I really want to homeschool. Should I be concerned about isolation or lack of friendships?

Question

This is my 4th child. I have three older children that attend public school. They do not get the indivial help that they need.
My concerns are they way kids make fun or bully each other.
I want to protect him from unnesserary ridcule and focus on acdemics.

Answer 1

go for i know many would if they could.

Answer 2

I was homeschooled my entire life and I'm finishing my last semester in a private college right now.

I personally have no problems with socialization/lack of friendship and never have, but I've always been outgoing. Some people naturally aren't outgoing, and those will be the ones who will need extra help whether or not they are homeschooled.

There are many ways you can make up for "lack of socialization" if you are concerned about it: I played soccer for ten years, I took gymnastics lessons, and swam on a city swim team. The homeschool community in your area (and believe me, there is one) is also a fantastic resource. Playdates are common, as are "park days," when the local homeschoolers get together for a few hours at a park. The parents chat and the kids have a blast.

I definitely think your concerns are warranted- homeschooling made me love learning, and I was in a fantastic environment to do it.

This is not to say that some kids have serious socialization issues. I've met some homeschooled kids who do. HOWEVER, so long as you let your kids have fun with other kids in healthy environments (with team activities, play dates, neighborhood friends, etc), you shouldn't be concerned at all.

Good luck. :)

Answer 3

Families are not isolated unless they allow themselves to be. Your whole family should get out and make friends in the community. Homeschool can actually make that easier and more fun. Go for it!
We homeschool and we love it!

Gypsy: I gave you a thumbs down because you were wrong. Bullying is not a normal part of life. Are you bullied at work? Are you harassed on the streets? Are you battered in your relationships? Teaching children to expect abuse is not preparing them to be healthy adults. I've volunteered with enough battered women to know that they were all raised to believe they could never escape abuse either. I'm sorry if this is your reality, but do not push it off on everyone else. I hope you find freedom from this illusion.

Answer 4

both homeschooling and public school have there benefits. it really depends on the individual child. some have amazing experiences at school, some have horrible experiences. some of my cousins really benefited by being homeschooled, they thrived and got full scholarships to college, got on the dean's list in college as well. other cousins got very depressed and had other issues. if your child seems like they want home schooling, try it. it could be a wonderful experience. try to have your child in some group activities or something as well. that should keep your child social and let your child get the individual attention you desire. you both may decide it is right for your child to continue homeschooling, or maybe not, but at least you will know whether it is for you guys or not. Good Luck.

Answer 5

It's all in HOW you homeschool. There are a lot of options out there for homeschool parents to make sure their kids get plenty of social interaction, such as homeschool groups.

Also since your kids will move through their studies much more quickly one-on-one (I went to public school and about 3/4 of each hour was spent wasting time, waiting for people to be quiet enough to explain something, and explaining something again for the kids who weren't paying attention the first time) they will have more time for other activities like music, dance or art classes or club sports, all of which can give them social interaction and a place to develop friendships. If you have a religious faith then church groups can be a good place to make friends in a positive and healthy environment as well.

I've known homeschool kids on both ends of the spectrum...it really depends on how much effort you as a parent put into making sure they spend plenty of time around other kids their age. I have some really good friends who were homeschooled and are probably more socially well-adjusted than a lot of public school kids are because their parents recognized that teaching them how to interact with other people was also an important part of their education.

Answer 6

I myself was a homeschool student and graduate. I started out in the public school system and when I was in the ninth grade the bullying and lack of attention to my academic talent force my mom to pull me out and start homeschool. I think it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was 14 at the time and focused on completing all of my End of Course testing so that I could graduate early. I started in November and finished all of my North Carolina High School standards and I was able to graduate that May, still only 14. I went our local community college by finding a loop hole and finished my associate degree at 16. Now I am finishing up my bachelor degree.

Here is my point, my principal and even the superintendent of the school system told my mother that I would suffer socially because of being homeschooled. They also told her that I didn't have the mental capacity to adapt in an adult situation, such as high school(What high school is an adult situation?). Orignally, we had wanted grade level placement but unfortunately in our school system academics has no value, football does. I may have suffered socially in the fact that somehow most of the girls that I went to school with already have kids or have one on the way. I guess I didn't get the correct interaction that high school offers. But, being completely serious, I am really fortunate. I believe myself to be a social butterfly and mature beyond my years. I am a homeschool advocate all the way. You have a lot of flexibility in your ciriculum. You can choose what your child is exposed to. For example, schools teaching sex education, making children take home babies to deter premarital sex, and now schools offering private birth control to students. However, you must give your child a broad spectrum of subjects if you want them to suceed in post secondary education.

Here are a few websites you might find helpful:

www.homeschooling.about.com

www.homeschool.com

Here is a website with homeschool laws by state:

www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp


One more thing, just make sure you child is involved in other activities. Make sure they have a hobby or a sport to play. I was a gymnast and then later an instructor and I could see a difference in the maturity level of children who were homeschooled. So go for it! If it is something that you or your child isn't liking, you can put them in public or private school.

I hope this helps!

Answer 7

You don't need to be concerned--you need to be aware. There are likely a ton of activities where you live that you could participate in--community-based and homeschool group-based. Is isolation a problem in homeschooling? Only if you don't make a point to get out and participate in the above-mentioned things. Is lack of friendships a problem? Only if you don't make sure to be social. People had friendships long before public schools came into being. Your kids can be socially healthy without public school.

Answer 8

You should not be worried about isolation. There are many social outlets out there that are BETTER than school. I mean, how is the real world like school?? Honestly, I can't remember a job I ever had where I had to ask permission to use the restroom. (Although, at my first job, I almost peed my pants because I didn't know if I could just go....) My kids are homeschooled and very well adjusted. They belong to scouts, we go to the Y, they have music and dance lessons. They play with kids at the zoo and at parks. Go for it and good luck!!!

Answer 9

If the other children are enduring bullying and the like you may want to try to get them transferred to a different school but as far as homeschooling, if you get good material to teach with, I think often homeschooled students are better educated than those who do attend public schools. There is a lot of good material online to use in homeschooling. If the 4th child hasn't started preschool yet, for one example, they can get more from a site like starfall than they would get in school. You may be able to get together with other homeschooling parents in your area and that would avoid the lack of friends or even the isolation if you get together to help each other with the homeschooling. Good Luck to you!

Answer 10

Do you intend to move to a deserted island where they will never come in contact with others? If not, they will definitely socialize! There are thousands of ways to get socialization. Sports, classes, homeschool groups, volunteer work, taking them any place people gather. Homeschooling allows for true socialization, not the institutionalized version they receive in public school.

Answer 11

Ok, you have 4 children so your children will get interaction with other kids. Do your kids go to church, play with neighbor friends, do sports or any outside activities??? If so then you are fine and if not then there are many things you can do.... take them to a park so they can play with other kids, enroll them in some sort of sport or club, join a homeschool group in your area, and many other things.... I homeschool and I love it. My daughter was the one always getting picked on in school because she wouldn't stand up for each other; therefore, her self esteem was very low when we started homeschooling. Now, she will stand up for herself and realizes that other kids are just mean and if they try to bother her then she can ignore them and move on. She was also behind academically because she wasn't getting the one on one that she needed....within a month of pulling her out of public school she was back up where she belonged.

I say go for it and enjoy being a mom while you can because they grow up so very fast! My son just turned 13 and is already thinking of what he wants to do with his life! :P