Would you home-school your kids?

[plepco]

Yes. We are going that route this year. Of course, half the people we know disagree with us while the other half are indifferent, supportive, or are former home-schoolers themselves. To complicate things, our oldest is in a hard-to-get-into magnet school and people see that as a privilege that we should be thankful for.

The way I see it, if we homeschool we have more freedom to explore the subjects our kids are good at. So guess what? More robotics for the oldest, and plus he's about to get to learn how to program. And it's gonna be total 1-on-1 instruction.

The younger kids aren't at that stage yet, but I can't see how being in a big classroom is better than learning from mommy and daddy. We love them, we know them better than anyone else, and I think we're just as capable of teaching them.

As far as social interaction, they play baseball, they've done gymnastics, and they both have done (or are about to start) martial arts. They go to church and Sunday school. They have cousins and other extended family. I would have to try to NOT socialize them. Public school isn't some kind of superior environment for socializing kids. Real life exists, outside of school, and kids learn from adults (better than some of the kids I've seen, definitely) how to properly interact with others.

Anyway, it's a personal choice and there are a variety of passionate opinions on the matter. Big deal. Do what you know is right for your family, because you are ultimately the one who holds the responsibility for how your kids turn out.

 

[erect]

I homeschooled up until the 4th grade, have considered it again but the simple truth is this ... there is no better place to learn to shepard. So I guess the question that has to be asked is: What do you want your kid to get out of school?

 

[CasillasLeoo]

home skooling is good but still the best way for kids is to "get them out of here*"

 

[LBorbit]

Although I have nothing against it, I would not home school my kids, mostly because it's hard to find a suitable replacement for that social interaction. Most homeschooled kids I knew growing up from sports teams and whatnot lacked certain social skills. To adults it probably seemed like they fit in alright but they never really did. That probably says a lot about the parents, but trying to find a replacement for 6 hours of social interaction per day for 12 years is tough.

I went to public school and thought it was a good experience. The base education was alright, but obviously slanted toward whatever historical narrative the cirriculum outlines, with little venturing outside of that even in high school. Any good parents should be throwing a range of different subjects at their kids after school anyway to see what sticks, and then finding ways to encourage them to pursue it.

If there was a decent alternative to the social interaction out there that didn't involve other socially awkward homeschooled kids then I might consider it. But they would probably just call that school.

with all that said though, if the parents are going to be completely proactive in the home schooling there is no doubt they can get a better education in subjects they care about.

 

[bobschmuck]

If there was a decent alternative to the social interaction out there that didn't involve other socially awkward homeschooled kids then I might consider it. But they would probably just call that school.

There are... there called hobbies. When I was a kid (a home schooled kid), I was active. I played football, hung out with friends, boy scouts (the schooled kids at boy scouts were a lot more socially awkward than me. lol), and other activities.

Why is social interaction the main reason adults think kids need school?

 

[plepco]

There are... there called hobbies.

Yes, exactly right. In fact I forgot we have our kids in Scouts also. Plus there are a bunch of neighborhood kids that my boys run the streets with. I don't know why the hell I'm not supposed to homeschool my kids due to some kind of "lack of social interaction". I think they get enough of it outside of school.

I mean, how many hours a day are they supposed to spend with other kids before they are considered "socially well-adjusted"?

Sorry but my kids are just not going to learn better social skills from other kids. That makes no sense at all. Which brings up the next question no one ever asks: what is so much better about the social skills of public school kids, than that of homeschool kids?

I was thinking about this during lunch. I know a few adults who are the result of homeschooling, and they are well-mannered, intelligent people. I know kids who are currently homeschooled. Guess what? They know how to look me in the eye and hold a conversation. They say hello when I see them and say hello.

Call me crazy but I think that's a good thing. I contrast that behavior with the couple of friends of my oldest (from public school) who don't seem to know how to act, or his classmate who barely will respond when I say hi.

Anecdotal evidence, I know...but I'm just saying that so far I haven't seen any proof that public school somehow improves a child's social skills. If anything, it's just the opposite.

 

[DewChugr]

There are... there called hobbies. When I was a kid (a home schooled kid), I was active. I played football, hung out with friends, boy scouts (the schooled kids at boy scouts were a lot more socially awkward than me. lol), and other activities.

Why is social interaction the main reason adults think kids need school?

Cause if they're not going to learn much there what else is there besides socialization and lunch?

 

[Moxie]

Which brings up the next question no one ever asks: what is so much better about the social skills of public school kids, than that of homeschool kids?

I was thinking about this during lunch. I know a few adults who are the result of homeschooling, and they are well-mannered, intelligent people. I know kids who are currently homeschooled. Guess what? They know how to look me in the eye and hold a conversation. They say hello when I see them and say hello.

Call me crazy but I think that's a good thing. I contrast that behavior with the couple of friends of my oldest (from public school) who don't seem to know how to act, or his classmate who barely will respond when I say hi.

Anecdotal evidence, I know...but I'm just saying that so far I haven't seen any proof that public school somehow improves a child's social skills. If anything, it's just the opposite.

Many parents who homeschool are hardcore hippies or more often strict religious fundamentalists. Kids raised by those types will often come across "different" to the rest of society, no matter where they go to school. Many other people's anecdotal stories are based on interactions with those particular homeschool kids.


A. "Dude, give me some of those now!"
B. "Sir, those potato chips look exquisite. May I please sample one? Thank you, sir."

A. "Oh my God, like, the new Harry Potter movie is out. Me and my peeps are going."
B. "I am not allowed to partake in the viewing of Harry Potter or related movies. My parents believe those are the works of Satan."


B may speak clearer, use a bigger vocabulary, and technically act more socially proper, but that is not how most of their peers would view them. Even the way someone dresses can get them defined as socially awkward. This is illogical and superficial, but that's the way it is, and this applies to marketing also.

 

[plepco]

Many parents who homeschool are hardcore hippies or more often strict religious fundamentalists.

Exactly. We happen to be hardcore neo-hippie fundamentalist libertarian urban homesteader anarchists.