This question is for only those who homeschool or have been homeschooled or are currently?

Question

I am thinking of homeschooling my kids and I was wanting to know how do you like being home schooled. Do you or did you or do your kids miss being with other kids. Is there anything negative about home schooling for your experience. What is the best part. Thanks

Answer 1

right now, im a junior in high school. i was homeschooled for 10th grade and now 11th. i really do miss my social life, but its not like i dont still have one. i still communicate with many of my friends. i like homeschooling because i really dont miss sitting in class for 8 hours, when i can do the same amount of work in 4. although i do like homeschooling, i hope to go back to school at least for 12th grade, for my own reasons.

Answer 2

Are you asking if I missed being with thirty other equally immature kids who were all the same age as me everyday for thirteen years?!  Um...NO!  I think I would have gone mad if my parents had sent me to school!  Homeschooling allowed me to interact with people of all different ages, backgrounds, and walks of life on a daily basis.  Public school supposedly prepares students for the real world, but keeps them in the same building, with the same teachers, the same age group, the same kids, everyday!  How are they ever supposed to live in the real world if they are never out in it?  I homeschooled K-12 and there were not many days that we stayed home.  There was always something to do!  Fieldtrips, volunteer work, study groups with other homeschoolers, music lessons, group lessons for violin, orchestra, church activities, homeschool group activities, playing outside with friends, hanging out/playing with my siblings, taking classes from other homeschool parents or the community college, camps, workshops, theater, sports, ballet, recitals/performances, shoot!  Sometimes I got sick of being around people all the time!  Just kidding.  But seriously, there was never a time I wanted to go to school.  And my parents made sure to ask at the beginning of every semester.  It was my choice to homeschool.  Now that I am in college I appreciate the opportunity my parents gave me even more!  I feel I was so more prepared than my public schooled peers.  The transition to college was not a problem, applying to colleges was not a problem, and getting scholarships was not a problem either.  Overall, I feel homeschooling has given me advantages over public schooled kids in most areas of my life.

Answer 3

I am a homeschooler, and i love it...We are taught much more than the average public schooler...And everything! i get to be around kids because i go to homeschooling programs!

www.ClassicalConversations.com!

Answer 4

I homeschool two girls and have two toddlers at home.  Some days it is very difficult to make everyone happy and the easiness of sending them to school is appealing but I know this is what I should be doing.  I periodically ask my girls if they would rather be in school (especially when we move- army family) and the answer is always no.  They have lots of friends in our neighborhood, church and are involved in extracurricular activities including music, piano, gymnastics and homeschooling groups.  As I watch them in group dynamics I do not think they are socially stunted.  I wish they would be more willing to approach adults (librarians, ordering food at a restaurant) but I know that I was just as timid in such situations growing up and I went to public school.  I guess that will just take practice and time.  

I get a laugh from those that say homeschooling kids are social misfits.  I would have to gather from experience that many kids were well on the way to being social misfits before homeschooling came into the picture.  The homeschooling examples that made me think I could do it with my children were not in the least bit socially deficient and I'd gather you would be surprised how many "normal" kids there are.  You just don't notice them because they are "normal".  

The best part of homeschooling is knowing I get the best part of the day with my children.  They don't come home tired and grouchy and having an "attitude" from the other kids at school.  I am able to teach them respect and give them that "quality" time that so fashionable now.  I think they will have more self esteem and self respect as they get older than their counterparts because they aren't attacked at school but loved.  I have two beautiful girls (literally beautiful) that will be able to go back into a school setting (most likely high school if my husband's schedule allows the stability) knowing their self worth, not worrying so much about fitting in but finding the people that are uplifting and positive influences on them.  They will know what values they want for their life and won't be swayed by the peer pressure to fit in.  I will have strong women.  I am looking forward to seeing that despite the negativity people have towards homeschooling.  It's hard but I ABSOLUTELY believe that it is worth it.

I know many people do it for religious reasons.  I happen to be a religious person also but those were not entirely the reasons I decided to pull my children from public school.  We are a military family and we lacked the continuity from moving so often and I couldn't see my children having to deal with the change in curriculums and being the "new kid" every year or two.  How many kids have to deal with that much stress?

Answer 5

I was homeschooled from K-2nd grade. At the time I loved it. I could set my own pace, and since I liked school I was always done with the years work by march. But when I did have to go to school I had no social skills. I couldn't relate to the kids in my class. I could talk to adults all day, but not kids. Teachers said I was too serious.

Even if you are very involved socially, your kids don't get the same experiences when they don't go to school. If you are willing to homeschool, and be that involved, let them go to public school, but just be very aware of what is being taught. Talk to the teachers before hand about what the curriculum will be, and make sure that your child demonstrates that they are learning it. You still have a very strong role in their schooling, but they are able to learn how to behave and interact in the school setting as well.

Answer 6

I am a child who was homeschooled for 2 years, I am currently a Junior in high school but I have a very strong opinion about homeschooling. Unless your kids will be around ALOT of kids while being homeschooled, I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY suggest that you keeem them in public schools. I personally have suffered a lesser social life due to the fact that I was homeschooled in the 2 major social-building years. Besides greatly helping your children socially, public schools offer classes that you cant offer at home, in my case, one of these classes instantly decided my future career. That is just my opinion but looking back now I see how much public school would have done.

Answer 7

im in 7 grade and have been homeschooled all my life, i have realy yet to find any negative things about it, most of the time you can find a homeschool groupy in your aria so you can be with other kids. i moved acrose the contry 2 years ago and it was kinda hard to fit im but i joined the local homeschool group and i started taking tae kwan do, i get plenty of exersis, and lots of freinds so i would highly recomend being homeschooled

Answer 8

I homeschooled from 5th grade through graduation by GED. Homeschooling can be great and I plan to homeschool my kids in the future. However, I will do it differently than my parents did.

First of all, if you are not knowledgeable in the material to be taught, hire a tutor or something because my mom pretty much left me to teach myself because she didn't know how to teach highschool material. I have turned out pretty smart I think, but only because I used the internet a ton to prepare for my GED and college, not because of how well I was taught.

Also, I did miss having friends because I lived out in the country. But you can always involve them in a youth group or something if you are into church, and if not, involve them in sports or community activities with kids their age.

Answer 9

I am now currently homeschooled being in grade 7. I was transfured last year at the end of 6th. It was the best thing that my mom could do for me. Being in a classroom with many kids supposably gets you ready for the real world, but that isnt true. you are with the same people, the same building, the same everything everyday. the world is exacly the opposite of that!

now unless you are one of the few popular kids in school, then you wont have a chance. all it is is being degraded for everything you do. unless you dress horribly inapropriate for your age, youll get picked on. unless you are totally perfect in every way, you will get picked on. I am not sayin this because i am one of the nerds, or heavey set kids. I am a model in my age group. i was made fun of because i was skinnier than others. IT WAS UNREAL! you get made fun of for being fat! you get made fun of for being skinny! that is sooo unfair, not only to me, but to everybody else.

I was the one who was quiet, had a few GOOD friends, and didn't start any trouble with anybody, but that didnt stop all of the horrible girls picking on me and my friends.

Trust me, being home schooled is one of the best desicions you can make for you children.

It gets them away from all of the jelous children, whom their lives (the bullys in school and everyone else in school) are dedicated to torturing other because they are jelous and have nothing better to do.

I do admit though, that the work is a lot more challenging, but if you get a good schedual, and a nice environment for working, your children should do just fine! It also gets their brains exercized and alot more ready for college, and that scary place everyone cals...THE REAL WORLD.

good luck with your decision.

Answer 10

I'm homeschooled. Tell me, can you miss something if you already have it? No, you can't. I don't miss being with other kids because I am with other kids all the time. Clubs, sports, transition group, braille lessons, volunteering, music lessons, fencing, and just hanging out with my neighborhood friends or with my boyfriend and the friends I made through him. As long as you get your children involved in things and actually let them leave the house (believe it or not, homeschoolers do that) then they wont miss out on anything. If you need help with this, join a homeschool support group in your area. I can't possibly name the one best part about homeschooling because there are just too many "best parts". For a really good explanation of the benefits of homeschooling, read my other posts. I hate sending people on a goose chase, but there's just way too much to list here. From the quality of the social skills learned, to real life experience, to academics and freedoms, there's just so much.

Answer 11

I homeschool. My kids do not miss being around other kids because they are with them every day.

Besides having six brothers and sisters all close in age, they have friends that live in houses all around them. They have a mom who drives them to see other friends whenever they want. They have over thirty immediate cousins. They volunteer around town, they have met friends through countless activities including, band, orchestra, sports, boy and girl scouts, 4H, PE, classes through the park and rec as well as through our homeschool group, and weekly playdates with friends. They have every single day to play with friends, either home- or public schooled. They are very much in tune socially, esp considering that two of them have autism. They do VERY well, much better than the five years they spent in public school.

Our schedule this week has included:

Sunday: church, birthday party

Monday: knitting club, visiting friends, girl scouts

Tuesday: library club, homeschool visit to the natural history museum, and cub scouts

Wednesday: Science experiments club, and visiting friends.

Tomorrow: our quiet day! Whew, just band and boy scouts

Friday: Play date with friends during the day, Art class, and then we're hosting potluck with another group of friends.

Saturday: Eagle watch out at the lake with our conservation friends, two planning meetings for scouts, play date in the city with friends, pick up dad at the air port, and then welcome home party for him.

Next week is even more busy. I can't think of anything negative. My children have a chance to be more social, learn faster and more applicably, and we love growing as a family.

Answer 12

I am home schooled but I take classes online. I am a Junior and I love it. but I think if you have younger kids you should keep them in school for now and then maybe pull them out if they want to later.  miss my friends and I miss all the dances and everything I am missing but I did this so I could graduate early but I highly recommend keeping them in school for now.  the only thing good I can say about the home schooling is that I can get my work done very fast.

Answer 13

I'm 15 and have been home educated all my life (except for 5 weeks of it anyway).

As I've said before: I love it, wouldn't swap it for anything, will homeschool my own kids when I have them and, when my kids eventually have kids of their own, I'll be the grandmother who is encouraging her kids to homeschool her grand kids, lol!

Being home-educated means I don't have to go away to boarding school in the city; I get to grow up alongside my brothers and sisters; I get to live and learn and laugh and play at the heart of our own community.

Oh, and I can learn stuff that is really challenging and rigorous. As I said: I did once spend 5 weeks at a private prep school when I was aged 7...and I was bored stupid! I told the principal that "I came to school to learn, not play. If I wanted to play all the time, I would have stayed at home" LOL.

You shouldn't go for the 'home-educated kids are anti-social and have no lives' rubbish. I live in a remote area, am home-educated and yet still manage to ride; swim; do cross country (all competitively with other kids); I belong to Young Farmers, Venturers, CCF and Pony Club; volunteer at our local hospital and at the old folk's home; I help out with the little kids' swimming camp; I help one of our neighbours with his shearing and his lambing; I have many, many mates my own age (some of whom are also home-educated, others are away at boarding school; both Eurasians and Aborigines) as well as many mates of all different ages and different backgrounds - my best girl friend is from Uganda in Eastern Africa.

Answer 14

My nephew is homeschooled.  His socialization is a mess.  He is not leaning anything about keeping a schedule, learning to cooperate with others, or working in groups.  He gets no art, physical education, or music.  He cannot string together a written sentence that is coherent much less one that is spelled correctly.  This is not an intellectual issue - he is bright.  It is the inability of his parents to effectively teach him and lack of socialization.

Homeschooling is HARDER than sending them to school if done right.  It takes VERY special  and committed parents to homeschool.  

Rather than help him, homeschooling has hurt him- he is so far behind now that he will not be able to go back to school and attend a grade that matches his age.  

The other parents that I have interacted with at the "homeschool" meetings that I have attended are not qualified to be even attempting homeschooling.   With only one exception that I have seen, homeschooling here will be the downfall of this entire group of children.  I will be surprised if any of them can come close to making an acceptable SAT score or fill out an application for McDonalds for that matter.   I am not a fan obvioulsy.

Answer 15

I homeschool my children.  My children do not miss being with other children, because they see other children quite frequently.  Please remember that their are children within the family and neighborhood, at the park, etc.  My children are with our children when we do activities with our homeschool co-op, when we go to church, when they go to their various extracurricular activities (Scouts, 4H, drama, baseball, etc.).  They are not isolated at all.

The most negative thing, IMO, about homeschooling is having to disspell the myths such as the children not being socialized, etc.  Everything else is rather positive-being able to cater to their individual learning styles, working at their own pace, focusing on their interests-though they do still have to learn some stuff they could care less about.  That is also all of the best stuff about homeschooling!

Answer 16

I am currently homeschooling my 2nd grader.  He likes being homeschooled.

However, because he is an only child of a single mother, I have to make a special effort to get him into programs where he will be around other people, especially children.

I have found nothing negative about homeschooling.  The best part is all the things we are able to do on a regular basis, i.e, field trips, Kraft Great Kids Reading program, trips to the library for programs, community activities, etc.  

I have only been homeschooling since November 2006, the beginning of my child's 1st grade year; I recently had him tested, and he is at or above grade level in all subject areas.  This has shown me that homeschooling is really working.  Also, we can accelerate or work at a slower pace until mastery of a concept/subject area is achieved.

I hope you decide to homeschool.

Answer 17

i have been homschooled for 5 1/2 years now and i love it. I am in 9th grade and talking 2 classes with my homeschool program and i take them at a private school. this way, i also get to see my friends, even though most of my friends are from church. if you live in california, you can go to the Biola Star Program which has many many classes your children can take in you are not capable of teaching the course. I hope i have been helpful!

~Girl 4 God

Answer 18

My kids are homeschooled, it works out great.  do make sure that you arrange for them to be around other kids now and then.  If you live in populated area that is easy, but if you live out in the country you will have to make an effort.

Homeschooling is the best!

Answer 19

No my kids have not missed being with other kids because we don't live in an isolated world.   Let me give you the schedule for the next 3 weeks starting with this past Monday:

Monday - AM work   /  PM play at friends

Tues - AM work /PM   band (Son is in both Senior & Jr. Band)

Wed.  - AM Homeschool classes - French, Art, Photography /

PM work

Thursday   - AM work /  PM  Friend over

Friday        - AM Film school   / PM Swimming lessons, fun swim with friends

Weekend will include various activities like sleepovers, church, birthday parties, youth group, etc.

Monday All day - ski/snowboard lessons with homeschool group

Tues - AM work / PM Band

Wen  - ski/board lessons for 2 kids  / HS classes for other child

Thurs  -  we actually get to stay home to work

Friday - Ski/board lessons for 2 kids / AM  Film School for other 1  / PM Swim lessons, fun swim

Weekend - once again a variety of activities

Monday - AM - work / PM  - Drama lessons begin

Tues  AM - work / PM - Band

Wen - homeschool classes

Thurs - Stay home *whew*

Friday - AM Film School / PM Swim

Now, I'll admit this is an extremely busy 3 weeks but nonetheless, it shows that homeschoolers do NOT lack for social activities.   There are so many other things we could choose to do the rest of the year but our school work must be done sometime.   *grin*    It just happens that the fun things all seem to start/happen during January.    I can't wait till February.

Also, when I look at these, I see that each different activities is with a different homeschool group in our city.   One is a Christian group, the rest are not but are from various backgrounds.  

The best part is the flexibility for us - the lifestyle.  The bonding as a family.   My kids actually like each other... most of the time.  LOL    I like that.

As for negative - I am much busier now then I was when they were in school but that's okay.  There are days I wish I could send them off and sit for a few minutes but this is the life we've choose and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Answer 20

I'm the eldest of four chilldren. We live in the Philippines (we are Filipinos) and my parents homeschooled us. I am now a junior in college taking a BS in nursing. My sister is now in the States and is vying for honors. My two youngest siblings are still currently being homeschooled.

One of the misconceptions of non - homeschoolers is that homeschooled kids miss out on the social aspect of growing up. Quite the contrary! More often than not, homeschoolers are actually well rounded in their activities.

In my family, we went to church, were members at a gym, went to parties, etc. The people that come to see our parents (or the people our parents go to see) are introduced to us too and we are often included in their conversations and are addressed as grown ups - something that adds to our "social life". Obviously, we weren't as exposed to our peers as a traditionally schooled child would be, but we view that as an advantage. It's "good friends or no" and "wise elders versus foolish peers".  We had many activities at home. We pretended we were knights and made complete maps and stories of our adventures! To this day I could remember severel of the "aliases" and pretend names I made up years ago,=)

Thanks to our parents' decision to homeschool, we were spared from the many foolish things that unsupervised youngsters get into. To this day we have kept our virginity and have never tasted a cigarette.

When I entered college, I had a sense of who I was - I had an identity, I did not feel inferior or mediocre. Oh no! In fact, my classmates looked up to me and were awed that I knew so much. We were avid readers back home and I had lots of stock knowledge.

So, to round things up, my answer is "no". I do not believe that I missed out by not being with other kids.

One of the best parts is establishing your goals as a family and working toward it together as a family. Another best for me is growing up with my parents. It's like we learned things together. My mom would teach us 5 chapters of algebra each day and she would learn right along with us! I love my parents! They give us the freedom to do what we want because they trust us - they know that we will make right choices because they brought us up well. My classmates would comment on how they wish they had a relationship with their dads as I have with mine. When I come home from school my dad gives me a kiss; when he leaves, he kisses each member of the family on the forehead.

The negative side would be homeschooling for the wrong reasons. When you think of homeschooling, you have to think loooong term. It's not just 10 months of every year, it's not 8 hours a day, it's a 24/7 commitment. Homeschooling is not just the academics, it's everything - from waking up in the morning to going to bed at night. Preparing breakfast, washing the lunch dishes, making the beds, bathing the dog, and other daily tasks and chores is part of it too! When you homeschool, you have the privilege of raising your own kids! Really raising them, not just providing for them.

Being homeschooled is the best part of being homeschooled. (^^,)

I'm sorry this was so long and I kind of got side-tracked at some points, it's just that I can't begin to describe how wonderful being homeschooled was for me. If I could have it all over again, I wouldn't have it any other way - except maybe add Latin lessons to our syllabus. (^^,)

Answer 21

Here's some information about socialization and homeschooling activities:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

As well as a comparison of homeschool and public schools.

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

I wasn't homeschooled, but I have adult cousins who were homeschooled through high school and have many rich, positive experiences to look back upon.  Watching their journey is one of the reasons I decided to homeschool my kids.

My children don't miss being at school at all. My oldest says he never wants to go.  He spends time with friends at church, on sports teams and in our homeschooling support group.  School is not the only place to meet others or have fun experiences.

Answer 22

Hi,

I've been homeschooling my sons for the past 9 years. They were in a public school until that time.

My boys are now 19, 17 and 15. They have never missed being with other children because we have been members of several local homeschool groups and cooperatives. They are also active in scouting, our church and other community groups.

There haven't been any negatives for us. The experience continues to be positive. The older two are now full time college students; the youngest is finishing his freshman year of high school at home.

The best part has been that our family really knows one another. I see a bond between my boys that is more than just siblings, they are really good friends. They also share a wide variety of friends of all ages. They still continue to do many activities together; the older one thinks nothing of inviting his younger brothers along on outings.

Homeschooling really is more than education, it is about a lifestyle where families get to learn together about all the good things in life - educational things, life skills (like cooking and keeping a house), taking vacations in September or in January when everyone else is in school. This alternative education style opened our eyes to other possibilities, including starting our own business and pursuing further degrees.

I hear all the time "Oh I could never spend that much time with my kids." OR "I'm not smart enough to teach my kids."

Spending quantity time with my kids did create so much quality time. It has been a joy to be with them during their best time of day, rather than after 4pm. As the kids got older, I did not want to teach some subjects, such as lab science and college algrebra. I was, however, capable of finding others who could fill in with those (such as the college and other homeschool parents - cooperatives are great for parents too!).

The very best part of homeschooling for me has been that my husband and I have had a lot of time to give our sons a strong foundation. I feel like they are ready to be out on their own in the world.

Answer 23

My kids have never had a reason to miss being with other kids... they're out with other kids just about every day. They go to the park, to friends houses, to Chuck E. Cheese, to co-op classes with other homeschoolers, on field trips with our homeschool group kids, to library reading programs and chess club and karate at the community center... my oldest started taking classes at the community college when she was 15 and volunteers and has her core group of teen girl friends... there really is nothing to miss, we leave the house like anyone else does.

We've really enjoyed homeschooling as a family and how it is turning out for our kids. The only negative I can think of is that other people can be rude when they are against it or suspicious of it.

There have been a lot of good parts-- the freedom of schedule (I never realized how much our lives revolved around school until we took our child out). We get to spend a lot more quality time together as a family than we used to. Our kids get to learn at their own pace and their education is tailored to meet their needs (I have a developmentally delayed 6 yr old and a very gifted 17 yr old, both got the attention they required). Also, it is my experience with homeschoolers that these kids retain a youthful innocence and sense of self esteem, as well as a love of learning more often than their public schooled peers.

Answer 24

My son, 10 (5th grade), loves being homeschooled.  He's the one who asked - rather begged - for it.  

He really enjoys being able to learn at his own pace and according to his interest, as well as being able to have a more relaxed schedule.  He gets a lot more done than he'd be able to in a classroom, simply because he can work at his own pace, but he's not stressed about it.

He also likes the fact that he can be himself - he's not pressured to be just like everyone else, or to lie about who he is and what he's interested in, just to make friends.  He still gets plenty of social interaction through Scouts, baseball, church, and plays that he's in, but he's not surrounded by peer pressure.  He's allowed to be himself.  He actually feels sorry for kids who feel like they have to be "one of the crowd".

Negatives...he hasn't found any.  He knows that my expectations of him are higher than any school would have, and he's fine with that.  Whenever he wants to see a friend, he either invites one over or goes to their house.  The only time he ever feels lonely is during the school vacations, when his ps friends travel...because that's the only time that they can.  He, on the other hand, can travel any time of the year, because school goes with him or takes a break for a week.  (His ps friends live closer than his hs friends, so he tends to see them more often.)

He, in his own words, wouldn't trade homeschooling for anything.  For him, it's the best possible choice.

Answer 25

Boy this whole socialization thing just cracks me up. Being stuck in a classroom with all children around the same age as your child, being limited to how much you can socialize during classtime and outside class. My daughter gets to be in the "real world" everyday and socialize with people of all ages from infants up to the old folks. She is learning more socialization skills than most kids in a school setting. It doesn't matter if she isn't out playing with a group of kids everyday. She doesn't need that to learn how to talk and deal with people of all ages on a daily basis.

Ok now that I have voiced my opinion on the whole myth of getting no socialization on to the pluses

My daughter gets to work at her own pace, she is not stuck with one size fits all curriculum which would not work for her since she is advanced, she has the freedom to eat when she needs to (Hypoglycemia) and go to the bathroom when she needs to and not be told to hold it or wait, not rushed thru her lunchtime, gets freedom of Religion and not afraid of talking about anything pertaining to Jesus at home is the biggy for us- she could never do that in school- freedom to express herself- free to play when she wants to- learn about how things work on a daily basis out in the world and not just in the afterschool hours-not stuck with hours of homework- not drilled over and over with things she already knows-freedom to learn what she wants to learn- freedom to just take the day off and go on fieldtrips whenever we feel like it. I could go on and on.

Negatives- Nothing. I love being with her 24-7 and she has no desires to go to school.

FREEDOM QITH HOMESCHOOLING that you would never get anywhere else. That is what living in America is about and going to a government run school takes all freedoms away from our children and parents alike.

Answer 26

I was homeschooled all the way through 10th grade and making the transition to public school was the best thing i could possibly do.  If you are going to consider homeschooling, remember to always encourage you kids to be involved outside the home with other kids their age.  Although there are things which I look back on as positive aspects from being homeschooled, the negative social aspects and lack of experiencing other kids can really outweigh the positive.

If you do choose to homeschool, be prepared for your kids to make some decisions in their later years of high school, which you may not agree with.  Being in a homeschool environment can be a great way for you to teach things to your kids, but when they step out, they will not be prepared to face certain temptations until they have experienced them and seen the negative results.

Be open-minded and always ask them if they are enjoying this and getting the most out of their childhood years.

good luck