Why do so many parents that home school trash schooled kids?

Question

I don't get it, why it is that so many parents that home school their kid’s trash school kids.

I'm 14 and I've been home schooled all my life and I hear a lot of home school parents trash schooled kids just because they go to school. They make it sound like that just because they go to school their automatically going to use drugs, drink alcohol, smoke, have sex, curse, cut themselves, use anorexia or bulimia, shoplift, etc...
Now I know of home schoolers who have lost their virginity, cut themselves, curse, shoplifted, and used anorexia and bulimia. (I'm not saying that all home schoolers do that, and not all school kids do that either)

Me I have used bulimia and still using it, I'm treated different because I'm home schooled, I don't know multiplication (I'm suppose to be in 8th grade) And I don't have that many friends. What makes home schooling so great and why do home school parents trash schooled kids?

Answer 1

Well, nobody that I know is "trashing" students that go to school.
Most of my friends are home-schooling their children. And many, many other of our friends are going to public schools. The students are not to blame for the ills of the system.

If you are having social and academic problems it is not good. But it is good that you recognize the issue because that is the first step to making a difference.

1. Get to a doctor and face the health problem -- don't let that go unchecked.
2. Study your multiplication tables. Memorize your math facts.
3. Be friendly and make some friends.

Above all of the other advice ---- Get off of this stupid computer and do something worthwhile with your mind. Study to become smart. Eat right and get well. And build up a core of really good friends. I mean "Good" as in honest, moral, kind....etc. etc. etc.
Be good to yourself.

I hope that you find a way to improve yourself. There are so many good things that you can do that don't involve wasting time on wacky internet forums.

Answer 2

If you're talking about the answers in here, understand that these are very quick answers with generalizations. Even in general conversation, it will be the same--a brief generalization or talking about trends. I doubt that any parent in here believes that ALL public school kids are on drugs, smoke, etc. However, those activities are usually more prevalent in a public school environment than in a homeschooling environment. And that's the point: the frequency of certain activities in particular environments.

Home schooling will be great if the parents make it great, although the student has a part in it, too. At your age, it's up to you to add some into it to make it great, too. If you are bulimic, you had better get yourself counselling to deal with the deeper issues going on. If you don't know your multiplication tables, what are you going to do about it? You have a choice in your life and can take some control in it without engaging in bulimic practices. What can you do today to make your homeschooling experience, and yourself or your life in general, better?

Answer 3

I think your brother is old enough to do his own laundry. At my house we have a policy do your own laundry and dishes then if mom/dad asks for help you give it. That's not saying much though seeing as I'm an only child. Personally, I think your brother should pick it up a little bit; having school is no excuse and he's home-schooled so that cuts out travel time and getting up super early to catch the bus. His perspective might be different I bet he makes a big deal about you not having a job... :p Regardless of that I think he should do a bit more- that's just my opinion though. Do you plan to go to college?

Answer 4

well they should not be doing this but it is bc it is much much easier for school kids to do these things then for a homeschooler too so you see more non homeschooler doing these things then you would see a homeschooler would. You hear more about non homeschoolers getting pregnant stealing, doing drugs so on so forth. then you would a homeschooled kid plus a homeschooler is with there parents more often so a homeschooler is less stressed out and does not feel left out by the parents some school kids may not spend enough time with there parents. maybe this is why some parents say these things i am not saying this goes for all non homeschoolers bc i was both and i was a good kid bc my parents was involved in my schooling when i was homeschooled and when i wasnt it all depends on the student and the parents how the kids will react to certain situations.

Answer 5

The whole point of homeschooling is the time spent with your child, the ability to go at their own pace, and to instill them with your values, as opposed to a stranger's. I know my kids' friends, I know what my kids are learning and how well, and I have a closer relationship with them. If your parents aren't willing to teach you and help you get the resources you need to learn, then you should probably be in a regular school, where you'll get noticed when falling behind. As for dealing with bulimia, you really need to talk to an adult you trust. Bulimia can kill you.

Answer 6

First and most importantly, please get help for your eating disorder. Do you communicate with your parents about your unhappiness (something must be wrong for you to be harming yourself)?

You have made a very broad generalization. I do not bash public schooled children, nor do I glorify home educated children and put them above anyone. Do you really mean "all" home schooling parents that you know, or could it be that the ones who do are standing out above the rest? I challenge you to find more than one or two posts, out of all of us home educating posters at YA, that ever "bash" public schooled children. Now, take a look at this same area and see how many nasty comments are being made at and about home schoolers. Is that okay with you? Is it only bad if the bashing is directed at public schoolers?

For the ones who do bash, perhaps they, like you, are making a broad generalization based on a couple of bad apples. This happens in many political circles concerning republicans and democrats, religious/non-religious, denominations of religion, stay at home mothers/working mothers, breast-feeding/bottle-feeding...the list goes on and on and on.

We love home educating because of the FREEDOM it brings. My children and I LOVE to be done at 11 and head off to friends, or go to the beach, park, library, nature walk, chill out at home, play games, etc., etc. That is why we enjoy and find home educating great.

And lastly, you may not know your multiplication tables, but your writing is very good. I'm sure that you could learn your tables in no time flat with a bit of effort. As far as friends, just how many do you want? How many is enough? I was public schooled my whole life and only one friend from all of those years and I keep in contact regularly. It is the quality of friendship that matters, not the quantity. Take the friendships that you do have and build on them, stop worrying about the numbers.

Answer 7

Well I dont trash regular school kids. I went to school until I graduated, and in fact I loved school. I decided to pull my kids out a few years ago because of personal issues that some had to do with school.
I dont think home-schooling is for everyone, I also dont think regular school is for everyone either.
My oldest daughter had open heart surgery, she is now 12, but she had a hard time keeping up with school while she was in public school, so for me it was a choice to keep her from failing.

People shouldnt critisize anyone for living their life the way they do. No one is perfect and we have to respect people for their own decisions. All we can do is be the best people we can be and hope that we set an example for others. Be the best you can be and pray for your weakness's and try do do better.

It sounds to me that you are behind because no one is behind you trying to help you succeed. You will probably have to do this yourself.

Go to your search and print out papers to help you learn your lessons. The bad thing about home-schooling is some parents dont care if their child learns. I made sure mine are ahead. I dont want them to lack in education because I want them to go on to college and make themselves better. Better then I did anyway.

Good luck sweety... I wish I could help you more.

Answer 8

I personally don't ever trash any child. I may talk down about the public schools in my area, but not the students in them (that is, unless it's a general population trait, like the drawers hanging out of their pants, or other things I've heard about...like oral sex parties, etc. I never talk about particular kids, because I know there are always exceptions to the rule)

If you don't know multiplication, then you are being failed. You need to talk to your parents about educating you. If they will not, then you need to go to school somewhere.

Answer 9

I don't really get why anyone that hasn't sent their child to a public school can say anything bad about the school itself. But in my case. I feel I have the right to trash the school and the teachers that work there. I sent my sons to the public school here where we live until they were in the Jr-Sr High building. I found that the teachers were more interested in compering the children to their sibling than letting the child be himself/herself. feel that if a child is going to try drugs, they are going to do so weather they are home schooled or in public school.

Answer 10

I am very sorry for you that your circle of influence includes parents that talk that way about any children, whether they are homeschooled, publicschooled or privateschooled.
First to address your personal issues:
You have been given solid advice on your eating disorder and I prayerfully hope you heed that advice. This is not something to be taken casually, it is not something you "use" as one mentioned. It can kill you, so make sure you get help.
As for your multiplication, again i agree with former posts. You write well, you lean toward that area natuarally. Not everyone is good at everything all the time. Some things will come naturally, some you will have to work at. Math is your area of need, so you will have to work harder. Make sure your parents understand that this lack of knowledge bothers you, they will help.
Now to the broad sweeping generalizations of your first statements.
I do not bash publicschool kids, nor do I glorify homeschool kids. My problem with Public education is the system but even then, you will not hear me slam it on a regular basis, but you can randomly pick a question on here, whether it actually has anything to do with homeschooling or not and listen to pure venom being spewed out toward homeschool families.
I have a highschool student (homeschool) and I know for a fact that homeschool students have to face the same issues as everyone else. Homeschooling is not a magic pill that protects our children, and most hs parents are fully aware of that.
We do not have to deal with all issues that ps students face: guns, drugs, swords, bomb threats, metal detectors at the doors, things like that. (and I mean that I do not have to worry about someone randomly bringing these things in to my house)Nor do I have to worry about the level of education my children are receiving. But that does not mean that my children are automatically immune to all those other influences you mentioned simply because they are homeschooled.
My point to you is that there is good and bad everywhere, the difference is how you handle it.
I do not walk around in a bubble of self righteousness, falsely assuming that my children are immune to negative peer pressure and influences simply because I "homeschool" and all those "publicshcool kids" are doing all that stuff because they are in school all day.
That is ridiculous.
I have never slammed ps students because they are ps students. I have friends with ps students, and I respect them.
Heck I was a ps kid, too.
Parents have to work hard to make sure they know what their kids are up to no matter where they receive their education.
Our society makes it hard for parents to do their job, which is to care for their children. Today, we have all this talk about children having a "right to privacy," and parents have to deal with that. Kids today have cell phones, text messaging, IM, myspace, ipods, even our home phones are cordless and can be taken anywhere for private conversations.
When I was in highschool (back in the day) we had one phone, connected to the wall, in the living room, and my head would roll if one of my friends called after dinner, yikes! My parents did not have to wonder what type of music I was listening too, they could hear it, and when I got in the car with my parents, I had to listen to their music, not my ipod.
Password protected chat sites and texting? Oh Please. the only chat sites and texting we had were notes we passed during class, and the only protection we had was being better at hiding them than our parents and teachers were at finding them (got busted on that one regularly)
So, yes it is easy for kids to be in to all kinds of things without their parents knowing today. But parents have to realize that it is their responsibility to know what their kids are up to.
I have a friend that lost her youngest. She would give anything to be able to go back and invade her privacy to save her life.

edit to add: I think everyone should take a close look at cripsyducks response in comparison to the hs posters on here. It proves the point perfectly that some people will slam just to be slamming even though they have absolutely no knowledge of what they are talking about. Good and bad everywhere, that post is an example of the bad.