Homeschooling....would you do it....?

Question

Do you think home schooling is a good idea? What are the pros and cons? If you were homeschooled, would you homeschool your own children? What about socialization? Are homeschooled children able to handle real-world problems? Are they too sheltered?

Answer 1

1. yes, I would and I am
2. clearly, I do think it's a good idea. see #1
3. the pros are:
academic excellence, preserving your child's love of and enthusiasm for learning, flexibility, real world experience, family closeness, and a greater range of educational opportunity
the cons are:
dealing with the ignorance of people who don't really understand home schooling
4. I was educated at a public school *ahem* some time ago, and knowing how it was then and that it's only gotten worse in many ways is a major motivation for home schooling my own kids.
5. positive socialization can be found in other places. home schooled kids are able to participate in many activities with other kids with a wide range of ages, as well as adults and the elderly.
negative socialization - social darwinism, herd mentality, anti-intellectualism, materialism, premature and tawdry sexuality - are not experiences that I think I child needs to have. the kind of behavior that takes place in schools is not tolerated in the work place, so I don't really buy the argument that a kid needs to experience them. It bothers me when this is what people mean by socialization. To my mind this is not the way that socialized people behave.
6. Some are, some aren't. Just like public and private school kids. I worked with a woman who was NEVER allowed any opportunities for socialization outside of public school. she'd never, not even in high school, gone out with friends or spent the night at a friend's house.
It's a cliche that home schooled kids are too sheltered. Some are, yes, while others go out into the world by volunteering, apprentiships, working, and other activities.

Any general statement made about homeschooling will be right in some cases and incorrect in many others, as there are a wide range of types of people who homeschool, and any number of approaches to it.
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edit: in response to the first poster:
children CAN be and ARE taught by their parents to great result. low student-to-teacher ratio creates a significant academic advantage.
"they don't make any new friends" that statement is just ridiculous.
So do you think that swing-shift workers are lazy? or the self employed who have learned to schedule their work life around the time they find they are the most productive?
ah, and there it is again, in your last paragraph:
you know "a" home schooler, so you think you know us all and that you're a qualified expert on the subject.

Answer 2

Homeschooling is a great idea. I began homeschooling my first grade son in November 2006. I see many pros and no cons. My son is an only child, and I make a concerted effort for him to be around other children, "Bitty Basketball," "Seasonal Sports," "Cubs Rookie Baseball," Percussion Ensemble Class, Children's Church, etc.

I am homeschooling my son, and I am a single parent who works from home. I would remind you that school is not a place for "socialization," it is a place to learn. There is not a lot of socializing going on in the school environment.

Homeschooled children do live and function in the real world, and the only things they are sheltered from are the negative things going on in the public schools. My son has a lot more real world experiences than the average traditionally schooled child, and therefore, will be able to handle the real world much better.

It is best to become informed if you are thinking about homeschooling. It is not about what people say. Check out statistics, talk to other homeschoolers, and look up the word "socialization" in the dictionary. The denotation of the word is much different from the connotation.

If you are thinking about homeschooling, I hope you decide to do it. You will never regret it.

Answer 3

I started homeschooling half way through the school year. It's good because you don't have homework, but I got behind, and it stinks! All my friends are out of school, and I'm stuck at home doing school!!! The only good side is you can travel and no homework, but there are tons of bad sides. Some homeschoolers are weird, but others like me totally rock! I'm not sheltered. My friend has been homeschooled for 3 or 4 years now, and she gets out there and does stuff. Homeschoolers can handle any situation. They really aren't that different from any other kids. So, dont classify homeschoolers as being weird because i'm a normal, happy kid. But, I'm going to a private school next year with my friends. YAY!

Answer 4

Most people do not understand homeschooling.

A homeschooler does not spend all his time at home, being taught algebra by his mother in his living room.

There are too many different kinds of homeschooling. This is like asking what the pros and cons are of living in America. If you live in San Francisco, your life will be much different than if you live in a hick town in South Carolina.

For teenaged homeschoolers, they usually have tutors, or if they use a curriculum, the curriculum has all the sources and answers. Information is also a simple google search away. In school, only about 2.5 hours are spent on work. That's about how much time a typical homeschooler spends on school work at home. Then there are all the classes, clubs, and just hanging out.

I am unschooled -which means I'm in charge of my education- but all my friends have a schedule something like this:

Between 8 AM and noon: Usually do work at home.
Noon to 10 PM: Out with friends, at classes, at clubs -you know what kind- on sports teams, or just messing around.

Socialization is not an issue, because these kids are with other people in what is actually a much less regulated -and therefore more realistic- environment than school.

They can and do handle real-world problems, and they are not too sheltered. I think homeschoolers as a group are happier than kids in school, so we don't have many of the problems that our agemates in school have. I don't know any kids who are sexually active. We tend to be nicer to each other -because we just don't care enough about OHMYGODLOOKATHERSHOES!- and better at not acting like wild monkeys. On the flip side, I know some kids drink -but responsibly- and a couple do smoke pot. I'm not one of them. However, that's much more common in school, I know that for a fact because I have friends in school.

The only downside I've experienced is that people make a lot of nasty, completely inaccurate assumptions about you and will make fun of you just for doing something differently, and that can be kind of isolating in some situations.

Answer 5

"Do you think home schooling is a good idea?"
Yes, if the family is interested in trying it.

"What are the pros and cons?"
Pros: My kids are able to learn at their own pace, they are able to learn in a variety of ways that suit their learning styles, and we have a lot more freedom of schedule than we did when my daughter went to school.

Cons: People who judge you and second guess you and ask you how your kids socialize or how do you think you are qualified to teach.

"What about socialization?"
What about it? You think we stay home all day? We've got a front door ;-)
My kids get out just about every day to the park, pool, community center, children's museum, friends houses, library, nature preserve, etc.

My kids are involved in a weekly co-op where they take classes (there are 4 periods in the day, plus a lunch/recess period). There are about 100 kids in our co-op, classes may have as little as 3 or 4 kids or as many as 15. My oldest is 16 and no longer takes co-op classes, she assists teachers and will be teaching a class herself this fall-- sign language.

My younger kids, who are 6 and 8, are also involved in library reading groups, sunday school, chess club, yu-gi-oh tournaments, woodshop, and often take classes at the community center with both homeschooled and non homeschooled kids.

My 16 yr old takes classes at the community college with the regular college students, she has over 30 credits and an excellent GPA. She also volunteers at the library where they love her and she is gaining a lot of work experience.

The problem of socialization is largely considered a myth by homeschoolers.

"Are homeschooled children able to handle real-world problems?"
I've seen a lot of HSed kids in my area grow up. Most of them started college early, a lot of them did a lot of volunteer work or got jobs and started their own businesses in their teens and pre-teens and were well ready to deal with adult life because they had the opportunity to become independant at a younger age. They've gone on to do quite well for themselves, because rather than being in the school, which is really an artificial environment, they have been living and learning in the real world all their lives.

Are they too sheltered?
Nothing wrong with sheltering kids, I think some parents forget that. I think a lot of public schooled kids could use a little more sheltering (I taught in public schools, this was my observation). Can a homeschool family go overboard and be too reclusive and protective? Sure, so can a family with a kid in private or public school, too, though. On the other hand, I'd rather err on the side of over-sheltering than under-sheltering.

Answer 6

I've been homeschooled since 6th grade and I will be going into 12th grade this year. Homeschooling is much better than public or even private school. Homeschooling allows you to work with each child's individual needs, whether he learns quickly or a little bit more slowly.

You actually learn to deal with real life situations. We travel along the East Coast, so we meet many different people.
Everyone says about socialization, but really, in school do you really socialize more than in your neighborhood or church, or with other friends and family?

Homeschooling is great!!
There are many pros and I can't even think of any cons!

Answer 7

I started out in a private school when I was young, then I was home-schooled for a few years, then I went to a public high school. My mother pushed homeschooling on us because the private school was a tough financial option after a while, and she hated public school from her own personal experience.

I had plenty of social opportunities during my homeschool years, but I would be very hesitant to homeschool my own children (if I ever have any). It really does depend on the child. I personally was VERY bored during that period of my life, although I did do a lot of reading and learned how to function very well with all age groups, not just people in the same grade leve.

My siblings had different reactions to it, as well. My siblings are less motivated than I am, so they didn't learn as much during homeschooling, because my mother expected us to be somewhat self-directed. I was highly motivated to learn, but slacked off in subjects I didn't like. I pulled great grades when I went to public school, but my siblings did not. We all had perfectly normal (perhaps even more popular than average) social lives during high school. I have gone on to pursue my graduate degree, after doing well in college and the beginnings of my career. My siblings don't really enjoy school (no matter what type of schooling,) so they've always focused more on work and social life.

Ultimately, it really depends on the child and the other school options available. If you live in a really bad school district, or can't afford a good private school, then MAYBE consider it, but it's not a good idea if you're not a good teacher and very organized/conscientious about it.

Also, it may cause a strain on your family life. If your children are personality types that need more space, they may resent being forced to spend so much time with their parents.

For me, homeschooling is something I also avoid discussing with most people that don't know my background. I think it has a stigma attatched to it: people thing you're an ignorant country bumpkin or something. In fact, most people that I've told I was homeschooled think I'm joking when I first mention it to them, because they think I'm well-rounded and "normal."

Answer 8

Homeschool ROCKS! I homeschool my daughter due to her medical reasons and I got tired of dealing with what the 'Public School' thought was good for my child by their standards.
My daughter is happier AND healthier (well as healthy as she can be), learns at her rate, can ask quesions and get REAL answers (not ridiculed or told to shut-up).
She is now in 3rd grade, is doing Division in math and want's to be a Palentologist when she grows up.
We do not shield her from too many things, she gets all the social she can handle, can pursue things that are an interest to her, knows how to act and dress like a young lady, know how to treat her Elders.
So there are the Pro's...the cons are, dealing with people who think they know better than I what is best for her, dealing with people who only know what has been 'programmed' by a system who just wants 'robots'.

We are not rich by any means (daddy is the only bread winner in this family), but God gave me a brain and the ability to discern Right from Wrong. I am no genius, if I don't know the answer to a question I will tell 'I don't know but I'll see if I can find the answer.'
Children do not come with a manual and neither does homeschooling.......it's a series of attempts and failures and success, and when you find what works for you and your child(ren) you kind of run with it (it took me 4 yrs to find my wings and I TAUGHT preschool).

Good luck

Answer 9

I was homeschooled the whole way through high school. I took 48hrs of community college credit for free before I graduated and am currently attending the University of Oklahoma where I am a year ahead. I am in an extremely hard major and am doing very well in the program, I haven't had any social problems and am friendly with a lot of my professors. Homeschooling allowed me to focus on several science projects that I competed with public school kids at a state wide science fair. The Dallas area has a lot of homeschoolers, they have their own prom and graduation ceremony. So based on my experience I would definitely recommend homeschooling

Answer 10

I homeschool my 7th grade daughter. She attended public school through half of 6th grade. She had so many outside interests (horses, traveling, cooking) that public school really was a disservice for her. She is very self motivated and extremely mature for her age. Its been great for her and she has had many, wonderful experiences. Its not for everyone. Too many people are brainwashed into thinking that school needs to be done at a certain time, for a certain amount of time etc. If you can get past this...you'll do great. If not, you may become stressed out and in turn stress out your child. Socialization isn't a problem for us, but I have met some homeschoolers that seem awkward socially. Its really a wonderful, flexible choice for school. You can travel, see the world and teach your child a number of subjects they wouldn't get in school...good luck.