Wow I am amazed at the people who feel this way. My daughter attended public school until the sixth grade. She is an accomplished equestrian and decided to campaign for a national title at the age of 12. She was a straight A student. We went to the school to discuss the time off she would need and were told we could not miss for this type of activity, so we decided to home school. She is now 15, a youth director in her state breed association, active in 4-H competing in horse judging, horse bowl, hippology and public speaking competitions on the state and national level. She serves on many committees and focus groups in these associations, and has friends all over the country. I am sure there are things she may be missing from a school setting,but I think she has had some awesome opportunities that most kids won't ever have.
My brother and his wife pulled their youngest daughter out of public school when she hit middle school for many of the reasons already stated. She is amazingly advanced academically for her 16 years, is extremely comfortable with adults, and has made lots of friends that she may not have met if she would have been confined to a school. She has learned ASL and is planning to be an interpreter. I have another friend with children who were all home schooled. They are now in their early 20s and well adjusted with good jobs and lives. My SIL and my friend are both very disciplined people. I don't think everyone could do it. If we had children, I would want to do it, at least beginning with middle school. I agree with some posters that say it's important to develop social skills when very young, but I don't think kids need to be exposed to the other stuff discussed to be well-adjusted. I don't need to be sick to appreciate being healthy.
I think it is awesome. We don't hear about the children like yours much, or I don't. Sounds like you have made it work and that's wonderful. It's just the ones I hear about do not have all the social items going on like yours. Sherry
The argument against homeschooling based on socialization is a cop-out these days. Homeschooling doesn't mean STRICTLY in the home. My kids learn many of their core subjects in the home and the learning is self-directed on the computer. Concepts are reinforced verbally if needed. The method is so effective that it can be completed hours ahead of the public schools. This also allows for children to advance their learning, providing my child of the same age as yours to be a grade or two ahead. We don't hold them back or spend time prepping for EOG tests. If you're doing it right, the EOG's come easy. By the time your kids get home from public school (if there wasn't a fight on the bus or if the school wasn't in lockdown for a locker drug search), mine have completed a full day of work, socialized with other homeschoolers in a recreational setting or a co-op and many other things. Then they go to their piano and voice lessons without the worry of an instructor who wants to fondle them or establish sexual relations with them (WJHS). Homeschooling requires a commitment to the child, which our public schools have thrown aside. I think we would all agree that nobody cares more about kids than their parents, so who better to teach them?
Homeschooling has it's place, I'm not saying it doesn't. However, it's my belief that even given the things kids are exposed to in public schools, it's just as much as an opportunity for them as it is preperation. Look at it from this perspective... We've all worked jobs we hated, because we had to have a paycheck. While we have the option to better ourselves and look for better jobs, in the real world, you can't just decide that you don't like the way your company does things, and then decide to do your job at home. That's probably a bad analogy, but I think you understand what I'm trying to say. In my experience, home schooled kids are not as exposed to issues and diversity as kids who are in some type of public/private school setting. I'm sure that's not true for everyone, but that's what I've seen in my experience. Look, public schools have problems, and hell yes, they scare me. But I can't protect my daughter from every bad thing that's going to happen to her. I feel like by putting her in a public/private school setting, I'm helping to equip her with the tools she'll need later in life to deal and cope. If I could afford private school, I would. But I'm working middle class, and I can't.
If P says this is one of the best threads he's seen in a while it is from the word of a person who doesn't believe in government and means this Thread is actually GOOD! tee hee. Sherry
So this kind of thing only happens in public school settings? Im so glad to know I will never have to worry about this with my child outside of the public school system. Im so relieved. 8) Just kidding, I knew what you meant. DB's wife
You were correct before kidding. One never knows when something could happen. Have an open relationship with your kid(s) so that you can see a change immediately or they tell you. My daughter reminded me that she had that band leader that was at WJHS when she took violin in school. It could happen anytime, anywhere or not! Not limited to public school, private school or home school. Sherry
I think we are in the clear on this one too. We dont go to church! Dodged another bullet! We are heathens I guess. We are such heathens that I dont even know how to properly spell heathens. I think I posted this on here before. One time a child in my boys class gasped when my boy said we dont go to church. The child said, "Then how do you learn about God?" My boy said, "Hello, I can google it any time I want!" God, I love that story. BTW, no preaching to me necessary. Good thing I like hot weather, right? lol DB's wife DB's wife
We don't go to church either. We believe faith is our own private issue. I believe that to everybody believes differently and that is a great thing. Believe that one can go to church, temple, whatever and that is what works for them. For us what we do works. My daughter has been to many churches, Catholic, Methodist and Baptist. I have also taken her to temples both Jewish and Buddhist. It is up to her take decide as she matures. Sherry
My opinion on the homescool vs. public school debate is that every has to choose what's right for your family. If your family chooses to homeschool- great. Do what you have to do to have a happy healthy family. If your family chooses public school- great- again do what you have to do to have a happy healthy family. What I don't like are people who act like they or their children are superior because of the choices they've made. One of the beautiful things about America is that we do have the freedom to make many choices. Why do people have to be so defensive about their choices? Appreciate the fact that you can freely make choices. I think the goal of most parents is to teach our children the values and morals that will help them deal with any situation that comes their way whether they're in church, at home, public school or anywhere. Do I think that because my child goes to a public school where there are students making bad choices that she will make bad choices? Absolutely not. I have the confidence in our parenting and the confidence in her morals and values to know that she will see these bad choices, remember what she's been taught is right, and walk away. I don't count on the school to teach her what's right and wrong, bottom line- that's a parent's job no matter where they're schooled!
Well, its like the old saying, "the proof is in the pudding." If your child is excelling in a home-schooled curriculum and is socially developing through other means than the traditional classroom environment, than you must be doing something right. If parents can afford private-schooling, perhaps this offers the best of both, giving a more structured school environment, but with likely smaller classes and policies that parents can choose from depending on the individual schools. Then there are a good number of public schools, that generate success with their academics. It really boils down to parents deciding what is best and hopefully choosing right.
Jennifer, I used to have the same opinion. Both my girls graduated from public schools, done very well. But after substituting at the High School level off and on for 3 years, if I had children coming along now, I would not put them through that again. If I couldn't afford private/charter school, then I would live off my pension, take them to a church with great youth activities, and home school. Of course got to thinking about, I worked 25 years with the Department of Correction before retiring, and never saw one inmate who had been home schooled. Maybe socialization is over rated.
