Homeschool?

Question

My son should be starting school in the fall , and I want to home school him. He is very smart, and more functional than even I am, but he has Cushing's syndrome ( causes obesity and hypertension, diabetes ) and I don't want him to be made fun of. He has gone through his whole life with supportive people around him, and I do not want him to experience the pain of being made fun of and teased.. is this a bad reason to homeschool?

his disease also makes him bruise super easy, and I know that if he was on a playground, he would get hurt.

Answer 1

I am SO SICK TO DEATH of people saying homeschooled children don't get social interaction and don't know how to act in public.

1) If I remember public school correctly, and I know I do, children get in trouble for "socializing" in school. In school you only get to "socialize" with children your own age. And only during the 20 or so minutes of recess. How is that socialization? The only interaction you get with adults is how to follow orders.

2) Homeschooled children are out in the world everyday so they learn to interact with ALL age groups, not only kids their own age. They also learn a healthy respect for adults and elderly people, and learn that they don't HAVE to follow every single thing an adult says without getting in trouble.

3) They learn independence, because they are not getting detention for not kow towing to the teacher. They also learn that it's OK to say no to an adult. (Think about it, how many abductors and child molesters play on this "you have to do what I say because I'm an adult...)

4) Just because a child isn't going to nasty, below levels public schools, that DOES NOT mean they aren't getting social skills. There are groups to join OUTSIDE of school like the Scouts, the YMCA, community sports, church, and homeschool play groups. Your child can go to the library and meet any number of people.

5) Homeschooled children DO learn how to function in the real world by experience. They just don't have to worry about all the peer pressure to have sex and take drugs. I would much rather my child learn from the neighborhood children in a smaller group, than learning from a WHOLE school.

A child with health problems has enough to worry about than to add bullying and teasing to the mix. Keep him home. There are other ways to "socialize".

Answer 2

Hi, I'm a homeschooling mom to two kids (9 and 11). They have always been homeschooled. And no, that's not a bad reasons to want to homeschool. You are the mom, follow your heart and use your head.

Check out your state laws about homeschooling at www.hslda.com (or maybe it's .org) -- Home School Legal Defense Association. Depending on your state, you many not have to do anything officially at this stage. In my state compulsory school age is 7 - 16.

Check out your area for homeschooling support groups. A good place to start is inquiring at your local library -- they may have local contacts. Otherwise, search online. Even the online support groups are wonderful -- I like the AtoZ site -- I don't have the address handy, but can come back later with it.

And no, homeschooling doesn't make a child socially inept. My experience has been that they are more grounded, polite, well mannered, diverse and have the ability to speak to people of all ages. I get compliments all the time about my kids behavior.

Best of luck and feel free to ask questions.

Answer 3

Homeschool is great, if you are dedicated to his education. I would ignore public opinions about him being an outcast if you homeschool him. I have a child in a wheelchair, so I can feel why this is a consideration for you. You know what his needs are. There are big success stories at home school meetings about different kids with different handicaps ect. who came from homeschooled environments. Some on to college or into nursing. Our son has been in public school up until this point and in the 3rd grade. I am not sure that the school can accomodate his needs once he gets to JR high, so we are having the same thoughts. Another thing in our case is that even though they do not always have the right programs to fit his needs, they have no problem getting on my last nerve about how they think things need to be and this is stress on parents. These are whole families. And the whole family needs consideration. Our son had an aide that upset him, (Personality conflict),he is a very soft hearted little guy. We talked to the superintendent about his upset and he said, "We have enough trouble finding someone who is even willing to be a sub aide to your son, you have no choice in who his aide is. If you do not like it homeschool."
Pray about it and good luck.

Answer 4

The only BAD reason for wanting to homeschool is so the parent can be lazy and sit the child in front of the tv, which doesn't happen very often. Homeschooling can be a lot of work, depending on your method, so if you're considering homeschooling him, I'm sure you're a devoted mom and therefore, there can be no BAD reason for you. Go for it! Homeschooling is wonderful for all kids, providing they have loving parents. No child needs to go through being teased and harrassed, that's just not acceptable. That will not 'toughen' them up, as I've heard many parents say. You'd be doing the right thing!

Answer 5

Ummm.....homeschooling should not be you locked in a basement somewhere or chained to a desk. Real world activities can be the best part of a home based education. We garden and visit parks and farms. We attend various lectures and my daughter was inspired to do some photography this winter. My daughter likes to bike in the afternoons, sculpt most mornings in the sun, go with friends to the library, go shopping and to the movies on weekends and we both take in art shows whenever we can. We use city buses and trolleys to get where we want to go. We bike the greenbelt and hang out at the skate park for "gym class". If you hate the kind of homeschool you currently have, change it completely! There are as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschoolers. Currently my daughter and a friend are getting together to watch a weekly PBS special on Native Americans. They watch and discuss while they have Rocky Road ice cream and enjoy each others company. If my daughter hated how she schooled, I'd tell her that was her fault for lacking imagination and gumption, because we school according to her tastes, talents and plans. You should try that too.

Answer 6

I have a child with an infirmity also and that is a factor in my decision to home school too. I just don't think that she will get an education in that environment - this child will do better at home for sure.

But I had always planned to home school and though my youngest has no health issues, I will keep her home also. I simply think my kids will get the best education possible at home and they will have the opportunity to develop their own special gifts. That's all that any mother wants.

I will handle the socialization on my own - in a controlled environment that insures the comfort and safety of all involved. And if my kids want to go to yoga class or karate class or whatever - they can socialize there or in a playground, where their parent is present and overseeing specifically them, not 1 adult for a group of kids.

It sounds like you are doing the right thing. If nothing else you take the child with you everywhere you go - he can learn to socialize at the Post Office and the bank and the grocer (real world, polite, social interactions).

I wish you Peace and Strength, sister!

Answer 7

I am a school psychologist and have worked in public, as well as private schools with children ranging in age from preschool through high school. I also have two young preschool age children myself. I think Homeschooling is a wonderful alternative to public education for any child. Every child has their own learning style, and public education does not have the teacher to student ratio available to meet each child's individual needs. Many people will say that kids who are home schooled will lack social skills. I argue that kids in public schools are placed in situations where there are a lot of kids interacting inappropriately and not enough adults to model appropriate behavior and teach kids how to be socially appropriate. As long as your son has regular interactions with kids his own age on a weekly basis, then he will have his social needs met. There are many great homeschooling websites and support groups throughout the country, as well as books and resources. If you are serious I would read and talk to some mom's who do it to make sure you are ready for the commitment to be both teacher and mom. I know from friends who do it that it can be a lot on you. Good luck with your decision, it will be a brave one if you decide to go for it but one that will surely benefit your son!

Answer 8

Sounds like a tough situation, and I wish you the best. If you have a good public school system (I realize not all of them are) they should have staff that can accomodate his medical or other needs, and you should probably talk to them to address your concerns and find out what they can do to accomodate them, before you make the decision. Also, segregating him from his peers might protect him as a child, but I'm assuming he will have the condition for life, and you can't protect him forever. The possibility of teasing and the associated pain is real, but there is an equally good, if not better, chance that he will make friends that will build his self-esteem and prepare him for the real world in a way that his family can't. Good luck.

Answer 9

I am totally for homeschooling. You also may want to think about a virtual charter school. This is how I school my kids. It is looked at as a public school but you do it online. We are in Ohio and there are several here. I am not sure where you are but you could start by checking out K12.com. If there is one in your state then it is totally funded by the state as a public school is. They provide the computer, books, printer, and most supplies. They even help pay for internet connection

Answer 10

I think it would be good for him, public school is like a huge machine and not all kids would fit in well to the system. If you are able to give him a great education, go for it! You love him most and care more about his education than people who get paid tiny salaries. Anyways you can still get him into little league or some other sport or classes where he can still have socialization with children but not so big a scale as a school. Hope that helps.