to take responsibility of his friends action
And sometimes  
He accepts that the initiative of correction
Help in earning respect of his peers
 


Ummibaps: 
Yup....its a hands on learning experience and can be different for individual children. ...whereas one may like all the rubbish his friends " like" , another may only focus on sports related stuff.....One may accept everyone as a"  friend " another may only invite his personal friends....
My husband and I got back in Facebook to keep an eye on our children's pages....Our sons have also "friend"ed some of my husband's friends,  who also visit our children's pages periodically. ...
I also occasionally "raid" their Facebook page. ..where I sit with them and view the page and their contacts list...
Not a perfect way to handle things but it's how things are moving along for the moment....
  


SAA:
Ditto
It's
So droll
Me ready to be scandalized and him squirming from apprehension
And more now then before when he gets off without any of his friends offending my sensibilities
He is whooping with delight
Also on very important note
Freedom/independence and privacy is earned by achieving maturity
Which is sense of responsibility
They will have their right of privacy and freedom when they are responsible enough
 


Sb: 
Jazakallah for this honest insight on how you are monitoring your children.
My eldest is still not old enough for social media, nor does he feel the need for it.
He does want to freely talk/chat to his Mamu, so let i him use my hangouts account. That way I can also monitor his internet behavior.
 


QUA‬: 


  (Note: The above is a copy of a Whatsapp conversation,   partly edited for clarity)

What if your child doesn't agree with you on home schooling?

Question : Disgruntled Child
What if your child doesn't agree with you on home schooling?

 

Mrs AH:
In my experience,it's a matter of time and adjustment which is why it's so important to give yourself and your child some slack when you first start out and ease into the whole process naturally,always re-evaluate what works and what doesn't,g getting your child's feedback and adjusting stuff accordingly.
If the child resists from the get-go it's just a sign of stubborn attachment to what he/she knows and it's a unique opportunity to asses what exactly is/has been going on in your child's life and deal with his attachments accordingly(so.e of them you'll have to compromise on and some he/she may have to learn to compromise on). After all,one if the benefits of homeschooling is to prepare your child for REAL LIFE and real life rarely gives you what you want it to and we need to learn to deal with it in as healthy way as possible.
 


 SAA: 3 sons, 2 daughters/ ages 16 to 7
Is the question is
The child disagree to the homeschooling style or child disagree to homeschooling
Cause which child would πŸ˜„
 


Ummibaps:
Nope not about the style....definitely about children who don't want to leave school and those who want to go to school like their friends
 


SAA: 
Hmm
I have children who is past homeschooling age in college
Accuse me of not homeschooling him πŸ˜…
He says his love of learning is really suffered
 


Umm Raeyan: Daughter 9 yrsSon 3 yrs
I will never force my children to be homeschooled; it should be a mutual decision. So far my daughter agrees with the idea but if at any point in life she asks me to be admitted in school I'll definitely consider it. Indeed the ultimate goal is to prepare our children for the afterlife however I don't want to ruin / damage my relationship with them in this life.
When making a decision whether it is buying clothes or selecting a book at the library I remind her to evaluate if it is religiously or morally wrong if not then there is no harm in trying it out. It is just adds up to the experiences of this life.
Remember the supplication in Surah Baqara Allah has taught us to ask for good for both the worlds.
Allah knows best, may He guide is.
 


Ummibaps: 8 sons, 1 daughter/ ages 2 to 18 years
When I first put my children in school ,  they were too young to make life decisions. .....nor experienced enough to evaluate where to study....We; the parents, researched , evaluated ,  did Istikara and sent them to school......
When we learned about homeschooling as an option of education. ...We researched, evaluated and did Istikara,  then withdrew them from school.....They did not have a choice in the matter....They were making decisions according to their maturity. ..but we did not feel that a fifth grader was mature enough to decide on something this crucial. ....
Now that they are more mature. ...They've  researched , evaluated, consulted us and done Istikara. ...and made decisions regarding which subjects they want to study and which teachers will tutor them ......
No....not all my children wanted to homeschool. ...and there have been some wanting to go to school  ( just like some small school going children whine that they don't want to go to school on the day they have a test)... so far we have watched them....evaluated them...made du'a for guidance. ...and so we homeschool them

 

Amina: 
Jazakillahu khayr sister Ummibaps for such a great response.
I have been so worried about it. My daughter is not yet three but she's insisting me since months to send her to school. Maybe because she see her cousins going there? She's already aware of the terms like tutions, homework, teacher etc and her only exposure to school is her cousins at home.
I'm sure she won't be happy if she has to go to school regularly because I know her and the school system as well. I think I can delay it easily for an year until I start getting serious pressure from inlaws.

 

SAA: 
You know part of building self esteem is
confidence in doing their own things
I have an abstract theory
If the parents are ordinary and mundane the kids wants to be intellectual and if the parents are intellectual the kids as response of some kind wish to fit in
Or not stand out
It could be introvert extrovert thing too
Extroverts strive to fit in
It's not right or wrong it's just a personality
What do you do then
You teach your child to look beyond conventions and find the true value in everything
Going to school is for receiving education
And
Show her how she is receiving hers
Also show her the advantages she is receiving in such personalized structure 
Since she is young and haven't attended school
She is fantasizing school
In that case a small dose of reality will give the rude awakening
 


Amina : 
Yes exactly SAA. She's fantasizing and for once I thought to just let her go for a few days with her cousin which I'm sure will terrify her for the rest of her life. Schools here mostly are very very outdated and especially the one my family's kids go to. I'm sure my daughter can't even survive a day there. What with so much rules and strictness and treating three year olds as full grown up adults.



 (Note: The above is a copy of a Whatsapp conversation,   partly edited for clarity)

From around what age do you start preparing your child for the Cambridge examination? How do you know he is ready?

Question : CIE Examination
From around what age do you start preparing your child for the Cambridge examination?
How do you know he is ready?

 


Ummibaps: 8 sons , 1 daughter,  ages 18 to 2yrs
Homeschoolers can give their O level and A level  examinations as private candidates.  This includes science subjects. They must register online and will then recieve updates through ail as well as their necessary documents through the mail.
Most O level and A teachers do provide  after school tuition or work at the various tuition centers in the city,   where they prepare both school going and private candidates for the examination.
How to know if your child is ready?
- To begin with he should be able to comprehend ,  thoroughly understand language used by the recommended text books.
- She should be able to easily compose appropriate  answers to the questions of the examination.... If the child has not reached the maturity needed to comprehend the language, you need to wait a bit.
 

Advice from a mother who also teaches o level students at school:
Duration of covering the syllabus very much depends on the student himself. I suggest 4 sciences should be taken together as they compliment each other. .... (  ut others may habe a different experience) I suggest you to take the exams easy as per child's pace n convinence.
 


 Um e Zukruf: 
Questions for mother's whose children are doing O level
Does it get too expensive for having tuitions for all subjects in grade 11?
If the child is doing privately?

 

Mrs AH:  2 sons,aged 7 and 15
Even school going kids attend tuition centres.The tuition centre my son goes to is with Lyceum teachers and all Lyceum students are also there in the evenings so comparatively it's cheaper,since we don't also pay school fees

 

Ummibaps: Tutions are expensive....but like Mrs. AH said it's cheaper than giving both school fees and tution fee ...also
- you can attend classes from a good experienced teacher of your choice  (school children can not choose their school subject teacher)
- you can prepare for  the number of subjects you want to do (  to be examined for)  ...schools have requirements about how many papers a student must give and which combination of papers they can attempt...so some school children give subjects their school does not offer or allow them to give,  as private candidates

 

Umm Raeyan : 
From around what age do you start preparing your child?
Like Ummibaps mentioned the child should be able comprehend and understand the language in recommended text books and compose answers.
From what age do you start analyzing if he is ready?
I'd rather say from which grade level do you start analyzing?
 


Eng. Shumaela: 
My child is doing O level privately. Since I am a working mother I have to arrange tuitions for all subjects that I am planning for this year. I found it more expensive as my child's learning style is suitable for only one on one learning. Teachers comes to home and teaches only him. I have to pay handsome fees to the teachers.
School was cheaper but he was not learning at all. My other son goes to school and is doing really good there.
To me is worth spending here. Also you can cut the cost by taking one or more subjects in your hand. I have found that preparing for O levels is relatively easy. The key to success is the topical past papers. I noticed that the teachers teaches him one chapter gives exercises at the end of the chapter and then ask him to do topic from past papers.

 

Ummibaps : 
Download the past papers and glance at the text books yourself...that will give you insight on if your child is ready.....its not age related. ...maturity and comprehension level is more relevant to preparing for the paper...
Parents can gauge their children's maturity themselves...look at what type of books your children read and can understand. ..
as for whether they are prepared for the examination itself. ..you can consult the tutor who is teaching and testing your child for it



 (Note: The above is a copy of a Whatsapp conversation,   partly edited for clarity)