Can i have your opinion on home schooling please?

Question

why do you home school your kid/s?

I have a cousin who is autistic and his mom home schools him but I want to know what other reasons are for parents want to home school their kids?

Answer 1

HOME SCHOOLING IS FOR OVER-PROTECTIVE PARENTS WHO DON'T HAVE A LIFE, AND WANT THEIR KIDS TO BE SOCIALLY CHALLENGED! WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THOSE KIDS GO TO COLLEGE? MOMMY'S NOT GOING TO BE THERE FOR THEM. THEY ARE FREAKING ON THEIR OWN!!!!

Answer 2

I homeschool because my experience as a teacher showed me that school wasn't the best place for a child's total development and well being. My husband, also a teacher, felt the same way. Social development was our main concern, but we also know from experience that a public school setting just can't meet every child's academic needs in a way that best suits that child. We have added to it that just wanting to raise your family yourself is a reason to homeschool, too.

Answer 3

I homeschool because my children were being failed by the school system-their grades, test scores and reading levels were insanely low-after homeschooling for ONE YEAR, they were brought up to 2 grade levels ABOVE their actual grade level.

I homeschool because school violence is no joke where we live (just outside of Atlanta). Every day there is some type of violent act, most involving some type of weapon. Even where we live (a pretty nice, "rich" area) the drug problem in out of control. Call me crazy, but I have always been under the impression that we are supposed to protect our kids from, oh I dunno..being KILLED.

I homeschool because I am able to provide my kids with more healthy and real-world based socialization activities-rather than have false socialization (sitting in a room with 30 other kids exactly the same age learning exactly the same thing), my kids are in the real world each day-volunteering with The Fire Station, the Civil Air Patrol, the Library, our church groups. Because my kids aren't bogged down with 8 wasted hours of "school" a day (seriously, do you know how much time class changes, answering "trouble-maker/ not-so-smart Johnny's" questions, transportation, movie watching and all the other non-education things that happen at school wastes?), they are have less anxiety and can more happily participate in becoming well rounded members of society.

I homeschool because NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE cares about my kids and their success the way I do, and no teacher is going to go the distance to see them succeed that I will go.

I homeschool because I can customize my kids learning....we can advance when they just 'get' something, and take more time when a concept is flying over their heads. No homeschooled child is EVER left behind. If something is boring to them, I can almost ALWAYS turn it into a field trip to ignite a spark of interest in them. My kids LOVE learning because of that. My kids aren't being taught political opinions as FACT either, as I was taught in public school.

I homeschool because I have time to make sure my kids are getting what they need. With a teacher, your kid gets whatever is leftover from the 20-30 other kids in that class. When I teach my child, it is like having a private tutor...one-on-one attention ALL the time.

I homeschool because even though some people may have earned a DEGREE, that does NOT make them good or well suited to teaching. Having a piece of paper does NOT make you good at something.

In short.......I homeschool, because I can do it better than public school. And for anyone who disagrees, the proof is in the pudding-their test scores ALONE prove how good homeschool is, not to mention their higher self-esteem levels.

Answer 4

I homeschool because I can give my children a better education than the public school. For instance, my son decided he wanted to go to public school for the rest of 7th grade. I agreed because if he makes good grades and enjoys it then I don't see the problem. My only thing is that he has to be getting challenged and that it isn't too easy for him. Well, in his school there are two 7th grade classes and if they talked during their walk through the hallways then they had to go out and walk the football field with all their bookbags and everything. Once they were done walking the football field quietly then they go back to their classroom and write 30 times why they should have been in science. Ok, so they missed science then had to go write why they should've been in science.

Now, he is homeschooled and is once again not doing stupid stuff but studying.

Answer 5

home schooled kids are smarter. nowadays schools are not so good in behavior, and many parents want to keep their kids away from that.

Answer 6

I go to a grammar school so you have to pass exams to attend so it's of a high standard but other schools aren't and they can't afford to go private so need to homeschool.

Some go because of bullying which is bad as school teaches you to deal with a wide range of people even if you do not agree with them.

Put it this way a parent almost always doens't have a teaching qualification, it's a teachers job. It's important for socialising and gaining some independance.

Answer 7

I homeschool because I want my kids to get a good education.  In the public school they can only go as fast as the slowest student.  (My son is trying 8th grade public school this year and is doing math he and I did in 5th grade.)  I want my kids to have morals that they are not being taught in public school.  We go until we learn it at home, in public school if they don't learn it, they just go on anyway.  My daughter is one grade level ahead of her peers, working at home she is going at her own pace and not slowed down.  And most of all,  I love my kids and I am their most important teacher!  God told me to train them up, not to give them to someone else to train up.  I love being with my kids!!

Answer 8

Lizard wizard has no idea about home school obviously.

I home school because I know I can do better here than they can in the public system. I home school because I want my children to be brought up with a Godly education. Not confused as I was about life and evolution. I was brought up in a christian home and taught that God created life .Then sent to public schools where they taught that if you believed there is a Creator then your stupid because evolution is the only way. I home school because my children were being bullied on the bus and in school, because my oldest was coming home with 4 hours of homework that I had to teach her every day any way because they didn't teach her during the day. The teacher had too many cut ups and not enough time to actually teach. There are so many reasons to home school and so many reasons to keep your kids out of public school. One last reason to home school for us was that with in 2 months of starting preK they wanted my son who had just turned 4 on ADD medications. He was 4 and did not need them. My son is not ADD according to the Dr hes just a typical busy boy. The teacher he had just couldn't control him because his attention span is that of a child 1 year younger. He has developmental delays and speech delays. I think I just tried to put him in school 1 year too early and now I think I'll keep them at home for a while. We love the home schooling life!

Answer 9

I homeschool my son for various reasons.

First, he tests as highly gifted - easily 3+ years above grade level in many subjects - but is also dyslexic, so the curriculum format of most schools is either far behind where he is or makes no sense due to his dyslexia.  I know that there are schools that are well-equipped to teach him, but none exist within an hour of my house.  My only choices are to send him to a school where the teacher threatened to recommend him for medication (because he was bored) or to teach him myself.  At home, I can give him personalized instruction in spelling and writing, while allowing him to progress 3-5 years above grade level in math and science.

Second, he contracted a near-deadly case of SARS back in '02, which left him with a compromised immune system.  He honestly can't be around the diseases that go through a school system without spending a lot of time in the hospital.  He is getting stronger every year, and is now healthy enough to play competitive sports.  His pediatrician expressed the opinion that his health is due mostly to being homeschooled.

Third, he just plain doesn't learn in a way that is conducive to classroom learning.  He is a voracious learner - he easily spends 4-6 hours on-task daily (in 5th grade) - but he needs to move and talk a lot in order to truly learn.  These traits equal being medicated in the schools near where I live.  He does participate in a co op one day a week where he gets to take classes with 15 other kids his age, but he is allowed to stand whenever he needs to during class.  The schools where we live would rather medicate him than accomodate his learning needs.  They have really good football teams, though...

Fourth, he likes to study things from several different viewpoints.  He studies creation and evolution side by side, he has studied pretty much every major religion on earth, and he enjoys in-depth culture studies.  Having the freedom to spend as much time studying a topic as he wants is great for him.  He is able to abide by a class lesson plan, but finds it very restricting.

Fifth, and this wasn't an original reason for homeschooling (but it's a great benefit), his dad and I choose what his influences are.  Now that he's in middle school, he also gets a strong say.  He is active in Scouts, church activities, competitive sports, and community volunteering.  He gets to meet and socialize with people of all ages, and is just as comfortable joining in a baseball game with kids at the park as he is playing with toddlers or talking with college professors that his grandmother works with.

He chooses to hang out with kids that aren't surgically attached to something electronic, kids that don't feel like they have to follow the crowd.  Yes, there are kids that he chooses not to hang out with, once he sees what their actions are like away from adults.  For example, he was visiting a Scout troop on a campout this weekend.  He chose to hang out with one of the older kids who isn't exactly in the "cool" crowd, but is interesting to speak with and actually thinks before he acts.  Meanwhile, my husband was hanging back to help some of the other kids our son's age, and had to listen to them swear like truckers and tell jokes like "What are the four types of pornography?"  (Huh???)  These kids don't even know what they're saying most of the time, but they think it  makes them look cool.  Sorry, these aren't social skills I want my son to learn.

Being able to work at his own speed, choose his own elective classes (I choose his core curriculum), stay healthy, learn to make his own decisions, and choose his friends for himself are all reasons that we homeschool.  At first, we started homeschooling because there really wasn't another good choice open to us...now, we homeschool because it's what our son thrives in.  He absolutely loves it, is doing a great job, and is one of the most caring, wise, independent, and helpful kids I've ever met.

Answer 10

I homeschool my kids because it enables my children to receive an individualized education that allows them to reach their maximum potential.  It gives them the freedom to succeed and to fail and to learn how to respond to each condition.  It teaches them that neither condition is final and absolute, and how they must reassess their position and adapt a plan appropriately.  It teaches them to begin to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses and how to take advantage of or adapt to each.  It teaches them that their family values critical thinking and the concept of life long learning, and just what is the difference between true achievement and education.  

     Webster defines education in terms of teaching.  It is a process applied to the learner or the resulting product of that process.  Whereas achievement is defined as an active rather than passive process, wherein one reaches a particular level of skill or knowledge through work and effort and experience.  By its definition, education and learning is limited by what the teacher is capable of teaching or the system is capable of supporting.  Individual achievement, by its definition is limited only by the person's individual motivation, abilities and efforts.

     The home based education is run by parents (at least mine is) whose sole motivation is to see that their children become the best adult they were meant to be and to achieve the highest level of success they can possibly have and to love the process of growing and maturing.  And to  deliver that guidance with loving support, based on a strong value system.

     And if I ever (which I don't) question the value of home based schooling vs. public schooling, all I have to do is look at some of the responses in this forum put forth by students who are currently a part of the public school system and trying to write a response that is critical of homeschooling.  Some of their writing as evidence of their thought processes,command of the English language and priorities in life, speak volumes.

Answer 11

I homeschool my son because he was bored in public school and getting into trouble. He's home and challenged and much happier. Also the school he'd be going to now is full of gangs, daily fights, and guns at school so he is much safer with me!

Answer 12

Here are a FEW of our reasons:

Homeschooling during high school is much better preparation for college (regardless of what that other ANSWERER thinks) - public school does not in any way reflect the independent learning and self-discipline required in college.

Overprotective? My son attends several courses outside the home and mommy and daddy are no where around.  He is allowed to walk downtown, with a group of friends for lunch.

Over the summer he went on an airplane by himself to attend a Disney Livewire Summer camp and enjoyed free and unrestrained access to all the parks - plus behind the scenes educational tours of production studios, rides and got to meet and talk to the imagineers.  He was 100s of miles away from mommy and daddy.

At the beginning of the summer he attended a 3D animation camp at a local college - gosh, no mommy or daddy.

Our son was in the gifted program at public school.  At the end of the 7th grade I met with his gifted ed teacher.  She bragged how the gifted students had learned 10 new vocabulary words.  Ten!  Not during the last week. Not during the last quarter or semester.  The whole year!  That was the big accomplishment.

Without assistance - in fact going against the public school - we enrolled our son in a TIP (talent identification program) which allowed him to take the ACT during the 7th grade.  He scored well enough to get into any state college.  After that several teachers and a couple of administrators tried to grab credit for his accomplishment - even though we (e.g. mommy and daddy) did this entirely on our own.

A girl at this same school, sought college admissions advice from the guidance counselor.  She wanted to attend Brown (an Ivy League school for those P.S. students who don't know).  The guidance counselor told her "no way," don't even try, you will just be disappointed.  Her and her mommy and daddy went for it anyway.  Guess what? Not only did she get in - she got a full ride.

Shorter answers:

My son did not like all the cursing...

He was uncomfortable with sexual peer pressure...

He came home emotionally drained everyday...

He got a lot of really weird and seemingly pointless homework

He was not being challenged

He was not being adequately prepared for college

The food was gross

Science was being taught by the basketball coach because they could not find a qualified teacher

We thought (and we are proving this to ourselves and others) that we could do a much better job

He was being taught moral values that were contrary to our own

An ideological problem with public school systems: (it is a closed socialist system, it teaches liberalism and denounces individualism, responsibility and free marketing capitalism).

Our son will go further, faster than at public school and be a happier better adjusted person for it.

Answer 13

I plan on home schooling my son because we live in California.  The schools here are terrible, and on top of their poor academic standards, they're trying to pass a law that forces teachers to tell students that homosexual relationships are MORAL.  I don't know where they get off teaching morality in schools, but their "morality" is not going to be shoved down MY son's throat.  Besides, my son is really smart, and if he's interested, I'd like him to graduate high school when he's 14-16 and start collage early.

Answer 14

My cousin home schools her children.  I asked her why just a few weeks ago.  She says there are several reasons.  Safety was her first concern.  She also mentioned that at school it is hard for 1 teacher to properly educate all of their students especially if one child is slower than the rest.  She also likes being apart of their education.  She enjoys teaching them.  However, I think I ticked her off though when I told her that it didn't help with social skills.  Because her children are the quietest most shy kids I have ever seen.  At family reunions they set beside their mom rather than play with their cousins like the rest of the kids.  She asked me what I meant and I told her.  She does somewhat agree with me on that but says that their education means more then them being social.  I don't know, I guess if I had children though I wouldn't have too much of a choice other than sending them to a school.  So I envy that she has a choice.  However, that's not to say I would home school them.  Because personally I would want my children to have the best education they can get.  I would think of myself as arrogant thinking that I could provide it for them.  I don't know everything and there is too much new stuff for them to learn that us older folks weren't even taught in school (computers).  It's amazing at the things they're learning at such young ages.  So I would fear that I would limit their education in home schooling them.  I don't want to be the one holding them back.  I would just want the best for them.  Personally I think it's best another person teaches them as I would be biased.  Good Luck & God Bless!

Answer 15

I'm not sure why most people do it, but I'm home schooled because of the violence, fighting, bullying, bitching, and peer pressure in class rooms these days.

I was bullied severely, to the point where I had 7 or 8 boys attacking me at once.

I came home with bad bruises, at which point my mother decided she needed to take action.

Not to mention the fact that older students were carrying around knives and other dangerous weapons, as well as the fact that teachers were just giving kids worksheets, before walking out of the classroom for a ciggarette, or FALLING ASLEEP in front of 26 hormone infested kids.

The surprising thing is, I live in quite a nice town, with respectable people, which proves these things could happen anywhere.

We were going to move me to another local school, but I had a home schooled internet friend, and she told me all about how great it is.

After a long talk with my mother, and a lot of deliberation, we started homeschooling June this year.

It's been quite an interesting path, but it's been amazing and I haven't regretted it at all.