Homeschool what's wrong with it???

Question

I've homeschooled both of my children for 7 years...and all I've heard from my realtives is "they're missing out on so much...meeting friends, competing in sports..etc." "How will they cope when they're out in the real world?" Can you tell me "What's wrong with homeschool?"

Answer 1

there is nothing wrong with homschooling. I think it's great

if you can do it. I can't I have to wotk full time. What I resent is people who act like public school kids are a bunch of bullies

with an inferior education.

Answer 2

Absolutely nothing, as long as it is done right.  If the parents are consistent and the children are diligent, there are a lot of things right with homeschooling.

It does bother me how some are starting to see it as an "easy way out"...it's not.  It takes a lot of commitment.  It's not horribly difficult or confusing, but it does take work.

For the millions of families who homeschool diligently though, it's wonderful.  I've found it to be a great experience, as has my son.  He's found that he has more time to study, and at a deeper level; he's also found that he has more time to devote to the things that are really important to him (Scouts, competitive sports, and church activities including community service).  After all that, he still has more time to play than his ps friends do.

Edit...shankmaster, I personally know dozens - over a hundred - homeschool kids that already function better in society than many adults I've met.  They are respectful, handle themselves well, and communicate effectively.  They are also hard workers and are ready to serve wherever they need to.  They are not afraid of new things and rise to meet challenges.  I don't know which homeschool kids you're talking about, but I sure haven't met any that you're describing.

Answer 3

Homeschooling, in general, is fine.  However, how many parents who homeschool are licensed to teach?  There are few, if any, requirements that homeschoolers must meet in order to keep their kids at home.

Second, although most homeschoolers are good people, some are monsters.  When you send a kid to school with bruises, a staff member reports it.  When you beat a kid that is home-educated, it is much easier to conceal.

Answer 4

What's wrong with homeschool? In a word: Nothing.

I'm 15 (if you don't already know that!), one of 9 home-educated siblings and have been taught at home (unschooled) all our lives.

I do the sports thing (I compete at State level).

I have friends, aged from 1 month - 101 years. My other teenaged friends are either home educated themselves or are away at boarding school for 9 months of the year.

I absolutely *LOVE* the "How will they cope when they're out in the real world?"-thing. Living in the real world for me, my siblings and just about every other kid up here will involve spending our lives living on remote properties, miles from anywhere or anyone. Some people up here are so isolated they are still expecting the j**s to invade! LOL! (circa 1942!). People who've spent 13 years of their lives surrounded by 19 other kids in a classroom are the ones who are least prepared for living in the real world. They're the ones who either end up in gaol or the funny farm because they can't handle the whole 'having to do everything for themselves'-thing that goes on up here (DIY dentistry for instance, lol!).

Answer 5

Have you ever noticed that people who write like THIS:

Ur nevr gonna lurn anything if u homeskool! It's bad for ur soshal lyfe!"

are the main ones who have issues with it? LOL.

No actually, let me let you in on a little secret-the parents who think homeschool is bad are almost always

A) the ones who have never tried it

and B) the ones who are relying on false, unresearched information and false stereotypes to come to that decision.

The KIDS who don't like it are often the ones who would have had a hard time in public school anyways-not everyone is a social butterfly or a genius, whether homeschooled or not.

In other words, the ones who don't like homeschool are typically the ones who have done very little research on the matter, and certainly are not informed enough to decide whether it is good or bad for a child. Example-if they really KNEW anything about the topic or had done one small bit of research, they would find that these kids are highly mature and participate in a variety of activities and experience reduced levels of stress because they actually have TIME for these healthy social activities. Not "unsocialized", or "just sitting at home all day", as the uniformed state.

You can tell if someone is smart enough to research by how based on backwards steroetypes their objections are.

Answer 6

There's nothing wrong with it. As evidenced by your relatives and at least one response to your question, it's opinion based on ignorance that says there's something inherently wrong with homeschooling. The very idea that some modern construct that we choose to not participate in means our kids are "missing out" in some horrible way must mean that millions upon millions of people missed out on it all, too, before schools came into being.

"but people who are home schooled as children do miss out on learning to be social and tend to have difficulty in social situations when they reach adulthood."

This is pure opinion based on an assumption that homeschooled kids don't participate in social activities.

As for XXshawdow's comment... it's a shame she didn't have the self-confidence to deal with those sort of comments. I have to suspect she was originally in public school and that's where she got her approval desire from. I've known homeschoolers who have had non-homeschoolers make similar type of judgements, but because the homeschoolers took it all in stride, it really wasn't a problem--except for the most prejudiced of them, but then, who wants to be friends with someone who's that snotty?

Answer 7

I don't think competing in sports is all that important, but people who are home schooled as children do miss out on learning to be social and tend to have difficulty in social situations when they reach adulthood.

Answer 8

*I* couldn't tell you. After homeschooling for two and a half years, I have yet to see anything wrong with it. My kids are smart, fun and social. They meet new people all the time, they compete in sports, are in band and scouts and active volunteers.

Considering a majority of publically educated kids will never volunteer until they are filling out their college applications, i think they are step ahead in the real world.

Answer 9

Nothing -- that's the beauty of homeschooling it's a tailor fit to YOUR family. And whether that looks "normal" to other people isn't really the point but rather what God is telling you for your children/family.

Answer 10

I agree with Phoebe, I have seen kids who become so attached to their parents that they have a very difficult time adjusting to post-high school life. They find it very difficult to go to colleges away from home and instead stay with mom and dad for another four years.

I am not saying their is anything wrong with home schooling, I'm only answering what you ask a potential downside that happens to a minority. Home schooling can be very beneficial for certain children if, and only if, the parent is qualified to teach. I have also seen parents who have no right to be teaching children home school their kids, and the kids suffer.

Answer 11

I don't think there really is, AS LONG AS your child is still having a real life, such as having friends, and doing things kids should. I am currently homeschooled in my Senior year and I love it. I went from failing to having a 3.7gpa, its great. Just make sure your kid isn't missing out on, well being a kid.

Answer 12

Nothing at all wrong with it. The problem is that you live in a school society, it's the 'norm' and all your critics almost certainly went to school. Because that's all they know it's hard, if not impossible for them to imagine an alternative.

Always it's the 'socialization' issue, as if it's actually a good idea for children to learn their social skills from other children. And 'the real world', they think school is the real world? The only world school prepares you for is the world of the institution, in other words, you know how to function in prison.

Answer 13

There is nothing wrong with homeschool.  Your children are not the ones missing out.  It's all the kids that are sent to a government institution to be brainwashed and dumbed down that are missing out.  Your children are learning from the best teacher there is.  You get to raise them, not a stranger.  They have the best there is.  Don't listen to people who do not know what they are talking about.  You know what's best for your children.

Answer 14

If you have home schooled your children for the past seven years, you know what is RIGHT with home schooling, and why you, and your husband chose it as an alternative to conventional schooling.

Think back to those reasons, and look at what the results are, and what your relatives are saying is than but a minute point, would you not agree?

I believe any home schooling parent who needs other home schooling parents to point out to them what is wrong with their choice, may just be asking the wrong crowd, since we all know why it is RIGHT for our children and families.

Your children are in the real world every day, they are just as involved, if not more as others who are placed in a school building for 6 to 7 hours a day, with the same age group; a wealth of wisdom that will produce; with an instructor giving them a very generic view; we hope; as to what the world outside those walls is like.

I believe I would rather have my children "experience" it.

Consider watching this little free video, just click on the purple rectangle, it is a great reminder of why we choose to home school.

http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/

Socialization, no thank you (article).

http://www.nhen.org/printfriendly.asp?ID...

Top concerns about public schools (article).

http://www.familyebizmom.com/cgi-bin/arp...

Book suggestion:

The Harsh Truth About Public Schools by Bruce N. Shortt.

Answer 15

Homeschooling is not a bad thing unless you are one of those overly protective parents. I have several friends who have been home schooled. Many of them have gone onto college and adjusted just fine, but it was because their parent had them get involved with extracurricular activities like choir, youth group, or sports.

A couple of my friends that were home schooled became incredibly rebellious after they completed high school. Their parents sheltered them to the extreme, and once they had a little bit of freedom they went  crazy. One was recently rushed to the E.R. because his heart stopped from an overdose of drugs. Sheltering him to the extreme did not do him any good.

Home school can be a wonderful experience. Many homeschoolers end up just fine. I think it boils down to what kind of a parent you are. If you are extremely overprotective, get ready to pay the consequences later in life. I would make sure your children are involved in some social activities. It is very important that they have these skills to prepare them for their adult life.

Answer 16

well, have they?

I mean don't you go outside?  To the mall?  Don't they play. Go to the park.  Do they have bicycles and skateboards?

Never heard of softball, little league, dance class, Karate, art classes.

Some of these things are FREE from the dept of parks or through sponsorships.

There is nothing wrong with homeschool if the academics are there, what can be wrong is being a hermit, unsociable or keeping people in the same 4 walls for 13 years.

If that's not the case then you better get your arguments together!

Answer 17

i was homeschooled and heres what i have to say

its was the worst expierence of my life,

people looked down on me

they hated me

they thought i was the typical christian homeschooler that was freak that wore outfits that matched with everyone elses and dresses all the time...etc..

homeschooling brings out ridicule and hate

its good for education but bad for spirits.

i hate HATE HATE! homeschooling.

i will not put my kids through what i was put through,

its an embarrasment.

Answer 18

Nothing is wrong with it! It's just that there is a stigma attatched to homeschooling b/c a lot of the early generations of homeschoolers were  fundamentalist christians. I've talked to a lot of homeschooled teens and "graduates" and the one's who were upset with being hsed were having problems with their parents staying fully invovled (some kids had moms that started working while they were in high school grades and they felt abandoned) and they didn't have the advantages of community classes and sports (not for competition reasons, but rather to work on a team). I believe that anyone who says they're missing out on socializing with others is full of c**p! Contrary to most ppl's beliefs, homeschooled kids don't get locked in a room all day every day (leave that to Public school).. homeschooled families go out  and perform real life tasks and talk to all different ages and all different types of ppl. I went to private and public school my whole life and the first time I felt like it was ok to be me was when I took my chspe and started working and going to college.  I cannot think of ONE SINGLE THING any kid would miss out on ! There are so many avenues in which kids can make friends ... besides just meeting ppl in daily life, like i mentioned above, there are community courses and sports in nearly every city, there are so many teen groups for homeschooled kids (including some that have their own proms), there are some great summer camps for homeschooled kids and teens that look really cool (and I'm not talking Bible camp either). I'm not going to say PS sucks and homeschool rocks b/c PS is good for some families.. they do have there place. BUT...I believe that my kids will not be shy, timid or unprepared for the future or look back on their childhood and wish that we hadn't been homeschoolers. Keep on keepin' on, don't let outsiders plant any doubt in your head, know that you are doing the best for YOUR kids!

Answer 19

Absolutely nothing. It is working well in our home and in many homes in my community. People criticize what they don't understand.