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Subscribe to RSSEvidence suggests that home-schooling in America is a growing trend. In a weeklong web-only series, TODAYshow.com reports on the challenges and creative opportunities presented by this approach to education.
By Simcha Fisher
What does it take to be a great home-schooler? Passion, energy, creativity, high ideals and whole-hearted devotion to your kids.
What does it take to spoil home-schooling? Passion, energy, creativity, high ideals and whole-hearted devotion to your kids.
OK, not always. But many home-schooling moms find themselves burned out after a few years, exhausted by the very things that made the whole enterprise possible.
Some parents home-school for negative reasons like fear or mistrust. But others, like us, do it because it just feels natural to stay together as a family — and because we’re dying to pass down to our children the delightful world of knowledge and culture that makes our own lives rich. We started home-schooling when our oldest child was 6 years old. We now have eight children, and have home-schooled for six years. Now, we are ready to let someone else do all that wonderful sharing!
Why? Because passing down a whole world of knowledge and culture is a pretty tall order for one set of parents. It’s a huge undertaking with even one child, never mind six or eight.
And then there's curriculum envy. Someone's always blogging about the interactive origami diorama her second-grader made with homemade rag paper and saffron dye. (And all we did today was reading, writing and arithmetic!)
We want to prove that home-schoolers aren't the backward, tongue-tied ninnies they're rumored to be. Striving against stereotype, our kids can't simply be as good as public-schoolers -- they have to be better — smarter, happier, more sociable, more ambitious — more everything.
We want to impress ourselves, too. We've given up a lot to invest this much time and energy in our children's education, so there’d better be a darn good payoff for that mountain of neglected laundry and the loony-looking tic in our eyes.
Guilt is also an issue. If your public-schooled kids are unhappy and haven't learned a thing, who's to blame? The teacher, the taxpayer, the government, the air quality in the classroom —you name it. But if you're home-schooling and things aren't going well, then who's at fault? The mommy in the mirror.
Constant anxiety about living up to high ideals? Check. Comparison to other families? Check. The haunting fear that you're failing your children, and everyone will know it's all your fault? Check. This list should sound familiar to moms, because home-schooling is just like motherhood, only more intense. All the worst doubts, frustrations and paranoia that haunt the modern mom are multiplied in the mind of the home-schooling mother. And it is exhausting.
Or it can be, if you let it. Some parents manage to teach their children without losing their minds. Some parents are sane and reasonable, make rational goals, maintain order, and they know when to push and when to back off. There are many, many varieties of home-schooling families, and some of them turn out the smartest, friendliest, most grounded children I know.
I, on the other hand, burnt out. I remember finishing up a math lesson one day. Usually, the little kids do everything they can to derail the other kids’ lessons, but this time, there was peace and quiet, not a peep of protest. I marveled, until I found out why. The toddler had clambered up onto the kitchen counter, where, after stripping off all her clothes and decorating her face, belly, arms and legs with wild tribal magic marker, she proceeded to have a private little pantry party: Cornstarch, popcorn, cinnamon, tea bags, toothpicks and fruit snacks, peanuts and chicken bouillon all came pouring down. And she did a little dance in the wreckage.
Well, we’d had worse days than that, but somehow this particular stunt summed everything up for me. Once I stopped laughing, I realized I just couldn’t do it any more: I couldn’t handle everything I needed to handle. The constant tension between soaring ambition and crushing guilt finally wore me down, and I took a good, hard look at where our family was.
I still love home-schooling. I just don't love it right now. My four oldest kids have started going to a charter school, and the transition has been a little bumpy — but they are happy, they're making friends, they are learning ... and they are still my kids. I can still teach them about the things I love, but I can also relax, and let someone else sweat over math drills and sentence diagrams. I'm still home-schooling my first-grader, and we're actually having fun!
Families go through seasons, so your schooling choice should be based on what's best for your particular kids, with your particular strengths, for their particular needs, at this particular time in the life of your family. To be honest, I was afraid of what the other home-schoolers would say. I know that some families who quit home-schooling are criticized, even ostracized, by their former friends, who see them almost as traitors.
But that didn’t happen to us. We had good reasons to home-school in the first place, and now we have good reasons to take advantage of the school system — at least for this year. In the end, it's not about being a great home-schooler or a terrible one — it's about being a good mom.
The transition from home-school to traditional school can be a challenging one. Has your family had to make that switch? If so, how has everyone adjusted? Join the discussion.
For more from Simcha Fisher, click here.
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Leave a Comment:
That was beautifully said! I think we all need to remember that homeschooling is not for everyone nor is it meant to last forever for some families. We take it year by year. I never think past our current year.
I agree, thank you very much for summing up what I am feeling now. We homeschool our two 12 year old kids. This started because my son is dyslexic and the school was of little help and he was very frustrated. I am very glad i made this choice and have taught my kids at home, but if the time comes, I will send them back to school. Great article.
2mamma............
"I never think past our current year"
That's the problem. How are your children to compete in the aggressive forum know as the job market if they never had the incentive of competition from their peers? Have you thought about those skills you are removing from your childs education?
Academics is one thing...but socialization in a classroom is vital. They learn social cues, how to work in group led by peers, conflict resolution, gender dynamics....ect.
I just don't see the attraction or benefits from home schooling. In fact I find it to be micro parenting every aspect of a child whos goal it is to be an independant productive member of society.
Home school is for anti-socials,like reahb is for quitters.
After being in the work force for 25 years, I now see our 'traditional' schools pump out an enormous amount of graduates who are little more than Bacchanalian Zombies who can pass examinations and live for Friday evenings: nothing more comes from them - You practically have to re-teach the blooming tykes basic work tasks all over again Monday morning.
I do not call that progress.
You may want to also temper your comment as Edison, Lincoln, Carver and Few others did NOT get large amounts of formal schooling.
Home schooling is not a replacement for formal education, but it can, through competition, pressure, and alternative thinking, improve our educational system and do a double service of reconnecting our families.
That is so ignorant.
will b that's the stupidest thing anyone could say. You're a tool.
I've seen home-schooling work extremely well in a number of different cases. It produced well-educated, well-mannered, and responsible young citizens (nearly all of whom went on to college and many earned graduate degrees). My late wife tried (unsuccessfully) to home-school our two adopted children during the 1980's. It was only after both children were diagnosed with mental illness that we understood why it wasn't working. The children were not successful in private or public schools nor in special education programs, either.
rob you have my deepest sympathies, there are some things that no amount of love or family structure can over-come. Fetal alcohol/drug syndrome produce children that are unable to receive any type of education, in any environment. Completely off this subject i loved this article.
I SO could not home-school. Waldorf education is a nice medium between home-schooling and the traditional classroom.
Traditional school teaches what home schooling cannot - independence and social skills.
I have a good friend who home schools her five adopted children and it works very well for them. They are a conservative Christian family and she has this boundless energy that I look upon with envy. Her children are all extremely well behaved, but I worry what will happen once they hit college and the new found freedoms of life away from mom. We'll just wait and see I guess. Some of what she is teaching her kids worries me, but as a liberal scientist one would expect that :)
I appreciate your concerns, but as a Mom who has graduated her son after 12 years of homeschooling, let me assure you they are unfounded. My National Merit Scholar is a chemical engineering major, living, studying and thriving at one of the most prestigious research universities in the country. He continues to make excellent life choices based on the values and character we built together during his formative years. He is an exceptional student who likely would have succeeded academically in a traditional setting. What he would have been lacking upon graduation from a "regular" school would be the convictions, judgement and inner strength that arose from the very close, loving parental relationships that were developed over the years by daily working together toward our common goal.
I agree horrified....
I have a friend who also home schools her 2 kids with a christian based curriculum and it stuns me as what they DON"T teach. They have very little in the way of real science, math beyond basic calculations, and the history is very scattered.
They follow and believe creationism over factually based scientific research, studies and biology.
To me that isn't an education. That's an indoctrination.
This story actually angered me. This is all about the parent's perception of what is good, what their anxiety and expectations are about, worried about the neighbors, can't hack the responsibility you took on. I am 20. The product of home school. 1 of 7 kids. Like my father before me and my mentor (1 of 14kids) no one gave up. Other families always stepped in when parents were busy or ill, and frankly, there is no way in hades a kitchen disaster would have gone unoticed in our house. I'd be interested in hearing the kid's honest opinion of being warehoused.
Amen! I am a homeschooling mom and spent the first 6 months of bringing my, then, 7th grader home second guessing and doubting my efforts. I spent more time saying "We're going to see how it goes." Then it hit me like a ton of bricks....God has a way of doing that sometimes! :) This isn't something we're "trying," this is something we're DOING. It isn't up for debate and it isn't up for quitting. It's a lifestyle that we believe in and feel led by God to do. Failing isn't an option when you follow His lead. Yes, there are tough days. But when the days are great, they are FANTASTICALLY GREAT! Tonight, at 10:00 pm, well past my 7, 9 and 15 year olds bedtime, they were all begging for another chapter to be read from "The Wizard of Oz." We read it....crawled into bed late and that's just fine because our schedule is our own. They can sleep in a little later than normal and there are no truancy police at our door! And NO WAY would those messes go unnoticed around here either. No, we are not perfectly tidy all of the time....but we do have order. It gets turned upside down sometime. But we flip it back over and move on. And friends are great! We have some that we are helping now....one child of hers is sick and the other comes over for school while they deal with their situation and I know she would do the same for me if I needed it. This article was like a put down for those of us who stick it out and view it as the commitment in which it is. My kids know that I will not quit on them. And I would rather ENCOURAGE those out there who feel led to do so. It isn't bad at all....nothing is perfect and it is work, but there is NOTHING I would rather do than raise the children I've been blessed with and no, I cannot teach them everything they need to know, but I can teach them HOW to learn and how to gain access to the information they need to know.
Thanks for your input as a homeshcool graduate! ;) Congratulations to you and your family! What started as a kudos to you ended up my own lil comment on this article. God bless you and anyone who reads this.
Boy you sound judgemental...why do you find it necessary to turn this woman's story into something that is ALL ABOUT YOU and how your own childhood and community was somehow superior? Are you aware that you're doing this?
Jackie and Mom of 3 - both of your comments were excellent, thank you for sharing from your viewpoints!
I homeschool my 3 as well. But I cannot honestly imagine what it would be like to school 8! Part of our family's homeschooling goals is to train our children to teach themselves - not that I would ever be uninvolved, but that there would be less one-on-one instruction. I think this is healthy as they get into the teen years and prepare for college. I'm very thankful that we are not connected to all that many other homeschooling families so that I am not often struggling with coveting and envy. I'm not a creative person, but my kids sure are. I think one thing moms forget to do is to involve Dad. Dads can be very helpful with how we structure our day and to keep us disciplined with schedules and things like that - and even help eliminate some of the fluff that isn't necessary. I've been schooling for 3 years and each new year I evaluate everything - our schedule, our curriculum, our goals, and restructure as necessary. Things can always be tweaked to work better.
Jackie's - wow, way to prove homeschooling critics right. Your comments were both self-absorbed and narrow minded.
Hi, Jackie - I'm glad to see that you enjoyed your home school experience so much. If you read my article again, you will see that we made the decision to send them to a charter school because we thought it was the best thing for them. I had to laugh at the description of them being "warehoused" -- their current school is very small, friendly, happy, and provides a good education.
I know that many home schoolers are under attack for their choice, which can make you somewhat inflexible in your views. Perhaps if you have children of your own some day, you will see that what you hope for doesn't always work out -- and that sometimes, there are several good choices. Each family is different, and things change over the lifetime of a family.Â
Jackie,
At just 20 yrs old, you have NO way of understanding what Ms. Fisher was going through. Some day when you're older and have kids of your own, you'll better understand.
We have 5 kids, started homeshcooling from the very beginning with our oldest. She is now attending her second year at a local charter school as a Senior; it couldn't have turned out better! The finishing touches on her education are turning out perfectly at one of the top charter schools in our state.
Our 8th grade son started attending Jr. High this year as an 8th grader, mainly so that he could play on the football team. He's 6' 0", 210 lbs as a 14 yr old and is a fantastic football player, as well as baseball player. Education is extremely important, but no way am I going to deny him the chance to have an athletic career. He's taking AP classes and is getting a good education.
We are still homeschooling the next two school-aged children, and the fifth child is in line to be homeschooled as well when he's old enough.
Don't be so quick to judge decisions that other parents make for their kids. Every family and every situation is different. As you go through life, learn to apply your foundation/upbringing/morals to decisions that you make, but don't expect that decision to be the same every time, as the situation is different every time.
School is not just about education. Sending a child to school teaches them how to deal with their peers and how to behave in a social setting. I don't see how sheltering your child from what is the norm in this society is a good thing. If you feel you need to supplement their education go for it. I personally enrolled my daughter in an excellent private school for high school and the teachers are outstanding. How can you posssibly teach your child at the level of a professional? I think home schooling says more about the parents than the children.
Not every family can afford to send their kids to a private school. I'd venture to say that most can't.
We have homeschooled our 5 kids are are perfectly capable of handling social situations. Mostly, they handle them better because they haven't had the opportunity to learn "the norm in this society" from their peers. What's the norm is not always good!
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that homeschooled kids are sheltered. We spend many hours taking our kids to baseball, football, dance, birthday parties, church, etc. They have many friends and attend many socail activities. They know how to act respectfully and responsibly....which, sadly enough, is becoming less and less "the norm in this society".
There are no social situations or behavior situations that occur in school that can not be recreated and taught in a home school setting. What is the high school your daughter attends doing to "teach" her how to deal with peers and behave??
Oh, I did think of one thing that I can't reproduce at my home that the school can provide... a drug dealer. I wouldn't even know where to find one.
You're absolutely correct to say that school is about more than education. That is exactly what home schooling can provide. Through appropriate social situations, children can learn how to effectively deal with ALL situations that occur in real life. What "real life" skills is the public school teaching?
Sure, there are a handful of different social situations that can't be recreated in a home school setting. For example, are you able to replicate having your child interact with a mainstreamed handicapped child in the classroom for a school year? Or taking it even further -- are you able to replicate a situation where your child has to make the choice to stick up for a "different" classmate being teased by others? These are just a couple of examples and I think there are many others.
I think there's give and take with both types of education avenues. There are some things home schooling provides that can't be achieved in public education -- and vice versa. To say one can provide exactly what the other does is inaccurate.
"I personally enrolled my daughter in an excellent private school for high school and the teachers are outstanding."
How exactly is that "norm in this society?" You admit to paying for an education that is specifically and intentionally outside the "norm" that is the standard for most students in the US. Yet, you feel obligated to insult others who do exactly the same thing by choosing to educate by alternative methods from home.
BTW, re: teaching at the level of a professional; most homeschool parents don't choose to go it alone re: their curriculum. Many utilize formal curriculums, on-line programs, tutors, co-ops, etc. We simply have more direct influence than parents who pay other people to have that control. Also, as most teachers (especially for primary grades) will tell you, learning to teach is more about learning to corral and keep the attention of children than about the basic subject matter. This particular skill is normally abundantly present in mothers who choose to be with their children all day, every day.
Aaron T,
Hi... I think you've presented what you believe to be a valid concern... this is an excellent forum for discussion! It certainly is great to live in the United States and have the freedom to discuss issues freely... thank you founders!
I went to public school. A very good one. We homeschool our children. Thank you T! I never post on these forums, but when I saw your concerns I felt it necessary to respond.
I was bullied in public school pretty seriously on two occassions. And... I was a weakling probably in need of some courage, so I'm not permanently scarred, but I do look back on the experiences occasionally.
The interesting thing here is this... you have it exactly turned around. I teach all of my children about virtues such as courage, honesty, pateince, perserverance, etc... There are no such ethics classes in public school. Yes, I know that you can learn through example (as I did). So let me share my examples:
Me: 6th grade - Child sitting behind me (with formal karate training and much stronger) is flicking my ear with his finger to antagonize me. Then, he steps it up a notch by using a pencil. That really, really hurts. So, after class I get the courage to push him into a locker (after having brought the problem to the teacher's attention... she did nothing to stop it over a period of about a week). I push him into the locker successfully... hooray! Then, he kicks me in the eye. There were about 50 people around. My eye is bleeding. And I'm crying. No one does anything. Nothing. 4 years later a meaner bully gave me problems on the bus for about a YEAR. a YEAR. That is a long time.
My Son R: We're at the football field at a public park that has a competitive football league (we can't play at the school even though we pay property taxes... because we homeschool). Anyway, during the draft there is a child who is pretty much a weakling (poor little fella just like me. He's in 5th grade and weighs 65 pounds). Not too tiny, but there are some kids 115-150 lbs. My son is 95 lbs. I've also trained him for defense of others based on just war doctrine (not taught in schools). In other words, don't defend yourself, but if someone needs assistance and is being picked on(especially someone defenseless), offer assistance. The assistance begins with a stern warning. If that warning doesn't work, then use physical force to stop injustice from occuring. Well, Ryan gave such a stern warning to the children that were picking on the poor little fella' that I heard it from the sidelines. I asked him after practice and he explained to me that he did as he was taught. And... just SAYING something stopped the mean kids from picking on the weakling. It stopped real bullying before it could start. And...It brought me to tears of pride for me son. If someone had only helped me like that.
This is also why Iraq war #1 was ok (we came to the defense of Kuwait who had been invaded), but Iraq war #2 wasn't (in my opinion as a Catholic). The doctrine of a per-emptive strike is based on ends justifying the means (philosophically)... and that isn't ok. My children learn that, in a public school you don't.
Here's the problem with public schooling. If you've haven't witnessed homeschooling personally, you're not really qualified to ask the right questions about the benefits. What I've seen on this board for the most part is people who repeat concerns that they read or heard. It's very clear because I hear them all the time. "You're kids won't be properly socialized." Well, it depends on what you mean by socialization! Now, I'm not one that believes you have to experience something to understand how wrong something is... you don't need to smoke crack in order to know that it's wrong... BUT, do a little unbiased research and see what you think.
In any case, I'm not arguing that everyone should homeschool. I can just tell you that I think it works for our family currently. There are many fine teachers in the public school system. I had 3 that stood out as GREAT teachers from K - 12 (for me). The rest were forgettable.
In any case, let's always strive to bring America together. Thank God we have the freedom to choose any option! Unlike Germany for example (homeschooling outlawed).
Regards,
Lee
I am a homeschooling mother of 2 boys aged 8 and 6. While i understand completely with what the author writes. I totally disagree with what the homeschooling critics are saying. Socialization through school is a joke. All they learn is other kid's bad habits. My boys both went to kindergarten and I pulled them out in 1st grade because of the horrible things they were bringing home. The students in the schools have issues and bad mouths and stuff i don't wish my children to be around. We homeschool our boys because we want them to enjoy their childhood. It is not easy and there are many days when I just need a break. IF I send my children back to school, it will will not be a traditional public school They are a mess here in Chicago. 5year olds talking about sex and stuff like that. My kids don't need that! Until then, we will homeschool. And, we will have good days and rough days. By the way, my children are smart, social and happy to be homeschooled. I also have a teenager in regular highschool. And it works for him just fine. To each his own. Don't judge me and assume my child is antisocial or undereducated if haven't homeschooled your child. Just the opposite is true!
Marsh,
Not every family can afford to send their kids to a private school. I'd venture to say that most can't.
We have homeschooled our 5 kids are are perfectly capable of handling social situations. Mostly, they handle them better because they haven't had the opportunity to learn "the norm in this society" from their peers. What's the norm is not always good!
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that homeschooled kids are sheltered. We spend many hours taking our kids to baseball, football, dance, birthday parties, church, etc. They have many friends and attend many socail activities. They know how to act respectfully and responsibly....which, sadly enough, is becoming less and less "the norm in this society".
You are right school isn't just about education, but dealing with others and behaving in social settings can be and should be learned outside of school. Homeschooling is not sheltering for most families. What you refer to as the norm has not always been the norm. I am happy that you have the funds to send your daughter to an excellent private high school. Not everyone does. I am not a professional teacher, but I was able to successfully home school 2 of my children all the way through high school. They both graduated at the top of their college classes and are now productive, happy, social adults who are grateful for the education they received at home. Please try to be a little less narrow minded in the future.
There are no social situations or behavior situations that occur in public school that can not be recreated and taught in a home school setting. What is the high school your daughter attends doing to "teach" her how to deal with peers and behave appropriately??
Oh, I did think of one thing that I can't reproduce at my home that the school can provide... a drug dealer. I wouldn't even know where to find one.
You're absolutely correct to say that school is about more than education. That is exactly what home schooling can provide. Through appropriate social situations, children can learn how to effectively deal with ALL situations that occur in real life. What "real life" skills is the public school teaching?
I have found that to the surprise of many, home school students are very socially adept; have friends that are both home schooled and friends that are not; and find college to be a challenging, but exciting time. Those who have never met a home school family may be surprised at how good their social skills are ---- they even interact comfortably with their parents, adults, and children who are not in their same age; something many parents of children taught in public and private schools thought was not possible until their child reached 25. It is not for every family, but neither is a public or private education best for all.
Thanks for this. This has been our observation as well.
I would prefer to home school but cannot. I heartily dissaprove of the social settings to which my children are often subjected in public schools. If what is encountered in public schools these days is the norm in society; heaven help us all!
As for the professionals teaching my children...I am happy to report that out of the 13 teachers my children have this year, they are only teaching themselves in 2 classes (it was 4 last year). I guess you have never had to work with a "professional" that wasn't.
Fatigue happens. 5 kids is a lot, and if you are putting yourself in a strict regime with very little support from other families then I can understand the burn-out. At least she still homeschools the youngest.
as for us, we only have 2 kids, unstructured learning, and lots of similar families as back-up. Different workload, different expectations.
Currently my children and I are in a happy medium of both worlds-they learn new concepts and experience a typical school day 3 times a week, and are at home doing their assignments for that day twice a week under parenteral supervision. So far, so good.
I take it season by season each year with schooling decisions. I have 2 kids and have home schooled them most of their life. My daughter was in a Christian school from K-2nd which went fairly well and gave me some time with my younger son one on one. Each child is different and each year is different. My daughter started a on-line certified high school this year and is accountable to certified teachers with interactive classes and class mates. So far, it's much better than the last two years, as she wasn't doing as well with mom being her teacher. She even had 2 credits from her homeschooling count toward her high school diploma, putting her ahead already as a Freshmen. She says it's easier than her other homeschool curriculum and that what she did do helped prepare her for the online program. My son is more teachable and is working well with his Christian homeschooling curriculum. We are moving him through 7th grade rapidly, but slowing down with his spelling and writing to get him up to A level. He will be starting 9th grade Algebra in January. It's nice to pace the kids with their level, slowing them down when needed or letting them buzz on through when they get it clearly. I am glad I homes schooled my kids. It's been great to have the extra time together and they are thankful. But, there have been plenty of tough days when I thought, what am I doing this for and started looking at other options. In my daughter's case, it is a season to move her into online schooling and it's good. She is getting A's and liking it.
As the mother of 5, 3 of whom are in graduate school, one in College and one a sophomore in High School, I admire any parent that has the ability to teach AP/honors physics, AP/honors chemistry, AP/honors calculus, AP/honors Spanish, AP/honors French, AP/honors history, AP/honors english, AP/honors biology and AP/honors computer science, in addition to drama, photography, metals, guitar, debate, forensics and all the other courses my children took and/or are taking in high school. Then there are sports....lacrosse, wrestling, field hockey, swim team, soccer, diving, football, basketball and baseball (no hockey, volley ball players nor gymnasts among my children, actually no great athletes among them) all located at one high school, with buses to and from the away games. Any parent that can do all of that, for multiple children outside of a school structure deserves nothing but the greatest praise; I simply am neither bright enough nor capable enough. I have however seemed to be able to keep them away from drug dealers, so I guess I am good for something.
Hmmm, I guess because I am 20 I must not understand anything... who is being inflexible?? I work everyday before attending college to prep my younger siblings for their course work, I also tutor those of my mentor in the afternoon while carrying a full load of classes. Sorry, I don't appreciate the "oh well I give up attitude". You are right in assuming I do not have kids of my own. When I do, I will not leave them to rot just as I have not turned my back on those younger than I in my family. You are also correct in saying every family is different. Mine doesn't give up.
ackie, you're assuming that home school is the only good school. That simply isn't so. I am sure that some home schooling situations are better than some classroom situations, but some classroom situations are better than some home school situations. Life is like that: complicated. Different from family to family, year to year, town to town.
Listen, it's wonderful that you plan to do the best thing for your future family. It's just that the best thing changes, depending on the situation. I'm a little taken aback at your tone. You seem to be taking this article very personally, when I was literally only writing about my own experience.
Jackie, I also wanted to add that I think you're pretty overworked for a person your age. You say you "work everyday before attending college to prep my younger siblings for their course work, I also tutor those of my mentor in the afternoon while carrying a full load of classes." Is it possible that you are a little bit resentful of having to do all of this work? I think you may be shifting your frustration over your incredible workload over to me, and anyone who (unlike you) is able to lay this burden down.
I don't mean to get too personal, but it is strange that you are angry at someone else's choice which doesn't affect you in the slightest. Feel free to ignore this idea, of course, but I really do think that you are working too hard -- a situation which can produce exaggerated emotions.
Jackie you are assuming that your way is the only correct way, and anyone that would send their children to a school (public or private) is giving up, warehousing and just plain wrong.
I went to a public school for my entire school career, and I am quite bright. I had a wonderful experience in all of the schools I attended, and I am so excited for my daughter to attend public school next year for kindergarten! She is incredibly social and attending a public school will be wonderful for her. Just being in preschool for two years has done wonders for her.
I am glad that your home-schooling worked out so well for you! That's wonderful! However, just because it worked for you does not mean it is right for everyone. Just as public school is not right for everyone.
To be so critical only leads people to assume the stereotype is true that home-schooled kids are inflexible and unable to interact in the real world or understand other points of view, since they're only taught one perspective by one person. I'm not saying that is true - just that it is the stereotype, which you are enforcing with your attitude.
Try to understand that your way isn't the only way. This is one family's experience. That's all.
This is just what I needed today. My youngest loved being homeschooled, but by husband's job moved us to Asia. Now she is in an overseas American school with both foreign and local children. While I know I can continue to educate her, I know she will acquire culture and language skills from the other kids that she would never learn from me.
Jackie, you're assuming that home school is the only good school. That simply isn't so. I am sure that some home schooling situations are better than some classroom situations, but some classroom situations are better than some home school situations. Life is like that: complicated. Different from family to family, year to year, town to town.
Listen, it's wonderful that you plan to do the best thing for your future family. It's just that the best thing changes, depending on the situation. I'm a little taken aback at your tone. You seem to be taking this article very personally, when I was literally only writing about my own experience.
homeschooling denies exposure to diversity and differences. shields, shelters
this is not good. supplement public education with enriching experiences and rely on your family lovingly taught values to promote good behavior, and allow children to see all, experience and taste all, without elitism.
on other hand, homeschooling teaches capitalization, how to write complete sentences
Elitism? When did wanting the best for your kids become elitism?
"Denying exposure to diversity and differences. Shields and shelters." You're wrong, just wrong....you couldn't be more wrong if your hiney was screwed on backwards!
You shouldn't make such bold statements without having seen both sides of the coin. I have and I can tell you that you're just wrong, there's no other way to say it.
We are homeschooling three for the first time this year and I cannot begin to describe the overall improvement they are showing. My oldest was bullied relentlessly with no help from his teacher, principal or superintendant. Then my second son was being bullied and his teacher called him a baby. Since we couldn't afford a private Christian school, homeschooling was our answer. My third son has improved his reading more in the past six weeks than he did all last year. Why? Well, I only have three kids in my "classroom". I don't see how one teacher handles twenty kids. Furthermore, my kids play football, basketball, go to the park to play with other kids and all the church activities. In public school, they had to be quiet all day and if one kid acted up then they lost recess. Homeschooling has been a blessing for our family.
I guess I'm wondering why all the competition? Why all the angst and guilt. I am so not a type A mom and this is my first year homeschooling so i have no clue about all that will come down the pipe, but i have 10 kids, pregnant with number 11 and am so beyond all the "my kids is smarter, better, prettier, whatever than yours is". Am I delusional? I love my kids and I think they are great and I started homeschooling for many many reasons (most of them extremely boring and selfish, like i want to spend time with them while they are young). And coming from a large family, my children are subjected to diversity, differences and outside social activities like kayaking, snowboarding, wrestling, football, cross country, guitar, etc ... it is what you make of it, as is everything in this world. Each day that passes I marvel at the fact that we made it through another day and managed to do it in 4-5 hrs and now can spend the rest of the day having a blast.
Hey, Jackie...I'm w/you. Yours is the attitude one needs to succeed in home schooling. If I hadn't had your attitude, I would have failed to competently home school my profoundly gifted grandson. He was continually pulled out of public schools and home schooled by his mom and me. After the equivalent of 32 months (about 4 yrs) of public school over 7 yrs from age 4 to age 11, he was ready for college! He's now 12 and in his second semester of college. And, oh, by the way, he participates in age appropriate activities like Little League and playing w/his friends. Home schooled kids are not socially maladjusted dorks if you've done it right. You have to do the best for your family and do it right. You can't cop out. Don't let anyone convince you that what you're saying is wrong or that you're "showing your youth."