Why do parents choose to homeschool?

Question

I myself do not homeschool. I haven't had the education or patience to do that. The usual reasons I've heard are public schools are "evil". Or, they want to teach their kids their specific religion in the home. They argue that their kids are socialized through community sports or dance classes etc.. Is that really enough socialization for a child? And what exactly are the evils of the public school system? In my opinion, the family unit has a lot to do with how well kids do in a public school, if you're supportive they'll do well...what are your thoughts?

Answer 1

I am a homeschooling parent of two: a first grader, and a 4-year-old.  We homeschool because I am 99.9% certain that my children will do better educationally, physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually in my care, than if I sent them to a government-run institution to learn how to pass standardized tests, which is what public school has turned into.  Also, I like spending time with my kids (most days!).  I couldn't imagine sending them away to the equivalent of a full-time job (counting time spent on a school bus) just because they turned five years old.  They are much safer, in all respects, being under my guidance than they would be with people who do not love them and whose primary objectives include "crowd control" and "not losing our accreditation."

I often hear people say "homeschoolers are not socialized."  I wonder what they mean by socialized.  Do they mean "taught to be a proper cog in the machine of society"?  Or do they mean "taught to sit quietly and wait to be told what to do next, while surrounded by people born in the same year and living in the same zipcode"?  If that is what they mean, then yes, they are right.  Homeschoolers are not "socialized."

If they mean "able to carry on a conversation with anyone, of any age, and also able to conduct themselves appropriately, think for themselves, and not get caught up in mob mentality," though then I'd have to say that homeschooled children typically are better "socialized" than their public-schooled peers.  Children in schools are categorized in groups of very similar children, and have contact with one (or possibly a few) adult throughout the course of a day.  I don't want my children being taught how to function as a member of society in a room with 24 other children and one adult.  That does not make sense.  Homeschoolers are out in the "real world" every day.  They go grocery shopping, to church, to the library, to farmers' markets, to the bank.  They take classes based on their interests, and as far as I know, none of them teach them how to fill in bubbles on a standardized test.  They go to the playground and to museums and zoos and art galleries and botanical gardens.  They talk to people everywhere they go.  The "real world" is not a classroom.  It is not age-segregated.  It's real life, and it's what homeschoolers do every day!

Answer 2

my personal opinion which you may not like, is that the schools have gotten away from reading writing and arithmatic.  It has become a political arm of the government to indoctrinate kids in an amoral enviornment, i.e. absence of a moral code.

If you don't care about that stuff, then send your kids to a public school.  If you do, then bring em up homeschooled to where you can control the enviornment to your beliefs.  It's really pretty simple.

Answer 3

hmmmm this is how i feel okay...i was home schooled before this year for like 3 years im currently just went baq to school this year (im in 9th grade),anyway my aunt has always homeschooled her kids and she does it cuz she does want to shelter them from the world but most homeschool parents homeschool simply because their kid wants it,i got homeschooled because my sister was always getting taken out of school for heart problem stuff (not anything that serious) but my aunt convinced my mom homeschooling was right so she homeschooled me also and my mom went to work at noon everyday and got home at 10 30 pm so i was fine because most homeschoolers are around their parents 24/7 i was never i did my work on my own and that was the way it was,and she wasent crazy ubsessed most of them arent just some that u hear of are people get misled with that,i have plenty of homeschooled frinds who party they do do all the things  teenagers do but some of them their parents homeschooled them because they want all the control like my aunt,and i think that homeschoolers get ridiculed more than anybody at school,alot of my frinds who are homeschooled have jobs they go to 5 days a week and their like 15  and then others their parents say wait till ur 16 to work,its all the way they think in my case i had freedom lots of frinds and i could have girls over all day because my mom is always at work but now i go to a high school that has over 6,000 kids nobody ever bothers me if u they do talk c**p just ignore them theyll get bored school is not bad as far as that,some home school parents think if their kids dont go to public school they wont know how to curse or get drugs or anything else they think is bad well hhaa just about every homeschooled kid i know curses and some do drugs and drink,,anyway wat im trying to say is that not all homeschoolers are contoled by their parents most have a choice wether to go to school or not to ill list the good and bad things about public schools and homeschool

the good things about homeschool is.....more opportunity as far as getting jobs,u have more time to urself,u can go to sleep later than u would in public school (depending on if u worked and when)u can play high school sports have a job and still get an education all at the same time...now the bad things about homeschooling ....u do have a little less of a way to meet people its certainly not possible wich i did have tons of frinds wen i was homeschooled and lots that weent homeschooled,and the worst thing about being homeschooled is if u have crazy parents they trap u inside and control ur every move but if ur like i was the worse thing was that u were constitly riddiculed by the kids in public school who were just jealus  until u became frinds with them then they basically dont care anymore....okay the good things about public high school -----is that u are constitly around people all day wich im a people person so i like it, now the bad things about public high school---have to go to sleep early i dont mind waking up early just the knowing that my whole week revolves around when i have to be to sleep for school,other thing i dont like is it is nearly impossible actually it is impossible to play sports have a job and go to school,another bad thing is that it takes up like ur whole day...well thats it hope it answered some of ur questions about homeschool

Answer 4

Well, I was homeschooled because the school system would not allow me to go to the school i could walk to without crossing busy streets, they wanted to put me on the city bus as a kindergartener to get to school. My mom didn't like the idea and it was not illegal to keep me at home for kindergarten, even though they like to make it sound like it is required. She said that if she could teach me to read herself then she would homeschool me for a while. It ended up being 7 years. k-6 and then in 7th grade i started being schooled through an online program, ECOT. It wasnt bad, some of the teachers were very nice and helpful and others were less then fabulous. Their math program was stupid but i was very far ahead in math in 6th grade so it didn't matter. I would say my mom taught me everything i really need to know, i can tackle about any problem in everyday life. I know a whole lot more about business and the job world or even keeping records and handling a checkbook then most of my friends. The only thing she didn't cover as well is history, i know everything major that happened and major dates but not a whole lot of the specifics, most kids i know seem to remember less then me, however, and they went to public school. Now, though, i do go to a public school, i am a senior, i have all a's and a 4.0 gpa. The biggest difference now is that i have a lot more work but i dont remember half of the things i studied. when i was homeschooled i didnt do as much, but i remember pretty much everything that i was taught. I couldnt fail a test and let it slide, my mom was going to make me work out every mistake and get it right. The level of schooling a child will recieve has everything to do with the teacher, but you can teach things you dont understand, you just have to learn it too. my mom did that in some of my math. Then again teachers in the school systems can be amazing teachers as well, but how much can you work with a child who really needs the help when you have twenty kids or more in a class. The choice of homeschooling has to be based on the child and the teacher. admittedly i did miss out on the social environment but i still had friends, it just took me longer to get out of my shell.

Answer 5

I am a librarian in a public library and I see a number of parents who home school their children and very frankly, the majority of them are doing their children a great dis-service. My feeling is that if you have religious reasons for keeping your child out of the public school, at least send your child to an accredited church school. Also, if you have done your job as a parent in teaching your set of values and beliefs to your child, what better way for him to learn to practice and/or test those beliefs than among his peers?

Part of a child's education is learning to socialize. They can't socialize with others if they are kept at home and only permitted to attend certain events. I am very pro-public schools. Yes, there are always going to be problems in the schools, but there are also problems that go along with home schooling. Most parents home schooling don't have the educational level that is attained by those in the school systems. Why do they think that just anyone can teach their child?

Children need to learn that other responsible adults can provide them with a wealth of knowledge and information, just as can their parents. Fundamental education begins at home with parents teaching their children values, responsibility, and manners ( which apparently are NOT being taught very well). Then turn the basic education over to the public schools or private institutions. Not every form of education should come from home - although that is where it should start!

Answer 6

Well, I can't speak for anyone else...and we all have our own reasons.  Personally, I homeschool because the schools near me are not capable of or willing to meet my son's needs.  He's incredibly smart - like "scary smart" - and even the gifted program near us does not keep him challenged.

He previously attended a private school that was a gifted/talented program in and of itself - every kid there was gifted, and the teachers were specially trained to work with the kids and keep them going.  If we still lived there, chances are good that he would still attend there; however, we moved, and no schools near us have a similar program.

We tried interviewing schools to find a good environment for him; he went the first day, and it was horrible.  He came home crying his eyes out, and the teacher told me very specifically that she would not make any accomodations for him - he WOULD learn at the same pace as everyone else, and he would do it with a smile on his face.  Excuse me?  How can you MAKE a child learn at a certain pace?

We're starting our 4th year of homeschooling, and he is thriving.  He gets to study at his own pace (which is several years above grade level in many subjects, right on grade level in others), and he has a learning environment that is tailored to his needs.  He doesn't have kids calling him "g*y", "inhuman", or "freak" (which he got when he tried "socializing" with public school kids who couldn't accept him because he wasn't Just Like Them), and he has plenty of friends who accept him just as he is - and he accepts them just as they are.

Why would you think that kids aren't "socialized" just because they're not in an artificial, strictly controlled, homogenous setting for 8 hours per day?  Public schools have only been around for around 150 years...and age-segregated schools have been around for about half that time.  Did kids for the several thousand years preceding that time just have no social skills?  Heavens, how did society survive before the public school socialization movement?  Why didn't anarchy reign?

My child has the right to go to the bathroom when he needs to...much like adults in the real world.  He knows how to communicate with people of all ages, races, backgrounds, and interests...much like adults in the real world.  He has the right to choose his studies (outside his core curriculum) and follow his interests...much like adults in the real world.  He'll be able to attend college classes by age 14 or 15, and he already knows how to schedule and prioritize his time to finish long term projects...much like adults in the real world.

True, there is the fact that he isn't obsessive over PS3, Wii, or Xbox 360; there is the fact that he doesn't view movies that he has no business seeing at age 9; he is functional in 4 languages, and will have the opportunity to gain fluency in them before college; he doesn't judge kids at first sight, but gets to know them first; and he isn't a disrespectful little wretch that most adults would just as soon not be around.  Poor kid.

And yes, he does have plenty of social opportunities.  He's in Scouts every week, active in AWANA and other church activities (with well over 200 other kids on a weekly basis), he's in baseball and plays on the city league (and is a leader on the team), volunteers whenever he can in a range of opportunities, and goes on field trips and game nights every couple of weeks or so.  He's in clubs with his homeschool group (well over 150 families) and plays with kids his age several times a week.  He also associates with adults, young children, and senior citizens on a regular basis.  How is that not socializing?

I don't homeschool because I want to indoctrinate my child, or because I think that public schools are evil.  I homeschool because I know for a fact that I can do a better job meeting his needs and providing and strong education for him.  I don't have 32 other kids to try to keep on track, and I don't have to worry about being politically correct.  He studies evolution and creation side by side, and objectively decides which he thinks is correct.  He studies world religions, and knows his own like the back of his hand.  He is fairly competent in world geography (landmarks and culture) and can converse openly on current events.  And at age 9, he already composes written works on a high school level, will be starting algebra in the next few months, and already understands world and American history better than many kids twice his age.  He works easily both with his co op teachers and with university professors, and is as comfortable making a presentation to his grandparents and neighbors as he is a local business owner.  He has a firm idea of what he would like to do with his life and is already taking the steps to prepare for it.

Most homeschool kids that I know are very accepting of others, respectful both to adults and kids, able to handle themselves in a myriad of situations, are very self-motivated, and openly take responsibility for their education and their actions.  This doesn't apply to all homeschool kids, of course, and there are public and private school kids that fit this description as well...but this applies to a very high percentage of homeschool kids that I've come across and taught.  And quite frankly, that's the world I want my son growing up in.

Which, by the way, is my choice.

Answer 7

We choose to homeschool our daughter because she is extremely gifted.  Public school would be boring and would kill her love of learning.

We are not religious people so that has nothing to do with it.

I don't feel that public schools are "evil"  just not right for our family.  We have friends who's kids are in public and private schools.

I do not like the fact that schools have the children all day and then make them do more work at home.  What have they been doing all day?  The kids are going to school for more hours have more homework younger and younger and are falling behind.  Obviously something is not working.  

Socialization is always a funny argument to me.  What are the teachers constantly telling the kids?  "Settle down and SOCIALIZE on your own time...this is my time now"

My daughter is in several extra curricular activities as well as classes with kids of all ages.  We have park days as well as clubs.  She is constantly complimented on being so friendly and outgoing.  People often think that she is 2-3 years older than she is because of her vocabulary and her speaking skills.

Most of the homeschoolers that I know homeschool for educational reasons-not for hiding them away or for indoctrinating them in their religious beliefs.  At least in this area that is a very small part of the homeschooling community.

I agree that the family unit has a lot to do with how well the kids do in school...but how much better for the child to have one on one attention as well as being able to go at their own pace (whether quicker or slower).  I love the fact that because she isn't within the constraints of 8:30-3:30 day at school she has time to pursue what is of interest to her.  

I also wanted to point out the fact that "homeschooling" is not quite an accurate word for most homeschoolers....we are hardly ever at home.

She is either at Spanish class or art class, or piano lessons, or history club, or math and science club, or girl scouts or campfire, or karate or gymnastics or on a field trip or at the library or at the zoo or volunteering at the local history museum as a docent or just playing with her friends but rarely sitting at home.

By the way she is starting 3rd grade curriculum at 5.5 years old.  Do you think that she could get this kind of rich education going to public school...or even private school?

Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

Answer 8

<<<<Why do parents choose to homeschool?>>>>

The reasons that people homeschool are diverse.  Every family has its own reasons.  I have met homeschoolers from many different belief systems and backgrounds, ranging from a Mennonite family who chose homeschooling in order to pass their beliefs on to their children to a L*****n couple who didn't want their children teased because of their family situation, I have also met homeschoolers that fall everywhere in between these two extremes.

My family has its own reasons, which I will answer little by little as I address the multiple parts of your question.

<<<<I myself do not homeschool.  I haven't had the education or patience to do that.>>>>>

I am sorry to hear that the Public School system did not educate you adequately enough to equip you to pass that knowledge on, or teach you the research skills to find out what you don't know so that you can teach it.

I am also sorry to hear that you are such an impatient person, teaching can be a real joy, but it does require patence and understanding.

<<<<The usual reasons I've heard are public schools are "evil">>>>

Funny, I personally haven't heard anyone, not even the aforementioned Mennonite family actually say that Public Schools are evil.  I HAVE heard some say that evil things go on there, and they are right, unless you don't think that drugs, rape, molestation by teachers, shootings, and gangs are evil.  If you think those things are good and not evil, then I suppose that you wouldn't even say that sometimes evil things happen at schools.

Myself, I don't consider the schools evil, I do consider them drastically flawed.  On International tests comparing the Math and Science skills of students from various countries the US consistently scores in the bottom five.  To me this means that even if my child graduates as the best educated student to ever learn in an American Public School, it only means that they are the best of a group of the worst.  Frankly, I want better for my children.

I have heard high school graduates stumble over words that my kids learned to read with ease by the end of second grade.  I have met adults who don't even know enough math to figure out how much to leave as a tip in a restaurant.  These are the products of the public school system in this country.

Why does our government need to hire foreign engineers and Physicists to design our weapon systems and even our bridges?  Because we, as country do not produce many Physicists and engineers.  We are more likely to produce Janitors.

Why, according to you, aren't you well educated enough to be able to teach a child the things you learned?  Could it be that you didn't really learn much?

In actuality though, if you learn to research you could teach a child.  The Homeschool Legal Defense Association has statistics on its website which show that even parents with no High School diploma do a better job of teaching their children than the schools do.

<<<<Or, they want to teach their kids their specific religion in the home.>>>>>

Like I noted above, homeschoolers are diverse, some are motivated by religion and some are motivated by a desire for academic excellence, and some are motivated by alternative lifestyle choices.  Some are motivated by the fact that live in a bad neighborhood and their kids are safer at home than in school.  

Personally, my reasons are a mixture.  

I first decided (when I was in fourth or fifth grade) that  I wanted to homeschool my kids because the schools were doing a lousy job of teaching me.  I had an above average IQ and yet couldn't learn the way the school taught.  I learned easily whatever I wanted to I was left alone with a book not  "talked at" by a teacher all day.  

I can remember sitting with my math book and base ten blocks in second grade, I was just beginning to mentally put together the concept of what happened when we "borrowed" in subtraction.  My mind was working, I was lining up the unit blocks with the ten rods to verify for myself that the ten rod was actually equal to ten unit cubes.  The teacher came over and saw what I was doing, she accused me of playing and making a train, she bawled me out for not doing my work, (which was what I was trying to do, except I was trying UNDERSTAND it and not just follow the formula).  I was so embarrassed and hurt that I didn't even want to try to understand after that.  I just memorized the formula like she wanted.  To this day I can not figure out why she gave us base ten blocks if she didn't want us to use them to figure out the concept.

I remember another time when a different teacher grabbed me by my hair and pulled me out of my seat because I was making a "bunny" with my fingers and making it hop up and down on my desk.  I think what I was doing was appropriate since the visiting music teacher was playing "Peter Cottontail" on the piano at the time.  Apparently the classroom teacher disagreed, but she never SAID anything to me.  She sneaked up behind me and yanked me out of my chair by my hair.

I cannot count the many times I was told to "Put down the book and do your schoolwork".  Most of the time the book I was reading was either a literary classic or an Encyclopedia (Yes I was kind of a nerd who sat around reading Encyclopedias for fun.  I read the entire "World Book" set in fifth grade, and yet barely got passed into sixth.)

So anyway, I decided back then that if I ever had kids I would do whatever was humanly possible to not subject them to that kind of "teaching".

Years later as an adult, after I was already learning about the legal implications and requirements for homeschooling, I was converted to Christianity.  So while my religion plays a big part in how I educate my children, it wasn't even an issue when I decided to educate them at home.

<<<They argue that their kids are socialized through community sports or dance classes etc.  Is that really enough socialization for a child?>>>>

Okay,  first of all these are not the only times our children are socialized.  A child does not have to socialize only with other children his or her age in order to be socializing.  Every time two human beings interact it is a form of socialization. My kids socialize with children and adults alike.  We live in a family, which is by definition a social unit.  For thousands of years of human history children were mainly socialized within their family, and had limited contact with people outside the family unit.  Even today, as adults, the most important relationships we have are within our families.  

Aside from that, what kind of socialization is it to sit a second grader next to a child he really wants to play with and then tell him "no talking!"  If you actually counted the time that children at school are encouraged to socialize with eachother it is probably only a little more time then the average homeschooler gets to socialize with other kids.

So yes, that is enough socialization.

<<<And what exactly are the evils of the public school system?>>>>

I think I addressed this.

<<<In my opinion, the family unit has a lot to do with how well kids do in a public school, if you're supportive they'll do well... what are your thoughts?>>>>

Homeschool families are supporting their children's education too, more so than a lot of Public School families.

Besides, no matter how much support a family gives, the Public School is just not a good match for every kid.  Because they have to teach such large numbers, it is necessary that they teach them all the same way.  The result is that Gifted children (like myself) are bored and are trying to move ahead but are held back by the teaching method that doesn't fit them.  And Learning Disabled kids are either left behind or passed along without learning what they need to.  The "average" child does okay, just average.

Its hard for even the most supportive family to undo the damage that comes from constant teasing because a child is different, whether that difference comes in the form of a disability, being overweight, being a minority, being learning disabled, or being gifted.

So while the Public Schools might be the right fit for many children, it doesn't mean that they are the right fit for every child.  Just as homeschooling is not the right fit for every family.  Each family should do what they believe is in the best interest of their children, wouldn't you agree?

Answer 9

My wife's sister has six children.

She has stayed home to raise them all.

She has breast fed them all.

And, she has home schooled them all.

It has become a known fact, that home schooled children are

better educated, because of their "one on one" attention. and

are more likely accepted into collages because of their

higher scores. The only disadvantage is, you don't get

school days off for bad weather. Religion is not a factor in

home schooling. It may be for some, but I know two family's

that are of no religious affiliation at all. <}:-})

Answer 10

I don't know anyone who homeschools because they believe schools are 'evil', mostly inadequate.

I know very few people who homeschool to brainwash their children into religion.

Personally, I have a migraine from all the dang socialization we've done in the past week, I just want a few days at home, no park days, no kitchen creation classes, no ball, no scouts, no 4H, no field trips, no library, no band, no choir. These are my kid's choices, not mine. they aren't trapped at home all day.

A family unit is fine, but honestly, after five years in public school, it takes more than the six hours I had them awake at home to undo the seven hours of c**p they got at school. Not just the judgemental, immature BS from other kids, but the constant comparisons by grades and behavior, the subconscious criticism by teachers (after all, the point of school is to 'improve' and the only way they can do that with 30 kids is by pointing out what's wrong, not what's right) If adults had to live with constant performance reviews at work, they'd complain to a boss of the boss. if they were bullied by coworkers, no one would say 'it's part of life, builds character', they'd be told to file a harrassment suit. If a boss was unfairly picking on them, they'd file a grievance, not be told that 'adult's know better than you'.

Mostly I'm tired of the weird viewpoints people hold of over one million people based on one family they know or even worse, have heard of but don't know. Weird judgements based on what they've seen in TV, or imagined from thinking that homeschooling is the exact opposite of public schooling.

Answer 11

I don't hear much about the evils of public school system.  I work in the public school system.  School is not what it was "back in the day" but I would estimate that about half the students in public school thrive in the environment.  My son was in the 50 percent that did not thrive academically.  He had a wonderful time being social.  It always got him in trouble with the teachers.

No, public schools are not evil.  They are not efficient and need to be totally updated to meet the needs of students in this century.  

Every student is different and every student should have an education that meets his/her specific interests, goals, talents and needs.

Students in school are usually busy listening to teachers and doing their work.  There is very little time for chit-chat except at lunch.  My son has more time for friends since being home schooled.  The modern conveniences  of cell phones, Internet and cars has made it possible for us to communicate, share, and get together with other people.

Socialization simply means that we are able to adapt to the social environment around us.  Homeschool gives  more opportunity for real life experiences.

Answer 12

Thoughts of homeschooling first came to me while teaching elementary school. It just struck me one day how unnatural the current model of schooling was in social terms. I didn't like what I saw socially. This has nothing to do with 'evil' in the schools, just that a lot of undesirable behaviours and attitudes are adopted by kids simply because they're constantly around other kids who are just as immature as they are. These other kids are the primary role models for behaviour. I wanted more than that for my kids. Sure, I could send them to school and work extra hard on things at home, but if I'm going to do that work, why not just have them with me? What's the point of being in school?

My husband was the first to actually bring up homeschooling. He's a jr. high teacher and could not believe the socialization that occurred in schools (still can't). 'Socialization' as in the process of learning the standards of behaviour around you (clothing, language, attitude, point of view, etc.), not in terms of socializing. We both had to take child psychology as part of our teacher training and we both knew that kids primarily do what's around them. He didn't want that for our daughter.

After we started looking at it the possibility more closely, academics factored in. The schools are not able to give the individualized academics that early schools did. It's designed to be average, designed for everybody to stick to a certain pace. Those who are above average are really getting an inferior education. Those who are below average are getting an education above their heads, which means not adequate education.

As I got to know homeschoolers before we made the final decision, I loved how the kids were. They play with their siblings, are close to their parents, don't care so much about fashions and brand names and all that, don't care about how old the new kid at the park day is or in what grade he's in... There were so many wonderful *character* traits seen that I knew homeschooling was the right way to go.

What it boils down to is that the schools of, say, the early 1800's, were community schools, built upon a common sharing of values, usually a common way of raising children, set up as multi-level rooms where the children had older role models and well as WERE older role models, not to mention the constant exposure to material they would be expected to learn later on. What we have today is a setup I disagree with so much, I wouldn't even go back to teaching in a 'traditional' program.

Are community sports and lessons and homeschool groups enough "socialization"? Well, what do you think? The Roosevelts were tutored at home for their schooling. Were they unsocialized? The upper class girls during the times of Jane Austen didn't go to school and learned all their lessons at home. Their socializing consisted mainly of family and those they were able to visit or who came to visit. Were they inadequately socialized? Or how about even as recent as the 1850s? When most people still were not going to school? Are you saying that human beings have had thousands of years of not having enough socialization because there were no public schools to put them in?

Yes, kids will usually do well in public school if the family is strong. The question is: why put a kid through that? If you can homeschool, why put your child in public school? If you have the patience to be with your kids and be their teacher, to raise them full-time, the willingness to learn... why would you entrust the bulk of their waking hours during the school week to someone else? Now, you've said that you don't have the patience, which is fine; but many of us do and are willing to and I don't think it's fair to look down on those who have decided to take on the raising and education of their children.

Answer 13

Maybe I'd be a good person to answer this since I'm homeschooled:

The main reasons for it are because public schools (and even the private school I attended for awhile) can't give me as good of an education as I (or any kid) should be getting. I know kids in public/private schools--5th graders who can't tell time, 3rd graders who can't read..the list goes on. Since I'm homeschooled, I can learn at my own pace. The other main reason would be because regular school is a waste of time. Why does it take regular schools 8 hrs. to learn all the subjects when it takes me 2 or 3 hrs.? The only reason kids are in school that long is because their parents are at work. And it's really sad that they go to school longer and homeschooled kids are probably smarter than 99% of them.

People say homeschooled kids aren't socialized. Bull c**p. Some aren't..obviously. But most of us are very well socialized. Since I'm only schooled for 2 or 3 hrs. a day I have MORE time for friends. People think the only place kids can get friends is at school when in reality there are youth groups, sports, classes, clubs, homeschooling groups, etc.

Just like most of public schooled kids, the people who think homeschooled kids aren't socialized are simply uneducated.

The "evils" of the public school system is something that would take me awhile to list. I'll give a few examples, though.

The kids down the street from me are in 4th grade. A few months ago they were outside playing basketball across the street and were trying to decide which high school girls had the best b***s. Wow--I can't imagine why any parent wouldn't wanna sign their kid up for public school! Those kids sure are learning important values! They could tell you her bra size but probably wouldn't be able to count that high.

All the bullying that goes on in schools, all the drugs, s*x, violence--yep, our public schools are something to be proud of.

Answer 14

I homeschooled my 2 daughters.  Then they went to Christian School in 6th & 9th grade for 4 years.  The eldest graduated the youngest went to public school in NY for 1 year and 2 years in Florida.  

The education in the high school years was better than what I felt I was capable of doing but the morality in both places was unbelievably horrible.  Nonetheless I feel that both of my children made better choices and are able to stand on their own because of the strength of character and lack of peer pressure that they experienced in homeschool.  They both feel that they would homeschool their own children in the future because of their own strength of character that they acquired in homeschool.

Answer 15

Those bible bangers who decide to homeschool their brats are afraid the big bad world is going to get them. STUPID!!

I think kids need to learn to deal with all sorts of people, many different personalities, backgrounds, and beliefs. Public school automatically provides that. Kids can learn book stuff anywhere, but if they are to be useful to society, the need to know how to function in the REAL WORLD!