Homeschooling VS Public or Private schooling?

Question

I am receiving a bit of ridicule on here for having an opinion about home schooling versus public or private schooling. I personally believe that there are some circumstances that may require a parent to home school. For example, living in an area that has poor school systems. I do believe that children need to develop a sense of self. I do believe that positive home life paired with the diversity and education of a school system is a perfect combination. I am a strong supporter of children attending public or private schools and that home schooling should be an alternative for some circumstances...

How do you feel?

Do you feel that some families home school for the wrong reasons?

Also, for those of you who do home school I have two questions...

1. Name one thing that your child doesn't get to experience based solely on them being taught at home.

2. Name one thing that you wish you could offer your child that a school can but you are unable to.

Answer 1

Home schooling does nothing to your child wrong. it is amazing. i have been home schooled for about 6 years now and i love it. your children can attend a few classes at the school you are participating with(mostly private schools) but in public schools your children are usually put in an environment that they can be hurt in.  Hope this helps!

Answer 2

I think that families should decide what is the best place  for each of their children to be educated. Public, private, homeschool - all are valid ways to educate. Some children do better in public, some in private, some in homeschools. I do think it would be presumptuous to decide that ONE way is best or ideal for ALL kids.

I suppose there are families who choose to homeschool for what I would think are "wrong reasons." Again, this is a decision that each family has the right to make.

To answer your questions:

1. One thing my children don't get to experience based solely on the being taught at home:

They don't have to waste time waiting for the rest of the class to be ready to move on to the next thing. Better yet, they can indulge in the study of a subject for as long as they choose.

2. Name one thing that you wish you could offer your child that a school can but you are unable to.

I cannot think of anything. My sons have experienced everything I did when I attended public school: lab classes, foreign language, art, all the core subjects (math, language arts, history, etc), homecoming, proms, student clubs.

All of the opportunities that traditional schools offer are available to homeschooled kids.

Answer 3

As a student, I think you need to enroll your child into a real school. I mean... enrolling them into a private or public school, because it not only develop your child's learning process but also their social interaction with other people. Majority of the children don't want home schooling because it keeps them bored. But due to some circumstances, maybe if your child has a problem... you can enroll him/her to a homeschooling so you can look after your child. But basically, I prefer you to put your child to a school where they can learn the things by themselves.

I hope this one will help you.

Answer 4

I don't think you are receiving ridicule--nobody's making fun of you. They may be frustrated with your opinions because they don't match up with other people's experiences and knowledge and because, although you think you might not be, you are judging them, but nobody's making fun of you.

You have essentially said that homeschooling makes children clones of their parents. Given homeschooling parents feel their kids aren't clones and that their kids are often very different from them, you might understand why they might take offense or correct you on that point.

You have said socialization is a reason to go to school, but homeschooling parents all around know that their kids are getting great socialization, so you can understand why they might disagree with you on that.

You seem to have based your opinion on a limited experience. If my husband had assumed all jr. high girls were like the girls he taught his first year in one public school (dressing like they were prostitutes), would that have been a fair assessment of public schooling or jr. high girls everywhere?

You have essentially said that homeschooled children don't develop a sense of self. Again, people are going to disagree with you and give you thumbs down on that because it's a judgement you are making on them and it doesn't fit with their experience. My experience--with numerous homeschoolers, and this is backed up by much anecdotal things that I have read--is that homeschooled children are more likely to develop a stronger sense of self than public schooled kids. Why? It just makes psychological sense: they haven't grown up in a herd where they are trying to behave and be like those around them. Their focus is on their own interests and what they like, not what their peers like. Does that mean that ALL homeschoolers are like that? By no means. But you are judging all of homeschooling based on how, it sounds like, TWO families homeschooled. Hardly representative of the million or so families homeschooling.

You have hinted that homeschooling doesn't have diversity. We can go to one homeschooling event and have kids (and parents) there with piercings, strangely coloured hair, various religions, practically on welfare to very well off, people from different countries and races... There's no lack of diversity.

So when people give you a thumbs down for citing things like that, it's because they truly feel that you do not know what you are talking about since it doesn't fit with their greater knowledge and experience with homeschooling.

I feel that any decent family should consider homeschooling before sending their child off to an institution 5 days a week. I think it makes more psychological and sociological sense for kids, especially pre-teen, to grow up in multi-age settings with mature social models being evident. I think it makes more moral sense for children to learn morality primarily from adults than 30 other same-aged kids. I feel it makes more academic sense for kids, especially pre-teen, to be able to go their pace and have the chance to master the material. I think how things used to be before mass schooling came into play worked very well--people were socialized, people were educated and didn't have to meet certain standards at certain ages. Yes, that's right, those early schools didn't have standardization and mandatory testing and all that and the kids worked through their reading and math at their pace. AND they had multi-age groups. And they STILL managed to work at the pace of their workplace when they were adults because kids and adults are different.

It's great that you feel that public school is the best place for your kids. The issue with your responses is that your "feelings" are not really "feelings" and are judgement calls on those who are homeschooling. You can't "feel" that homeschooling is only justifiable in certain circumstances--that's not a true feeling, it's an opinion. But an opinion based on information that is false--or limited--doesn't get you far. And so your opinion is that these families who are, in fact, doing wonderful jobs with their kids actually aren't--that's gone past opinion and into judgement. You have yet to actually justify your opinion with something that homeschooling families--some who have been doing this for 20 years--can say, "Yes, that's been my experience."

As for your questions?

1. Why should I? Why don't you name one thing your child doesn't get to experience based solely on them being at school? Actually, why don't I answer the question? My children don't get to experience:

-Daily witnessing or suffering of bullies.

-Peer pressure.

-Having to ask permission for going to the bathroom or drinking water.

-Feeling like there's something wrong with them because they didn't get as high of a grade as somebody else in the class, or because they don't have an iPod or my gr. 5, because she doesn't have a cell phone (latest thing around here).

-Having to have a study interest cut short because it's time to move onto the next subject.

-For my dd, sitting in class bored because she's already finished the work but she's not allowed to move on ahead; which means, she's also not experiencing the lack of challenge many gifted kids feel at school.

-Hearing that having good marks is nerdy.

-Having others show that it's not cool at that age (my 10yo) to hug and kiss your mom in front of others and actually want to spend time with your parents.

-Peer dependency.

-Thinking it's normal to colour your hair when you're in gr. 5 and to wear clothes that were originally designed for teenagers.

Should I go on? I know there was some mention of labs. Well, I have yet to see an elementary school with a science lab--and I went to elementary school here and have taught in different elementary schools here. Many of the jr. highs here do not have them at all. My husband's did, but the kids only got one lab and maybe 2 demos per year. The high schools have them, but not everybody takes science courses that involve labs (they have the option of taking a general science course) and there is so much stuff that has to be covered that a lot of students don't get to do labs in their high school science classes. My own brother-in-law teaches in one high school where he has close to 40 students in his classes. He can no longer do labs with them and only demonstrations. Another high school teacher told me that in her school, the kids were lucky to get one lab a year. Hardly a reason to completely discount homeschooling.

2. A basketball hoop.

Answer 5

Name one thing I miss out on because I'm homeschooled? That's tough. I go to parties, I play sports, I'm a member/have been a member of a number of clubs, I have tons of friends, I have a boyfriend. He lives a bit far away, but I see him much more now than I would if the public school scheduled my life.  I get invited to dances (and sometimes I go! Amazing, huh?) I have/had music instruction in multiple instruments. I play in a band, I get art and drama, I get to do lots of volunteer work as well as paid work, and throughout all of this I get to interact with a more eclectic group of people than you'd ever find in a typical classroom. I get to study things I'm interested in that the schools don't/cant afford to offer...things like Music Theory, Robotics, Programming, the human brain, psychology, learning theories, and anything else I happen to be interested in or curious about. I get to read for pleasure and take pleasure in learning as a whole. I have the freedom to travel a lot to places of interest, and wherever I go I can just take school along with me. I have all the lab equipment I need for real Chemistry labs, and I'll be moving on to Physics soon (already covered Bio). You just need to know where to shop if you're homeschooled. I get to take classes at a local college and get college credit for them. I go on field trips. I get a yearbook and a graduation party. I'm even graduating a year early. And college will be no problem. My top six picks (like most universities) are very well educated about homeschoolers. My top pick (University of Florida) only reqires a transcript, SAT/ACT scores, and the SAT II Subject Tests. Second pick just wants the first two. Colleges really DON'T care about diplomas, so I'm not missing out on one of those either. I even get to organize a group to work on projects when I want to. Really, the only thing I can think of that I miss out on as a homeschooler is...probably the funding. We spent about $200 this year on books, equipment, and other materials which is REALLY good considering I'm taking on so many classes. (Used books, discount stores for HSers, Amazon. We're good shoppers), but it would be nice if it was all free. However, as soon as you let the government pay your way, you let them take control of your life. No cookie-cutter curriculum for me, thanks.

I asked mom to name one thing she wishes she could offer me that the school can or that she's unable to. She had to think for a while. We thought together, and all we could come up with again was the free materials... But we really don't want that. There's no such thing as a free lunch, and we're not about to give up our educational freedom so we can save a buck and I can be "dumbed down" by NCLB.

Answer 6

I don't want to hand my children over to the government , so I homeschool

wouldn't have it any other way

I think  Public school is geared toward one way of learning

which excludes all the creative self learner hands on kids.

If you don't learn their way you get an F and are considered a failure. I myself being a hands on kid, failed terribly at school

so I did not want to put my kids through that.

My kids gets A's no matter what , as long as they try with all their best

Isn't that what learning is all about?

So since I failed miserbly at school, do you know what I do now?

well I make a six figure income trading Stocks as a Day Trader Go Figure

and my principle said I would be a nobody-

Answer 7

I think some families homeschool for the wrong reasons and I think some families choose public school for the wrong reasons.  However, I feel most parents who homeschool have researched their decision thorougly and are committed to doing what is best for their child.  As opposed to most public school parents who blindly send their kids off to public school because that's what they feel they are supposed to do.

To answer your other questions:

1.  Two things that my children don't get to experience as a result of being homeschooled are bullying and teasing.  They are outgoing and confident and I'm glad they're not being subjected to poor treatment by other children.

2.  School can offer my child  a fabulous playground which won't fit in our back yard, but we do have a park within walking distance so I guess it all evens out.

Answer 8

I feel the reasons people home school are varied. There are people who do it just because they can, and those who do it because they feel they must. Some are home schooling for religious reasons and others for health reasons.

The wrong reasons are just as varied and change from person to person.

One thing my kids miss out on drug use and deals. Teenage pregnancy, s*x before marriage

One thing I can't offer that a school can, Crowded hallways! lol

Answer 9

1. She doesnt' have to experience bullying  anymore.

2. Nothing.

Answer 10

Homeschool is certainly not for everyone.  Those who need hand-holding and firm directions have to go to a school or have a tutor to guide them.

Homeschooling is for self-starters, motiviated, independent researchers.  Homeschool is, essentially, the same sitaution as a Masters program in college.  You are expected to do your own work and not bug teachers every 5 seconds.

So, students who can't think for themselves will have sever problems with homeschooling.

I was homeschooled in touch typing (age 6), music (age 5 and 17) and computer basics (age 8 or 9).  I was typing 45 WPM by age 8.

I unschooled myself in a lot of areas including observational astronomy, meteorology, sound recording, motion picture work, photography, dark room, color dark room, optics and creative writing.

I got first published in Sky and Telescope at the age of 16.

Now all this was in the dark ages, back in the 1960s.

My mother had been a professional musician and was a computer supervisor at Follettes Publishing.  She used to also bring home books and read to me when I was 5, 6 and 7 and later I read them for myself.

She taught me to read computer punch cards.  I learned all about 10, 11 and 12 punches.

This is now, of course, obsolete, but my friend who went to Berkeley in the 1980s had to run card batches for his computer projects.  Of course he was doing things at 20 in the 1980s I was doing at 8 in the 1960s.

I basically taught myself the entire filmmaking process from age 12 to age 19 and when I got into college I used to have to tutor the class, because they didn't understand the teacher, so I had to break things down and explain T stops and F stops to them.

In my acting class at college my teacher required a resume from everyone and 90% of the class didn't know what a resume even was and these are high school graduates.  Graduates of both public and Catholic private schools.

I had the third best resume in the class with all my audio, film, music and writing work since I was 8 years old.  I had submitted to talent contests (and got panned), magazines (and had a ream of rejections slips and one published work), I did some acting in my films, did voice over and dubbing, did split screen, superimposed titles, wide screen anamorphics.

Two other students were advanced.  Once was a 2nd year auditing the class and he had been in a lot of school plays and the teacher's girl friend was taking the class and she was a Union artist who had done two years work on the Smothers Brothers show, had 8 year dance instruction, was in AFTRA.  Quite an impressive two page resume.

So this is where I come from with homeschooling and unschooling.

But as I say, it's not for everyone.

My job is to put a sheet of plain paper into a typwriter and come up with a story or article to submit to a magazine, which I was doing since I was 7 years old.

At 15 I was animating lunar landings (three years before we actually landed) and had to design the landscape, ship (construction paper and pens) and figure out how to animate it smoothly with my little 8mm camera doing single frames.

As I was teaching myself guitar, bass, drums and keyboards I had to do layers with a 2 track tape recorder so I covered over the erase head with cardboard to stop the erasing process so I could do sound over sound.  I was doing 6 track recording on a 2 track Roberts reel to reel when I was 17.

No one taught me these things nor did I read about them in books, I just thought about what needed to be done and experimented until I found a process that worked for me.

When I got into darkroom work I was doing contract prints of pictures of the moon I was shooting with a $5 box camera and wanted to make them bigger so I made an enlarger with a shoe box and magnifying glass, based on my observations at the age of 5 when I found I could project slides from a hand held slide viewer on the wall by using a flash light and moving the viewer back and forth to focus the image (ta-da and my cat discovered gravity in later years).

Some people need to be shown these things, others figure them out with their own brains and some books.

That's what independent, self-motivated studies are all about and that is what is done in a College Master's program, except to a higher level of art.

Different strokes for different folks!

Answer 11

Choosing to homeschool our children is our business.  Choosing to send your children to government funded, government mandated lessons, is your business.  Thank God we live in a country where we can still bring up our children the way we feel best since it's in the best interest of those we love most.  Support your homeschooling options because its a right you may have to invoke for your family someday when a bully hurts your child, a teacher tries to corrupt your child's mind against what you believe to be right, the latest fad causes your family grief that it is not fixable, or your child is not succeeding in their education program.  You will be glad you have options.  My kids do more than any public schoolers we know: in addition to school work, archery, gymnastics, martial arts, soccer, snowboarding, skiing, chess, private music lessons, Boy Scouts, Brownies too.  Most public schoolers do one or two things if it doesn't take up too much time, which they don't have enough of.

Answer 12

whoa...  I am new here, and stumbled on this question and couldn't resist answering.  I must say that I have to come to the defense of the asker of this question.  She simply asked a decent question and has even responded in her own defense to some of the comments posted.  To Utopia, your children should not receive an "A" if they haven't earned it and I applaud you Noble Angel for making your children earn their grades and keeping what they have earned.  I do feel that quite possibly the changing of your chidrens grades and making them "A" students when they haven't earned it may be one of the wrong reasons that DHC is referring to.  The answers here are a true symbol of hyprocracy at its finest....To glurpy, your answer was the most hypocritical of them all for a few reasons and I will list them now...  you claim that the asker is "judging" home school parents for choosing that route for their children...well, aren't you doing just that...Judging parents who send their children to school??  Aren't you judging when you claim that DHC doesn't have any knowledge on homeschooling and claiming that she knows only two families, and she has stated her experience with home schooling has been negative and you are saying that home schooling is always positive.  Also, just a correction to you on opinions becoming feelings (and then you back track your statement in your last paragraph) Well, feelings are opinions and opinions are feelings... You need one to have the other...  opinions and feelings are a full circle.  Parents who send their children to school are not doing so to institutionalize their children.  Schooling is a vital important role in a childs life.  I was also disturbed that you stated "any decent family" would homeschool....  That is the most "judgy" statement on here!!  You are saying that there is not a single decent family who sends their children to school and that couldn't be farther from the truth...  Maybe you should spend a week at a school and tell ALL of the students that their parents aren't decent and that they come from families without morals... That is ridiculous!  

To those of you who stated that children who attend school are in buildings that are rampant with drugs, alcohol, s*x, violence and weapons... Where do you live???  I know that these issues are facing America, but most schools are not time bombs of wild animals.  Maybe the city schools have that issue, but most schools do not.  That brings me to the comments about DHC doing her research... Maybe you should do yours to find out the truth of schools, not your misconception of what school is like.  I understand that you do not want your children exposed, but I really really hope that you equip them with the correct tools to resist temptation in college and life beyond.... as many decent families who send their children to school do.  

I didn't state this earlier and I don't know if it matters, but I was home schooled until 10th grade and then went to public school for my junior and senior year... then off to college.  I have children and have done research and my children attend public school.  Our school is ranked #3 in the entire state and it is full of more children from "decent" families than children from improper upbringing.  Even the children who don't have a very solid home life can be very nice children who work hard and perservere against the greatest odds.  How do I know this?  Because even though I was home taught, my parents were not good people....There is good and bad in every situation, but, there are home taught kids who are home taught because their parents just don't want them to leave the house, and just don't want them to let people see what happens behind closed doors....  So maybe YOU glurpy should do some research...

DHC... I applaud your question and I feel as though you have defended yourself nicely...  Keep up the good work on being what sounds like a good mom!

In response to the not so pleasant response that was given to me based on my answer...  I do believe that this is precisely what the asker was referring to about ridicule...  You are a prime example of the position the asker is taking about how nobody who agrees with home schooling is allowed to post an answer in this section.  My answer was not insulting and was not rude... it was my conception on the barage of insults that all of you are throwing at the asker.  Also, sorry for the misconception of any decent family would homeschool or should consider homeschooling... either way the statement is still saying that you feel decent families and children do not attend public school and regardless to how it is read, it is still judgemental.  Even if DHC's experiences are limited she has expressed her feelings based on those experiences and even stated that she has researched both...so who is the person who should be reading more closely now???

Answer 13

***How do you feel [about homeschooling or not]?

I respect your *feelings* but the homeschool debate has moved way beyond personal feelings.  All the data and research shows beyond any doubt that homeschooling works and that kids are in no way disadvantaged - even social skills.

*** Do you feel that some families home school for the wrong reasons?

People make all kinds of decisions for the wrong reason.  Many people "choose" public school by default and do not really make a decision about it at all.

You will find the majority of homeschool parents / families to be very thoughtful and concerned parents.  So, generally, no.

***Also, for those of you who do home school I have two questions...

*** 1. Name one thing that your child doesn't get to experience based solely on them being taught at home.

Low expectations.

*** 2. Name one thing that you wish you could offer your child that a school can but you are unable to.

Honestly, I can't think of anything at all.  Some have commented about the Prom... well, we have a fall and spring dance every year - one formal and one casual, we have a graduation ceremony... If there was anything important I thought we were missing out on - I would take the initiative and create a comparable opportunity myself.

--- changed my mind: I do wish that national honor societies were open to homeschooled kids so they could get recognition for academic excellence.   Even for this there are fabulous alternatives!

***UPDATE:

Regarding the grade of A comments...

Our goal is mastery of a subject.  If a child masters the subject what grade is earned?  We have the flexibility to spend as much time as necessary to accomplish this objective.  We have yet, however, needed to spend any more time than would typically be devoted to a particular subject.  If we needed to repeat a subject we would and without penalty.

Answer 14

I went to grade school up until I was 10 and after that I was homeschooled up until graduation.

While I was being homeschooled I thought it was unfair and I really wanted to go back to public school. Now that I am older and I have my own son I completely understand why my parents homeschooled us.

One thing that I didn't get to experience being homeschooled: I have 2 one positive one negative. The negative: I feel like I missed out on tings that a lot of teenagers do, proms, football games, and a formal graduation. The positive: I feel like since I wasn't exposed to drugs, and alcohol at an early age by the time that I was exposed I already had my mind made up those things weren't for me.

I can't answer the second question because I am not homeschooling my son just yet but if I were, the one thing I would like to offer is the life experiences that come with going to public school. Even as an adult I sometimes can not relate to what other people are saying because I never went through it myself.

Answer 15

<<1. Name one thing that your child doesn't get to experience based solely on them being taught at home.>>

*** Having to sit through classes where he's completed his work in 10 minutes and he has to wait for the rest of the class to catch up.  I could go on, but you asked for one.  There is nothing school can give that my son misses out on, except all the bad things about school...(not going to list them).

My son attended public preschool (as a peer model) and it was enough bus riding, bullying, not talking to others at lunch, not being challenged, conforming to idiotic rules, etc., to last his lifetime.  His *public school* teachers told me NOT to put him in the district schools for Kdg.  They were my impetus for even considering HS'ing.

When my HS'ed son visits his sister at her public school, he just rolls his eyes at what he'd have to go through if he was there.

<<2. Name one thing that you wish you could offer your child that a school can but you are unable to.>>

Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  Anything the public schools have, the homeschool community has...and more:  music, art, sports, volunteer work, community service, challenging classes, and the ability to work with other people *of all ages*.

My son is *so* glad he's not stuck with only kids a year younger/older than him.  Instead he gets to take karate with kids in 1st-12th, chess with middle and high schoolers (he's 9), track & cross country with kids from 5-18, cooking class with all ages (and doesn't have to wait for 7th grade Home Ec class).

My son is also glad he can go at his own pace (generally much quicker) in his coursework.  He's glad he can mix and match grade levels.  He's glad he can choose to study things not covered in the public school curricula (b/c they teach to the test).  He's glad he has several hours a day for independent learning and working with a mentor.

I could go on, but I'll stop.  I'm a "half and half" family - half HS'ed, half public schooled.  We do what is best for each child.

Answer 16

I'm with you DHC on this...  and just to lend you some support, you are being unfairly judged for having an opinion.  Seems to me that alot of these answerers are calling you closed minded, when in fact they are the ones who are not accepting a different point of view.  My children all attended school and graduated with honors... none of them grew up to be drug addicted pimps or hookers who carry a switchblade in their hair because they went to school and they weren't shot or stabbed and they didn't sit around in class wasting time.  How dare these people assume that you are ignorant.  Ignorance is showing from their defensive answers....  School is exceptional...  and I'd like to know how the term "dumbed down" isn't meant to be offensive or rude to the people who attend school....  open your minds people!!!

Answer 17

I'm an education major and I actually just got done taking a class where this was a major topic. Where you child goes to school should depend on the individual child. You want to send your student to where they can develop the most. If you feel that the public schools in your area are not sufficient enough then don't send your student there. A lot of public schools in America are not doing too well so I can definitely understand your worry. Private schools may or may not work, sometimes parents can't afford them or don't believe in what they may stand for. Home schooling can be very successful for some, although others may argue that it keeps them from developing socially or having a sense of self. If you're afraid of you student lacking friends get them involved in some kind of activity, or camps, most communities offer a bunch of things for kids to do.

Students are all different and should go to school where you think they can do their best. Some do better in public while others do better in homeschool, that's why they are all offered.There is no right or wrong way, just each persons individual belief.

Answer 18

I home school my 2 sons, have been for 3 years and they have never been to a public school and never will. They started in a church school this would be my first chose but as the one they were in is no longer and the price of others are increasing homeschooling became our best option for the best education for our children.

I also use a very good curriculum that is computer based so I do not "pick" there grades, I can change them but I do not what they earn is what they get, and it is still A's and B's 90% of the time.

for your quetions

1) they miss out on all the drugs and immorality that is rampent in school (and you don't thinlk so I know the reputaion of the schools and the number of teen prenacey is unreal and well as the drugs and wepons found in them

2)Nothing, my husband is qualifired to teach brass instraments and they are allowed to play on the platform in our church, and we have a solid home school network that has activites though out the year to museums and parks, we also have a very active youth group that love to play sports, so I do not see what else I need.

Answer 19

Your first question is a bit bothersome to me. In order for someone to homeschool for the "wrong" reasons, someone would first have to determine the "right" reasons. Every family is different and every child is different, so the right reasons for my family will be different than the right reasons for another  family. With that in mind, who gets to decide the official "right" reasons? I certainly don't want the government to decide, especially since they have a financial interest in having my child in their school system.

I think each family has to decide for itself the right and wrong reasons for homeschooling OR institutional schooling. I think for us, the wrong reason for public schooling would be that everyone else does it. Most parents don't question sending their kids to school at all. It's just what you do; it's what EVERYONE does. But isn't that the kind of thinking we try to discourage in our kids; you know, following the crowd? Remember your parents saying, "If everyone else jumped off the bridge, would you?"

Public schools are a service that is available to us, but we aren't required to use it. And we simply choose not to. Our reasons are our own.

As for the other two questions:

1. The only thing I can think of that my children don't get to experience because we homeschool is riding the school bus. But honestly, the school is abot 4 streets away from our house, so they would probably spend about 2 minutes on the bus anyway. Not to mention the fact that my niece goes to public school and she doesn't ride the bus because she lives within walking distance. So it's not something that all public schoolers experience anyway.

2. I honestly can't think of one thing that a school could offer that I'm unable to. My kids get to experience taking classes with their friends, having different teachers, playing sports, music, art, field trips, etc. They get to participate in a lot more activities now than they would if they were in public (or private) school because they have the gift of free time; now that's something I can offer them that a school never could.

*ADDED:

To "inapickle":

If you reread glurpy's answer, you'll realize that she never said that any decent family would homeschool. What she DID say was that she thinks any decent family should CONSIDER homeschooling. (Meaning any family that has parents who truly want the best for their kids could potentially benefit from homeschooling if they researched it and decided it was something they wanted to put the time and effort into.) That's a completely different statement and not a judgement at all.

Also, if you had read all the many, many answers given in this section by homeschooling parents, you would find that just about all of them (glurpy included) have said that homeschooling is not for everyone, and can be worse than institutional schooling in some instances. And glurpy never said that DHC had no knowledge on homeschooling (although, in fact, DHC has no firsthand knowledge; she has never homeschooled), she said she had limited experience. This is certainly a reasonable statement based on the fact that she knows only a few homeschoolers out of over a million (that's a conservative estimate) in the US alone.

Maybe you should have read a little more carefully before writing such an insulting response.

Answer 20

Ok, I went to public school for the first 5 grades, and then the rest of my education was completed by homeschooling. Although I wasn't learning as well as I should have been in public school, as an adult I believe I would have done better if my parents at done homework with me. In homeschooling, I missed out on being with other kids, I was socially deprived, and it was very difficult for me. It was boring, mentally difficult, and I rarely got the chance to see other children.

I now have my own kids, and my son has a chronic illness, and for him to catch colds from other kids would yes, probably mean he gets sick more often. However, I would never submit him to homeschooling, because I want him to enjoy life and enjoy being around other kids.

Answer 21

It seems that I can only think of one person I know who has truley benefited from public school: a mentally and physically disabled boy at my church.  The government pays for all his schooling, his teachers are trained to administer his medicine, complete physical therapy everyday, and work on his speech.  Other then that, I honestly cannot think of anyone that would not benefit from homeschooling.

As a private violin teacher, parents pay me lots of money so their children can have one-on-one time with a teacher outside of their school orchestra class.  Why?  Becuase these parents know how beneficial individual teaching can be.  They know that I will be able to pinpoint their child's learning style and work with them.  I won't be foreced to deal with thirty different learning styles all at once, trying to mold them all together.   If only parents would do this for every aspect of their child's education!  Find the best way for their child to learn something, and simply let them learn.  That's it.

As for how I feel, I personally have a very long list of 'circumstances' that would 'require' a  family to homeschool.  Better education opportunities, freedom in choosing educational oportunities, positive socialization, religion, crime, drugs/s*x, less peer pressure, more time for activities, better standardized test scores, more time for friends, more time for family, less pressure to grow up too fast, freedom to study at individual pace, room to embrace all learning styles, better chances for college, need I go on?  I could go on forever, but I'll hold myself back.

1) I'm not sure what to answer.  Um, crappy cafeteria food?  (Although sometimes mom would make us eat these awful turkey hot dogs.  I'm sure those were worse than what our public schooled friends were eating.  Healthier yes, but so yucky.)  Mom would probably say stress, peer pressure, something like that.  Dad would say nothing.

2) Isn't this question a little redundant?  My siblings and I were in everything a public schooler would be in.  Plus lots more because we had more time.  For example, my parents could not offer me orchestra in or home, but I have been taking violin lessons since age three so a public school orchestra would have done nothing for me.  Instead, I had the time to be in the city youth orchestra which required an audition, (not a note saying I didn't want to be in band), form my own homeschool quartet (we won many homeschool and public school competitions), and begin teaching private lessons at age thirteen.  Public school would have only kept me from doing those things.  The resources for homeschoolers are amazing, I can't think of anything that would be a problem when homeschooling.  My fiance and I plan on homeschooling our kids someday .

INAPICKLE : glurpy never said any decent family would homeschool, she said any decent family would 'consider' homeschooling.  Just as they would consider private schools, montessorie schools, and what options they have in their own public school district.  Just like you said you researched homeschooling and decided against it.  Learn to read.  And DHC claims to have done her research, but only seems to have remembered the bad things about homeschooling.