Homeschooling?

Question

Do you think that homeschoolers are being succluded from the world? If they are like any other teenager?

Answer 1

NO! Homeschoolers are not secluded. There are many homeschooling co-ops. They offer extracurriculars, field trips, dances, etc.
People have this picture of homeschoolers just sitting at home all day every day, and this simply is not the case. How many child stars do you think were homeschooled? Most of them, if not all of them.
I was homeschooled for the last two years of high school. I became more social.
Are there some bad examples? Yes, of course. Are there bad examples in the public school system? Yes, of course.
As for those of you who have no experience with homeschooling who answered: How would you feel if a person who had been homeschooled all their life bad-mouthed public schooling? You would get upset and say they had no knowledge to back up their statement. Take your own advice.

Answer 2

Yes, we are locked up in basements and see no one than our families, since we never contact the world on a school level we go against social norms and cannot behave properly in public. We also choose homeschooling because we hate the world and society and aspire to become hermits......
seriously, I don't mean to be rude but everyone other than homeschoolers themselves seem to think that I cannot possibly behave in public and I'm 'missing out' because I have a different form of education. And the only way we are different from other teenagers is that we are self motivated learners because you can't succeed in homeschooling if you're lazy.

Answer 3

I believe there are many more people out there that are secluded than homeschoolers....
I worked in a school for four years and we had some homeschoolers. Our family recently moved and now I homeschool our three children. Our 17 year old was asked if he wanted to go to public school or be homeschooled (he has been in both public and private schools) and his decision was to be homeschooled. He, or our other two children, are any more secluded or strange than your average student in town! Actually, based upon statistics where we live, I would say we are doing above average even!

Each family schools their children accordingly, and this includes morally and culturally. I believe this is where you find the seclusion and oddity at times and it just overwhelms some people.

*Of note - anyone making a decision to homeschool - just remember, that "you make it what it is."

Answer 4

Since I know a ton of homeschoolers, including many homeschooled teens, who get out a lot, I can't say I feel that homeschoolers are necessarily being isolated. As someone else said: it all depends on how they go about it.

Are they necessarily like other kids? No. But I hope in a good way. :) We have spent too many years seeing all these kids as though they're all supposed to be the same, so too many don't know how to tolerate differences between people.

Answer 5

I don't believe that all homeschoolers are secluded from the world. There are probably some families who tend to keep to themselves, and might be considered isolated...but they would likely be a small minority.
I would say most homeschoolers are actively involved in "social" activities away from home...especially teens...work, sports, church, youth groups, theater, clubs, etc. Our homeschool support group offers field trips, annual musicals and plays, talent shows, classes as well as many other "social" activities.
My tenth grader chose as a freshmen to return to homeschooling after being in the public school since second grade because she felt she would get a better education at home. However, she participates in cheerleading and choir at the high school and does not feel left out by any means. She is a normal, well adjusted teen with many friends both in and out of school and church. She is respected by younger children, and admired by many adults.
The thing I love most about homeschooling is that I am in charge of my child's education.

Answer 6

Not necessarily. There are some homeschoolers that isolate themselves from the world, but those groups are no longer the norm. More and more people choose to homeschool everyday and there are more options for social groups now than even 5 years ago.

Answer 7

Out of the hundreds of homeschooling families I know PERSONALLY, i only know one that I would say secludes themselves from the world, and they have six kids, so it's not like they don't get to practice social skills.

I know thousands more online in yahoo groups, and it sounds like they are pretty much out of the home most of the day, and the trouble is finding time to be AT home.

Every teen homeschooler I know seems pretty typical, but generally kinder and more respectful. They aren't trying to prove anything about how tough they are, or knowledgeable, they seem more confident in themselves.
Just a personal observation of about 23 homeschooled teenagers that my son knows and hangs out with.

Answer 8

Did you know that this question comes up at least once a week, and has been answered thousands of times since I started homeschooling 25 years ago? The same is true now as was true then. Ordinary folks with ordinary kids homeschool. Weird folks with weird kids homeschool. Exciting, clever, extraordinary folks, with exciting, clever, extraordinary kids homeschool. Dull, poorly- educated folks, with dull, poorly- educated kids homeschool. And, surprisingly enough, ordinary and weird, and exciting and clever and extraordinary and dull and poorly-educated kids also go to public schools.

For some reason, if kids turn out dull, weird, or (any other negative description) AND were homeschooled, then the assumption is, that homeschooling caused the dullness and weirdness. If they turn out great, then it is just a lucky coincidence.

Check the statistics. Homeschooled kids test better, do better in college and have a much better work record. They also get arrested, get drunk and do drugs far LESS. That doesn't fit in with the norm. Most of them go to college to get an education. That may make them seem weird to those who are there primarily to party.

This weirdness even spills down into the lower grades. My nine and ten year olds didn't even know who Brittney Spears was, let alone care one whit that she had shaved her head. They have far more important things on their minds like riding their bikes and having squirt gun wars and reading good books and playing with dolls (gasp! at the "old" age of 9?) and GI Joes (still playing imaginary army games at 10? tsk tsk how weird) and Legos and basketball and gymnastics and piano lessons.

And every one of my highschool kids -- all four of them -- had good jobs and earned their own money and played sports and got good grades and then went to college and got really great grades and didn't get drunk or do drugs (because it might ruin her aim in basketball) (because he couldn't tackle well with a hangover) (because she might hit her head doing a back handspring) (because he couldn't concenrate on his chess game). And now the oldest two are happily married and still in love with their first spouses (I mean, this gets weirder and weirder!) And, they have gleeful, giggly children whom they intend to homeschool.

To answer your question, they most certainly are NOT like just any other teenagers. Most are far more content, productive, and joyful. And today, that seems a bit strange.

Answer 9

Most families that are truly homeschooling their children, enroll them in outside activities so that they get the socialization with other children. Most also watch TV, so they know what's out there as far as other teens are concerned. What they lack in daily social rituals (talking when the teacher is talking, skipping class, and fights in the hall), are more than made up in the personal education they receive at home.

Answer 10

i was told that as a student in public school i was not there to socialize! lol this is proof in how many times i was sent out in the hall as punishment. in the hallways as my best friend and i would scurry to class, we talked non stop, and there was a teacher behind us now and then saying,"girls, hurry up. this is a time to go to your classroom, not catch up on gossip!!". when lessons were over, but the class bell hadn't rung i and my friends would pass notes to each other, and then a teacher would come by and say,'ladies, this is not a place to chat and pass notes. if you are bored take out your books and read." so in public school i was constantly told to be quiet, sit down. no playing around. no passing notes. no gossiping. umm what exactly then is your definition of suclusion from the world!? sitting in the world but told to not participate in it!? because my children are never told to be quiet and to not talk to each other. and when they go to scouts or folklorico or even the library (where there are other homeschooled kids) they are told to stop being shy and go over and introduce themselves. my kids are not ever told to hush, be quiet, dont socialize. that kind of language is being used in your public schools. think about it!