Do you believe that some parents do a disservice to their kids by homeschooling them?

Question

Don't get me wrong. I think that homeschooling can be a good thing in some cases, but let's face it. Not all parents are cut out to be teachers. And not only that, but some parents who are good teachers in one subject may be poor in another. Also, there are some parents who homeschool their children, because they don't want them to be exposed to ideas and values that run counter to their own. However, sooner or later, these kids are going to grow up and they're going to find out that the rest of the world isn't like home and not everyone thinks like Mom and Dad do, so doesn't make more sense to expose them to as many types of people as possible and as early as possible?

Answer 1

If the parents are of average intelligence and are mentally stable, the benefits of homeschooling far outweigh the benefits of attending a public school.

I'm sure there are some parents who are below average intelligence and/or mentally unstable who attempt homeschooling, so the answer is YES.

Answer 2

Well there are many schools of thought on this subject ,,,,(No pun intended) ,,,,Each child is different ,,,, The choice is left up to the parents of course ,,,, But if parents are going to undertake such a responsibility then they should make sure that they are qualified to do so ,,,, One positive thing about it is that one on one schooling is allot better and more thorough than say one on maybe a class room of like thirty or so more or less ,,,, The childs progress is measured by how far he goes by himself as opposed to being graded against the highest or lowest in a class ,,,, Progressive schools grade a child on his own individual skills rather than by where he falls in a group or class ,,,, The home schooled child ,,,, as with progressive schools ,,,, is allowed to learn at his own pace either faster or slower than his peers are in a public school ,,,, Progression is based on the individuals intelligence level ,,,, So this eliminates the pressure of having to keep up with the Jone's ,,,, so to speak ,,,, if he is a slower learner and also doesn't hold the faster learner back ,,,, But while home schooling has its advantages it also has it's disadvantages too ,,,, Such as social interaction among the child's peers which also includes school sponsored group activities and things like that ,,,,It's a tough call to make at best really ,,,, But bottom line ,,,, it's the parents call ,,,, If they decide to teach their children at home then they should be prepaired to deal with the complications that go along with it ,,,, I don't know but I would say that the greater percentage of the parents that do this are more worried about the negative sides of sending their children to a public school and exposing them to the pressures that are a part of attending public institutions ,,,, Sometimes with some individuals these pressures tend to clutter the childs mind and hinders the child's ability to absorb ,,,, It just depends on the individual child ,,,, Considering all the negative things a child can be faced with ,,,, Home schooling has it's advantages ,,,, All in all and once again ,,,, As in almost all things there are to choose from ,,,, It has it's negative and positive sides and these things should have been seriously considered and addressed before making a decision one way or the other ,,,, So your question as put ,,,, asks for an opinion ,,,, This is just one of many ,,,,

Answer 3

I home schooled my daughter for six months as the lottery for schools in London didn't work, we were offered the 2 worst performing schools in the area both over 1hr away on the bus. So I home educated, at the time it was the right decision, but it did have consequences, my daughter did suffer due to the isolation of being at home, she missed other children and the social activities that her peers were having. I accepted the first school that came up with a place (not really one of my choice) I can understand why you are considering it, due to the bullying, but I would explore other avenues ie changing schools before home ed, it is major hard work on both and does effect the relationship between mother and child, plus teaching children of that age is difficult, be prepared to be big bad mummy when you are teacher mode, I would consider doing it again, but only short term, as the effect on her wasn't good, the education she received was better than school, but emotionally and socially it was not beneficial to a 12 year old child.

Answer 4

at 14 i am currently a homeschooled student. It is not a disservice to me by doing this because I am out in the world alot the only difference is tht i dont go to school with other kids. I am getting a great education at OHVA a online school. But the perception of homeschooled famlies are not good. everyone assumes that the reason that I was homeschooled was because I was dumb or didnt like kids or whatever. The real reason was that it takes me longer to complete an assignment. so if the parents are keeping them under their wing and not letting them go out i agree. but if they are like my parents then no. I go to the movies,football games, parties, and all my mission trips with my church with my friends. so the answer to your question is mabie yes mabie no it depends on the family.

Answer 5

In my humble opinion, homeschool is amazing.
I was in public school until the 10th grade, unfortunately I hated being trapped in a building all day while my sister was at home doing her schooling.
I had a lot of bad experiences with the public school system. The kids in my school were so immature I could not stand it anymore.
I found that I could accelerate at a much faster rate in homeschool. I found that you don't actually have to sit at a desk and listen to your parent lecture as well.
I signed out in October of my sophmore year and began my homeschooling. I feel more independent, and more in control of where my life goes. I am not on a time clock (except for work- I am a nurse aide). I am 16 years old and I start college in roughly a month. I am often mistaken for someone much older.
I have increased my mental capacity tenfold, and I have learned so many of life's lessons. It's different when you are not cooped up in a building with teenagers, but exposed to the real world outside of the school walls. I was out and around with adults most of the time.
I am moving out with a roomate and renting a place of my own in roughly two weeks. I have created a flowing dependable source of income. I have also prepared a security net of income, for the unexpected And I am prepared to follow my educational and personal goals, as well as my dreams.
I still have some friends from the previous public school I attended, but I find them fading and I find new while I keep pushing forward in life.
I hope this gives you some insight on the personal development you can gain from homeschool. Not every homeschooled child turns out to be a stereotypical anti-social lab chemist.

Answer 6

Absolutely not! Homeschooling is a wonderful option for many families. Even for parents who are not good teachers, there are so many great solutions out there right now such as online homeschooling. With online homeschooling, the teachers come to the child through instant messaging, emails, message boards, One of the leading online homeschool poviders such as The MorningStar Academy even gives credits for homeschool work and high school diplomas!.

When children are given a solid homeschool foundation, they are much better equipped to handle the hardships of the world and to determine their own values and beliefs. The argument that they should "get used to it early" or be exposed to other beliefs is not logical. Protecting them and making them strong is the goal. Through great solutions like the accredited homeschool program at MorningStar Academy and online homeschool curriculum at The Jubilee Academy, you can protect your child, make them strong and smart and get the best of both worlds!

Answer 7

As much as I believe in homeschooling, yes, I do believe there are parents who do a disservice to their kids by homeschooling. However, not for the reasons you cite.

The parents I've met who, I believe, are doing a disservice to their children are ones who simply have issues as parents or have radical homeschooling philosophies--I mean, so radical in their unschooling that they won't even teach their child, who wants to learn to read, how to read or won't let their children play educational games because they are 'too structured' and 'manipulating the children to learn something they didn't pick on their own'.

Frankly, my own success in school had little to do with teachers and had mainly to do with my own desire to learn. That's what makes the biggest difference in the long run. There are no magic techniques that teachers used on me or anybody else. It's the same thing with homeschooling--most kids succeed because they are given the chance to learn on better terms, not because one parent is a better teacher than another. (What does that even mean? Pure book knowledge? Stuff the kid could look up on his own? I just 'taught' someone the other day in answers how to do a math question for which I had to look up the information myself.)

I have yet to meet a homeschooling parent who is homeschooling because they don't want their kids to be exposed to ideas and values 'counter to their own'. They may not want their children growing up in their formative years in an environment that is strongly against parental ideas and values, but they are certainly fine with exposure.

If there are homeschooling parents who are sheltering their children so excessively that the children aren't even exposed to other people, then yes, they are doing a disservice to their children. However, that's a parental choice, not homeschooling itself. And it's certainly not the norm where I live.

Answer 8

Nope.

Home-schooling works even when it doesn't work.

Grown-ups are better at adapting to the exposure to many types of people. It isn't really a good idea to overwhelm children with the ills of the rest of the world before they are mature enough to know how to manage. Children need to be allowed to be children for as long as they are children. Know what I mean? A 10 yr old shouldn't have to face the issues of sex, drugs and alcohol -- but those things are prevalent within the discussions of children in most communities -- they get it from older siblings, from school programs ("Just say No"....) Well, if they haven't had to see it or deal with it then being TEN can be a whole lot more fun.

There are disfunctional families and home-schooling may be a tremendous difficulty for them. BUT there are disfunctional families with children in other forms of education too.

Parents that choose to home-school their children are not USUALLY disfunctional and uninterested in the academic and social progress of their family. The majority of home-schooling parents really truly care very deeply about everything about their children. They work together, eat together, play together, learn together ---- AND another thing to think about is the fact that parents do not have to know all of the subjects inside and out in order to teach a child from kindergarten through high-school. You will be surprised to meet tens-of-thousands of children that are learning how to study and learning how to teach themselves anything that they want to know.

There are many public school teachers that are not trained in the particular subject that they currently teach. I have heard about those that are math majors that are teaching english, foot-ball coaches that are teaching poetry, etc. etc..... it happens.

My children are learning how to work their way through all levels of math without any need of me to teach them. They have been doing this for 8 years. My 20 yr daughter is in college and often finds herself telling the math instructor how to complete the equations when HE messes up. ;-) Go figure!

There are wildly "unschooled" children that never sit down to a book --- funny thing is that they transition into college classes without any trouble too. I do NOT advocate this --- because I'm a firm believer in a strong base of academic training.

It is to the child's advantage to have all of the basics covered and mastered before attending college. Many college credits can be obtained without taking the course IF the student has the background in the material before ever beginning college.

The best thing in the world for a student is to be able to learn to study without a bunch of obstacles along the way.

Home-school with a focus on self-teaching can remove many obstacles.

Answer 9

WHEN