If you are a parent who should raise and train your children?

Question

I read a comment that said, "I don't think it is healthy for children to be around their parents 24/7". Well, duh!!!!! My children are not around me that much but they are educated at home. They don't go to the bathroom with me or sleep in my room.... eeeeewww!!!! We live with modesty and personal privacy. I know that it is not what the writer meant by the comment -- but I had to poke some fun.....

My question is: WHO is the best person to raise and supervise the education of YOUR own child? Is it you? Is it a group of children in a classroom? Is it a state-trained teacher?
I hear professional teachers saying opposite things -- some say that parents are the best ones to train the children from birth to adulthood and others say no, no, no, that only *they* can do a good job.
So, if I was taught be these professional teachers and they are sure that they did a good job and I completed the material with good grades - shouldn't I be perfectly prepared to teach my own child

>>>>they also deserve to learn Geography, Geometery, English and a Foregin Language, Band, etc. If I could do those things, then I would teach my own! <<<<<
My children do learn geography, geometry, english, foreign language, band, choir, woodworking, phonics, calculus, physics, history, biology, sewing, cooking, construction, etc etc. etc.... it is not difficult for them to progress into all areas of academics as they learn how to study from kindergarten through 12th grade.
My children learn to self-teach and they become capable of learning anything they need to know. The best teachers I ever knew in public school were the ones that taught me how to do it all myself!!!!

I'm not some inexperienced wet-nosed kid speaking with a forked-tongue.. I am a mother and a grandmother. My children are 23,20,18,and 16. They are examples of fine, well educated citizens. We didn't home-school our children as a "fight" against public school or to make a point. We did it for their benefit.

*YOU* can do it! Anybody that has a mind and the motivation to teach, study and learn can make home-schooling work. Never say never! :-)
Raising children is an awesome responsibility. It is worthwhile and necessary.
I LOVE teachers -- they have an important part in life ---- but I think their skills would be better used in a college setting or in specialized areas of study. Parents first, teachers second. Of course this is an ideal that will not work in a family where the parents will not supervise or maintain a sense of love and progress.

Guidance with care and love are the best things for a child. Home-schooling must be done in a proper atmosphere for it to work. MOST home-school families are perfectly capable of doing this.

Home-school people do not live in the past. We are very much aware of what is going on in the world around us.

Do you know that anything that has happened in the last 20 years is around 1% of everything from the previous 2000 years? It is silly to assume that a home-school parent, teacher or student is not capable of finding the information that pertains to 1% of recent time. Science, history, math, language, geography, etc... ALL of the information is available to someone that knows how to find it. Public school teachers do not have a monopoly on information.

Our home-school is all about learning how to study -- once the student can do this they have the entire academic world at their disposal.

I'm not trying to change anybody's mind or attitude toward home-schools. I do hope to be able to encourage those that are interested to pursue their goals and find out for themselves it the at-home method of education is right for them.

MrZ --- this topic must be very sensitive for you. No, of course I'm not a professional teacher -- I don't get paid.
The things I write and say are not in anger nor in disrespect. You are congratulated and thanked for the hard work that you accomplished previous to retirement!
We don't use the computer as an educational babysitter. Our material comes on CD and we print most of it and then read it. The things that we don't print we purchase in printed form. We use the dictionary, the encyclopedia and many college level volumes of literature, science and history, economics, etc. etc. etc. The children learn by studying things in a natural progression. Each day of study is spent with a focus on accuracy and understanding.

Their are some home educators that are very vocal and insulting toward public school teachers -- I hope that my comments do not make you think that I am one of them. Many of my very good friends are currently certified and working public school teachers.

Answer 1

To answer your question... I definitely agree with you that a child's parent has the responsiblity to "raise and train" their child or children. Moreover, I totally believe that most parents are completely qualified to educate their children. In fact, standardized tests prove this fact since home-educated children almost always exceed public schooled children's scores. Furthermore, I personally think that it is a sad fact that many responders think that "teachers" would actually be more qualified to educate a child than that child's own parents. If the parents are willing to commit to the time, money, and effort it takes to home-educate, I can almost guarantee you that they are going to do a better job. I concede that a very small fraction of homeschool parents do not give homeschooling the effort or time that they should, BUT neither do all public school teachers. I know this for a fact since I worked in the public schools. Therefore, I absolutely believe that, in most cases, no one cares more about a child's education (whether that be academics, values, or life skills) than that child's parents... and, in my opinion, that qualifies them to raise and train the child in all areas.

Side note: As to whether a parent is qualified or not to teach at higher levels of education, the answer is a resounding YES. In fact, the proof, once again, is self-evident in homeschooled children's test scores. They must be receiving educations, at all levels, that are at least equivalent to that which they would have received from the public school system since they consistently outperform their public schooled peers. Further, I am amazed by the number of people who are offended at the thought or prospect of a child becoming a self-learner. Apparently, they were never taught about how many individuals from history were exactly that... self-learners and self-educators. Indeed, many of our forefathers were homeschooled and taught themselves at all levels of higher education. (Read about the educations of the following individuals... Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Winston Churchill, Alexander Graham Bell, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Pearl Buck, Agatha Christie, C. S. Lewis, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.) In my opinion, the greatest gift any teacher, parent or certified, can give a child is the love of learning because with that... he or she will continue their education throughout life without coaxing or prodding. Thus, that child will become an independent learner who will succeed on his own in whatever endeavors he chooses... he will not be a child "left behind", but an able-bodied learner who actively participates in his own education.

Answer 2

The education if received I would have been unable to receive it at home. I was taught to read with tuning forks and phonic, learning the vowel sounds and phonemes, and it helped me greatly. My cousin homeschooled her children and did a wonderful job, however, I feel she's in the minority. Also, I believe they need the society of other children to make new friends and be in a peer group.

Do you know your children better than anyone else, you bet you do. And your the best to instill moral and complex values into them and I'm sure you're doing just that and you should be congratulated on it. However, they also deserve to learn Geography, Geometery, English and a Foregin Language, Band, etc. If I could do those things, then I would teach my own!

Answer 3

who is the best person to raise up my children?
Well a leading authority on how to raise children and take care of families put it this way:
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

It does not take a "professionally trained teacher" to know that the subject is an understood "you"
You train up a child.
So, according to God, I am the best person to raise my children.
To me, that means that since he has called me to this job (and He has called me) then He will give me the strength to do the job to the best of my ability for His glory.

All the arguments against homeschooling are really nothing more than outbursts.
I mean, honestly, Mr. Z saying that only teachers are capable of telling good stories.
Are we supposed to take that seriously?
oh, please. So according to that line of thinking, then all the authors out there in the world are college trained public school teachers?
I don't think so!
As for the rest of it, the homeschool parents have been on here for quite some time, giving accurate information about what homeschooling is really like in 2006, yet the same people are on here, spouting the same hatred hoping to stamp out our voice.

The only thing that is more puzzling than terrible attitudes, is why do people continue to come to this part of the site to trash us.
I read one comment on a question in another section of YA and he said he is sick and tired of listening to homeschool moms going on and on about their precious angels.
But yet, he chooses to come here.
What?

Answer 4

Parents of course. And teachers too. But don't try to say you aren't trying to change people's minds or influence them, cause that's a lie; that's exactly what you are trying to do.

Your logic is very flawed. Just because you were educated by "professional teachers" does not make YOU into a professional teacher! Professional teachers take many courses and have an immense amount of experience with kids of their age group (assuming they have been around a few years), experience that a parent has NO IDEA about. That is one of the major advantages of letting teachers educate kids: they have the training and experience necessary to TEACH.

And you go on to add that you could not teach all these basic subjects (like geometry, et al)...that your kids "self-taught" themselves. Sounds like you sat your kid in front of a computer all day long...is that what you did? Do you think that is as inspirational as a good teachers story telling in history, or that special knack teachers have to pinpoint exactly what it is that the kid does not understand?

Both parents and teachers need to work together to educate a child. So many parents forget that a teacher is probably the best friend they could have in regards to helping their kid...instead they view them as an "enemy", who must be combatted every step of the way. Nothing could be further from the truth.

You have to jump through a LOT of hoops to become a teacher; they are very selective and it is a very hard, complex, stressful job trying to deal with 150+ kids per day. Since you just home school, lets say one kid, is that kid 150 times smarter than the ones taught by the teacher??? NO! Not even close. But they should be, according to home schooling theory.
I mean, they have a personal tutor standing by ALL the time, 24/7, right??? Think about that...

Answer 5

It is the sole responsibility and right of parents to raise their children. No one should be allowed to interfere with that unless the child involved is being physically or sexually abused or their physical needs (ie. no food, water, clothing, shelter) are not being met.

Other than cases of serious abuse or neglect parents have the right to choose what, when, where, how, and by whom their children are taught.

It is not the governments responsibility nor the right of government officials to monitor the education of children.

Answer 6

there are three kinds of lessons that a person must learn from birth to old age: 1.) things taught by the parents/home; 2.) taught by the teachers/school; and 3.) learned by urself.

parents teach the manners, ethics, and conduct. as well as the use of spoon and fork when eating, how to clean himself, household chores, and probably, the basic stuffs in school such as counting, alphabet, shapes and colors before the child gets into schooling.

the teaching teaches the more complicated things in school, such as geography, philosphy, geometry, physics, biology, chemistry, philosophy, etc...

and, he also learns by himself...thru his mistakes, experiences (with his environment), and discoveries...thru his own curiosities...he learns how to decide for himself...

therefore, there is no specific right person and the only person to raise a kids for him to learn. its a joint and combined powers of those three for a person to become a "person".

Answer 7

you said you were asking parents but I wanted to give my answer from the perspective of a sophomore in a public high school. I don't want to sound like a nerd but I love going to school. Its can be good for parents to also be the teacher but just because you got good grades in school doesn't mean you should teach your kids.

My major concern is the interactions between teacher and student. In the last ten years of school I have had some great teachers who have inspired me to reach for my true potential and I have always had my parents there to support me and to lead me in the right direction. In home schooling you can have that but sometimes you need inspiration to come from somewhere youve never been before. What I mean by that is when I'm growing up I'm always with my parents and they have always inspired me but sometimes a student needs to get that inspiration from somewhere other than there parents or friends. Its kind of hard for me to explain but I would never trade public school for anything. There maybe low funding and horrible food but its in the flaws that comes that happy feeling when I think about all the years I spent in school.

Besides what I just said, theres also the fact that it teaches your children important lessons about interaction with others. It puts you in a place where you know no one and it teaches you how to act and meet new people. Its also a good way to teach them how to make friends.

One thing that also one thing that bothered me was just because you completed the material with good grades doesn't mean you know everything you need to teach them. For one the world is changing and something you learned then may have been changed like there was a new science discovery and it totally changes the way people look at science and your children could miss out on that and be left behind. Also your kids maybe interested in learning more about something you don't know, ex. you kid wants to be a computer engineer but you don't know about computers. There would have been classes they could take to follow their interests.



This may just be me rambling on about a load of nonsense but I believe and will stand by my belief. There will never be a moment in my life that I will ever possibly think that I would rather be home schooled. I love going to school and seeing my friends and teachers, welcoming me in and leading me to reach for greater things. Nothing you can say or do will ever make me change my mind.

Answer 8

Well ask if you are capabkle to raise your child to be beneficial to society and not a parasite. If you can raise the child, don't cross the diciplinary line to abuse and can provide a good example then you should raise your child. I also think that kids should be exposed to differeces from what they are used to, the world is HUGE and come time for school with other kids, it will be helpful.

Answer 9

Its the parents. As long as the child is within your perimeter its the parents resposibility to look and supervise them in all their actions may it be in school or friends or outdoor. Teachers are secondary parents. Within the school grounds, they are the childrens parents that would look and supervise them.