Would you home-school any of your children?

Answer 1

Yes I would. There are so many advantages to homeschooling. They can get grades ahead in school and go to college much earlier. Don't worry about their social life, while homeschooling you can get together with other homeschooling families and teach classes and make groups and have field trips. Also if their is a subject you don't know how to teach you can find another parent who does and they can teach it while you teach their children something. The big plus about homeschooling is that you know that your children are safe and don't need to worry about gun threats, drugs, alcohol, sex, and negative peer pressure. They will also grow up to be more mature because they are around you most of the time and not other children who have attitude problems. Another plus is that you can go on vacation anytime of the year because you can just pack up the school book and do school wherever you are.

Answer 2

Yes, I do.

In addition to what has already been said to dispel the socialization myth, I want to add one thing. I went through public school and had a few friends, but I was very shy. Of all of the close friends I have now, only one of them is a friend I made in school. Social situations are still difficult for me; I just don't feel comfortable with people I don't know well. My husband is similar, though he handles it better than I do.

We homeschool our two daughters and the oldest is extremely social. She, unlike me, never hesitates to start a conversation with a new person. And I don't mean just children. She can converse intelligently with adults, and she enjoys it. My youngest is more like me; slow to warm up, but once she makes a friend, she feels perfectly at ease. I do not try to shelter them or control who they socialize with. I think how social someone is generally is determined by their personality, not what kind of schooling they receive.

We are part of a homeschooling co-op, so they have made many friends there. However, this is not their only, nor even their main, source of friends. Most people think that homeschoolers only socialize with other homeschoolers; I run across this opinion constantly, and it is simply not true. My children's closest friends are actually public schoolers.

Just thought I'd share.

Answer 3

I'm hoping to home-school my granddaughter, since I have been teaching her from day one. (She's 2 1/2 now, and very articulate for her age.) I don't like the way things are going with public schools these days. They should be teaching reading, writing, math, geography, music, art, etc - NOT values, morals, or interfering with a family's religious beliefs. I don't have a problem with the schools encouraging children to respect one another, but I DO have a problem with them discriminating against Christian beliefs (apparently, they can teach / encourage every religion under the sun EXCEPT Christianity) and I have a problem with things like encouraging kids to use condoms or having abortions instead of encouraging abstinence until marriage. I know plenty of people who home school their children, and the children are not lacking in social graces or friends as a result. In fact, there are even home school study groups / field trips available.

Answer 4

Since you aksed in the homeschooling section, I hope you expect 'yes' as an answer. :)

I homeschool my two children, 6 and 9. It was a decision my dh and I came to after our experiences teaching in public schools (I taught elementary, he still teaches junior high). We did not like the school culture the kids would grow up in--let them have some time to grow up in a reasonable fashion before sending them to school is how we see it. We knew that the schools are tailored to meet a middle ground and that our kids would not be able to go their own pace and would be lumped together according to age, not according to ability. We frankly like that I'm the primary caregiver and not a different strange adult every year. There are other things, too.

Homeschooling has been wonderful. We have a very active homeschool community here and have made friends with various families, get out at least once a week with others (which doesn't include just our own getting out and doing things), they have friends of differing ages... I love our homeschooling park days because I see just how beneficial it is to them socially to be around all kinds of different kids, ranging from babies to 17yo's, nobody caring that you're not in the same grade or the same gender. I also love that my dd can spend extensive time reading and writing and can work on topics she would have to wait a few years to cover in school. I love that my ds, who's not quite so academically motivated just yet, has no pressure on him to meet certain criteria by a certain time. But while it means he can go a slower pace for the reading (which is so normal for boys his age), he's also moving ahead in math, an educational scenario that would not be tolerated in schools today.

So, yes, I would homeschool my children and would recommend to anyone interested and committed to do so. It's a wonderful way for kids to grow up.

Answer 5

I plan to homeschool my girls. Seeing all the negative comments about socialization and "homeschool weirdo's", makes me wonder...do all those people critisize because they are jealous or ignorant? Homeschooling does not mean locking your child in a room with books and keeping them away from society. Weird? Try mature. Try wordly. Some kids do very well going to school, some do very well being homeschooled. I think that values are somewhat lost in alot of young people these days. I think that there are better ways of teaching the young people. The value of travel, friendship and relationships, volunteer work, allowing them to explore interests deeper, such as music or dance. At my daughters gymnastics school, they offer gymnastics and dance for homeschooled kids that gets offered from a couple hours a week up to 21 hours a week. I'm not suggesting that I would push my daughter into that, but it's available if she wants it. There are so many homeschool networks too. The opportunities are endless. We are also involved in our church and have made many friends there, but I suppose to alot of these anti-homechoolers...that's weird too. Well, the right way isn't always the easy way and the easy way isn't always the right way.

Answer 6

I do, of course!

Is there supposed to be more to this question since you posted this on a homeschooling question site?

If it is here are some, not all, of the reasons why we homeschool.

Better socialization. When we gather it is not all "lord of the flies" with the kids and they learn how to mesh with people of all ages and backgrounds. There is some guidance with their interaction and when they need a moral lesson, instead of letting them beat each other, see bully-ing is illegal, we step in and teach them the skills that will later be debate "skills" and they can also step back and agree to disagree.

More recess. Kids NEED active time. When they are done with their studies, if we do *sit* to do them, they get to have as much gross motor, and fine motor time they want and desire! We can go on field trips and vacations as we see fit and don't have to wait to spend time playing somewhere because "school's out"

More educational opportunities. Children that are homeschooled are often taught that learning is not just for "inside the box" it is an ongoing process that never stops. While out shopping, playing at the park, field trips at the zoo, holiday parties, hanging with other kids(public schooled and homeschooled,) driving in the car, you know... EVERYWHERE.

More time to spend with family. I have witnessed many families that rush through dinner because the kids have homework that they have to do and then its showers and bed. If the parents are lucky enough to not work weekends they actually get to spend some time with their children, but they get little free *fun* time even then because they have chores and errands to catch up on. When you homeschool you get to GROW UP with any siblings and you get to actually be a part of your child's life and shape who they are to be, as opposed to many different teachers over their childhood.

My children are "web savvy" and the 4 yr old can even surf the net. Tech friendly children are going to succeed in life. I have the opportunity to give that at each level of their lives and not just when the school has the funding.

Anyway, there are so many benefits to it I couldn't imagine it any different for my household.

Answer 7

Yes, I would and have done just that.
You first must consider if you and your children have enough respect for each other. No child will learn from anyone that doesn't respect them, nor will they respect you if you don't respect them.
Next you need to consider if you are a "teacher". Can you explain what you know and make others understand? If you can't then there is no use in going any further. You need communication skills to relate to kids on their level.

Homeschooling is a great way to educate your child or children.
You are in control of what they learn and how they learn it. You have the say over how well they will learn. Are they just learning for the test and then forgetting it or are they learning for life?

Answer 8

Yes I did. I now have a daughter that is a Corp. Lawyer and the other was a R.N., my son became a Gourmet Chief.

They home schooled their children and have had no regrets.
They learned more at home then in the schools. They had lots of friends. Some parents just do not have the time or want to bother for their children to have a proper education..

Answer 9

yes i would home school my kids because all the schools are really dangerous, and if your child is having problems they just fall behind in their school work because the teachers do not help them, if u are going to home school your child make sure that they do some kind of program were they a play with other kids ther age, some place like the YMCA or a church thing or a home school office they have all kinds of activities

Answer 10

I home school my 6 children. They keep in contact with public school friends as well as private schooled and home schooled friends.
The quality of my childs education depends on my effort to educate them.