Today's parenting laugh: are you ready for this...?

Question

My stepson and his wife have decided it's up to their children as to whether or not they will be homeschooled.

Fair enough, if you're talking about teens, but the kids are both under 6 (and, with few social skills)!

Oh, by the way, neither parent have any experience teaching, much less any degrees or certifications.

It's killing me keeping my mouth shut, so I am sounding off here, and would like to see what others think.

So, do you think a kid that young has ANY business deciding what sort of education is best for him? Am I nuts, or what?

Answer 1

No you are not nuts! I have a friend who is doing the same and she barely made it through high school and now she is teaching 5 kids at home, I feel sorry for them , but I have to keep my mouth shut.

Answer 2

I think it depends. Are the kids happy in the school they are in? Are they happy with the help from their teachers? Is the school a good school or have there been problems with the teachers and staff? Do the kids feel safe attending the school? There are many questions parents can ask children of that age to determine together if homeschooling is better or not. Parents don't need a degree to homeschool either. As long as they get into a homeschooling program in their area, then all they have to do is follow the provided curriculum. Most public school systems will help with that too. Ultimately though, you are right, children of that age cannot really determine what is best for themselves. It has to be the parent's choice as to what they feel is best for their children, but the child can offer their thoughts and feelings on the issue. Either way if the child is not happy or properly developing, then there needs to be a change. The parents can also talk to their children's pediatrician to get some advice and possibly leads into other education avenues.

Answer 3

Homeschooling is a decision that must be made by the parent, certainly not by 6-year old children!

I am a homeschooling parent. I do not have teaching experience, degree or certification. Most of the homeschooling parents I know are not teachers. Most states don't require that of homeschooling parents, and it's really not necessary.

There is one method of homeschooling that allows the child to completely direct his learning where his interests lie. Lots of homeschoolers use this technique; however, I personally feel a more traditional and structured education is best. I homeschool for a variety of reasons, including religious. I use a Christian-based curriculum, interspersed with traditional core knowledge subjects, have my daughter evaluated yearly by a certified teacher. There are state mandates which vary from state to state.

Having said all this, if your stepson and his wife are thinking about homeschooling, try to encourage them to talk to others and get into a homeschooling support group. The decision to homeschool is not to be taken lightly--it's a huge responsibility. It is very frustrating at times, but also very rewarding. My daughter gets one-on-one attention that she would never receive in public school. She is socialized through support group and extracurricular activities. She's learning to trust God. She can study areas she's interested in. We can take as many field trips as we want, whenever we want.

Bottom line: it's the parents' responsibility to make that decision, not the child's.

Answer 4

Experience in teaching has nothing to do with a parent capabilityto homeschool. Most home schooling parents start off with little to no experience, it is a growing experience for the parents too.

I know it maybe hard to understand why they are allowing the child to decide but really even at that age a child can make the decision. If the child knows they will be more comfortable learning with mom and dad then the child is likely to choose homeschooling. If the child is more outgoing, has a lot of friends and really likes a social setting then they might say they want to go to school.

My sister in law home schools three of her children, two like the at home enviroment. The oldest was having problem in school because he learns really fast and would get bored, at home his mom is able to challenge him and move at a faster pace, he doesn't have to wait for the rest of the class to be ready. The second isn't to happy with it, he likes to be around other people and children, meeting new people and group projects. The third is very shy and when in home school she is not nervous about talking and working, she likes that it is family and doesn't feel embarrassed.

Now her first son she home schooled through the third grade, then he decided he wanted to go to school.

Children can understand what is going on and what they want to do even if they are under six. All of the children were under the age of eight (7, 6,5) when homeschooling began.

Answer 5

I think the kid's opinons should be asked for and considered, but they shouldn't have the final say at that age, that's insane. They are not mature enough to understand the implications of home vs regular schooling. Will these parents allow the kids to determine their own bed times? Own meals? Will they be parents at all or let the kids raise themselves?

If they go for homeschool, check out www.connectionsacademy.com. It is a homeschooling program that provides a state certified teacher and all the books and stuff. It might help them if they live in the right state.

Answer 6

It's a little silly asking a six year old what they want to do for school but it's certainly not harmful. As far as teaching certification there is no correlation between parent education and the child's achievment as a homeschooler. Additionally the social skills will not be helped by going to public school. Contrary to popular and not scientifically backed opinion homeschooler tend to be more likely to vote, more likely to hold steady jobs, and more likely to report being happy with life then their public schooled peers. IOW they turn out sociall more quipped, not less.

Answer 7

You do not need to be college educated to educate a child. I think it's a major plus but it's not necessary.

There are other ways--besides school for children to socialize. It's important for home school parents to make sure this is also a priority.

Personally, with the school systems the way they are today, I would consider letting a person without a degree teach my kids. It's absolutely horrible what poor education our kids get out of the public school system.

Let them do what they feel is right by THEIR child. If they believe he can decide for himself--that's great. They obviously know their child better then you do. Just butt out of it!

Answer 8

I think this is a new scary trend in the US. Parent's not parenting and letting children make the decisions.

I don't get it.. honestly. I know people Homeschool for different reasons but asking a child what THEY want floors me.. even if they were teenagers. What does that show? A parent asking the teenager even what they want? It shows the parent has no control of the home and I'd be willing to bet that same parent isn't respected by the child.

That being said.. I think it's great to ask a teenager how she or he feels about a decision but in the end it's up to the parent.

I'm with you.. it's insane

Answer 9

absolutely not, they are too young to even understand the difference! They will also miss out on the social side of school and making friends, becoming independent. And it takes 100% of time and dedication for parents to home school. You don't just read a couple of books and be done with.There is a whole curriculum for each grade level that they have to do and they still have to comply with all the government requirements. It will be a full time job for the parents, especially if they have no teaching experience.

Answer 10

The children have no right chosing their education at age 6, kids cant even decide what kind of shoes they want or what they want for dinner, they are going to chose what they can do to enhance their fun life, not whats going to help their future. Parents need to make the decisions on things like that especially when the children are so young,