How do you view home-schooling?

Question

I hear that high school can be really tough on kids with high moral standards. I have thought about home-schooling during these years, due to poor peer pressure.

Answer 1

I do not feel that you have to go through things to learn about how life treats you. Example. My oldest daughter who is 11th grade is in public school. She has seen things she should not have seen in ps. As well as she has been with friends that have tried things. She doesn't have to experience them to know they are not ok. My other two chlildren on the other hand are homeschooled. They have a different outlook on life. They have lots of friends in ALL age groups. They have volunteer sites they go to and are involved with adults. They learn about life just by doing rather then by learning about it. That is how I see homeschooling. I am really interested in seeing how my oldest turns out to compare to my other two. Because of how they where schooled. In America children who are homeschooled are better adjusted to life because they live it. There are hundreds of studies that show this. You can do a websearch and find all that kind of information. I started to see changes in my oldest in 6th grade. She grew up way to fast in my book. This is just my opinion.

Answer 2

I believe that school choice is individual to each child.  And the parents need to be aware enough of each child's individual needs to know what is the best option for them at each phase of their life.  

My own daughter was (and is) a brilliant artist----I am not!  And would never be able to know what to expose her to outside of the school setting in high school, nor be able to afford to pay for those experiences independently.  Brick and mortar school was great for her.  Performance opportunities in music, technical opportunities in drama, and artistic opportunities in the fine arts.  She was also able to make wonderful connections that led to a successful university experience in the fine arts.  This I could never have given her at home.  

My son is totally different and what he needs is to be schooled one on one.  In that atmosphere he thrives.  He can be himself "a sizzler" (ADHD) without being drugged into submission.  He can learn in a mobile fashion and can achieve his potential.  I saw children like him when my daughter was in public school and I know how miserably the schools failed them.  They stifled, drugged and disciplined them into submission.  I saw beautiful bubbly toddlers and young children grow into  withdrawn, isolated, bullied, drug addicts and drop outs later in their public school careers.  I saw them darken and the light that was theirs just go out.  

I would never allow that for my son....EVER.  

I know that there are those who would argue that things have changed, but I don't see that.  Being told something and the reality of day to day are often MILES apart.  

Both of my children had the same moral upbringing and foundation laid.  They each are very different, with different needs.  And they needed different styles of schooling.  I don't think we can make blanket decisions for all children one way or the other.

One thing I feel is imperative is that if your child ends up in brick and mortar school and even more so in homeschool, if the parent hands off responsibility to the school system (or a daggone computer) and then walks away--it is doomed to failure!!!!!!!!!   Either be there or don't have kids.  When they are homeschooling, be there either during the day or when you get home from work, review the entire day if you haven't coordinated the curriculum,  assume total responsibility for them or don't home school them.   And if they are in a regular school setting then get your behind down there, volunteer, talk to your child every night, tutor them through the rough spots.   Get to know the teachers, the administrators, the coaches.  Be on the PTA, be the parents EVERYONE knows by name and sight.  Make sure that school feels like if they take one misstep...YOU will be the first one to know and be there to HELP them fix it.  Be indispensible.  Make them MISS YOU when you are gone.  Do this and your child will be more likely to be successful wherever they go.  

IMHO

Answer 3

With the amount of time children spend in school around other children and adults, I honestly must say that if a parent wants to be the one to raise and mold their own child, homeschooling is the only way.

When parents send there children off to school they have no control over what happens to them physically and mentally during that time.

Others are feeding and shaping these children's minds and parents are not there to say or do anything.

I was raised in public schools and knowing what children are and could be subjected to on a daily basis, I would NEVER consider it an option for my children.

As for social developments there are plenty of options in the way of clubs and homeschool social meeting groups where parents can be present and involved.

The time we have our children under our care and to mold them goes by quickly. Why not be there for them and protect them during this time. In my opinion it is every parents duty.

Answer 4

I'm homeschooled (in grade12) and I really enjoy it. I work at a place where the people I work with are mainly 14-18, so even there I see a lot of the drinking, drugs, drama, and other things that go on in public schools, and I'm honestly really glad I didn't have to go through all that. I think that homeschooling is a great thing, but especially during high school.

Answer 5

As long as your smart enough to make sure that they get a complete and full education and have the time and resources.

Then again, part of growing up is learning to deal with these pressures. You cant shield them forever unless your gonna homeschool college and then hire him forever.

Answer 6

send the kid to public school, got to learn to handle real life.

Answer 7

We were originally thinking, if the kids wanted and/or we thought it was in their best interest, that our kids would homeschool for k-9 then go to high school (high school is 10-12 here).

However, seeing the rise in bomb threats, bombs, teenage pregnancy, increased party problems (including kids getting killed) and the general decline in clothes and somehow seeming far further away from adulthood than they should be, we are reconsidering. We'd like them to live a real, good life rather than the sham of living that so often exists in the high schools here. We'd like them to be better prepared for adult life than we see many high school kids here are.

We are ALL affected by what we are surrounded by, even adults. Being constantly around something undesirable is more likely to have you engage in those undesirable activities/attitudes/etc. There's no escaping it. We love our kids enough to not force them to spend the bulk of their waking hours in an environment that isn't good for them.

Btw, as an adult, I've never had to deal with pressures regarding clothes, s*x, drugs, alcohol, stealing, etc. As well, my kids aren't locked up inside every day without any contact with the outside world. They interact with others and my 10yo learns a lot about what goes on through just seeing it on the streets, in the malls or hearing about things on the news. Homeschooling doesn't have to mean a sheltering that will stunt the children's development.

Answer 8

Well I am a homeschooler and I view it as a healthy and safe schooling invironment where you can be sheltered from all the junk that goes on in public school. I love it!

Child of Eden

Answer 9

I am a student of MHS in Mississippi, i think it should be entirely up to your child and you should let them decide what they want to do. I dont at all think High School is as bad as it is made out to be. I think if  you dont want them to be suducted to extreme peer pressure is to put them in Private School, where the child will miss out on alot, if your child goes to a actual school you will not have to worry about your child and internet dating, where at a real school they can meet people and get the full experience of what the real life is like.

Answer 10

I am homeschooled and im in my freshman year. People say that if kids are homeschooled they wont get enough socal time. But it depends on what kind of program you use. I am in a program called k12. Im in azva (Arizona virtural acadmey) but there is one for each state (i think) but there are many socal activitys. we all meet on line and it is very socal.

Answer 11

Well, at least you won't worry about your kids having a crush on the teacher, or being peer pressured into using drugs.

Answer 12

Homeschooling is a great option if you are willing to put in the work. It may be a challenge to start out in high school , but it definitely is not impossible. My daughter has the same "high moral standards," but honestly this year is taking 3 classes at the local school. She has been home schooled up to that point and simply needed more than I could give her in the classes she is taking there. The opportunity for her to "stretch her wings" (with a lot of accountablility to myself and her friends) in that environment has been good though. She has made great choices so far and is considered a leader.

Good luck whatever you decide to do!

Answer 13

I think homeschooling can be great for some people. It doesn't work for everyone. I'm home schooled and I'm a senior and I've made it really hard on myself by not focusing and procrastinating all the time. If you've got good self-control and/or a parent who's there to make sure you get your stuff done, then it probably is a good idea for you. Especially if you're having problems with peer pressure. And you don't have to be an unsocialized home schooler, either. If you join some home school groups or other organizations like 4-H then you get positive relationships with other home schooled students. I hope this helps you!!

Answer 14

Home schooling is good if the school district u are in is bad. U don't have to deal with drugs, gangs and bad teachers / school administrators. U can keep your kids off bad influence.

Answer 15

While I homeschool, I must say that more credit must be given to those kids with "high moral standards," that they can resist the pressures of their peers more easily than kids without those standards.  :)

Anyway, I know a lot of homeschoolers put their kids back in school for high school.  Perhaps it's for the social aspect, or the education, or a bit of both.  I could never see the sense in that personally.  If homeschooling is good for the first eight or nine years, why not for the last 4?  

I homeschool my 15 year old, and have since he was 8, and plan on homeschooling my other child through high school as well.  My reasons are the same as for the elementary and middle years:  to allow them freedom to learn what they want, what they need, when they are ready, as well as to explore who they are without being labeled every single day during their formative years.  I think that is just as applicable in high school as at any other time.

Answer 16

I won't repeat all the great stuff that's been said about home schooling, but I will point out that home schooling isn't something you "sign up for" and then a "Welcome kit" arrives at your door step!

As a home schooling parent, you will be taking on the administrative role of "teacher" (even if you don't directly teach your child): responsible for choosing which subjects to study (and which subtopics, and in what depth), which books or other resources to use, how to document and grade your child's work.  You'll also be "the guidance counselor": researching college and university admissions, applications; choosing whether to use special "programs" for college prep like AP, preparing for and signing up for SAT/ACT tests.  And the list goes on. :)

Don't get me wrong, I'm 110% in favour of home schooling -- when undertaken wisely and with full understanding that it's not "the easy way out."  I'm not assuming that you're looking for the easy way, but I counsel WAY too many people who don't realize that home schooling means taking responsibility for EVERYTHING -- and that means making a lot of decisions that you wouldn't normally have to make.  Too many people think that you can "sign up for homeschooling" and then continue to be only as involved as you were when your child was in school, and that's just completely not the case.

But good luck with whatever choice you make!

Answer 17

High school was tough but I made it trough and I'm just fine.  I feel that if you shelter your children too much it will be a great culture shock when they get into college.  Let your kids learn in high school how to say no to bad things while you're still there to guide them so when they get into college and you can't be there to supervise, they'll be used to doing the right thing.  Good luck!

Answer 18

homeschooling it great! i got homeschooled my 8th grade year til 10th grade. it was a great experience! i'm glad my parents put me through it, most people think that if your homeschooled you are an out cast to the world, and i mean socially. Which is not true! I joined a homeschooling group and found friends that way. When i went back to public school, i found that homeschool was way better, plus you can get a chance to graduated early.