Homeschooling...

[Bella Vita]

How do you feel about homeschooling? Would you ever home school your own kids? Were you ever home schooled? What have your experiences been with home schooling good or bad?

Opinion: Even though public schools have gone down the drain. I want my kids to be socialized and I don't think they get that with home schooling. I also want them to be able to experience football/basketball games, prom, walking at graduation ect. And with home schooling they can miss out on those types of things. Being a kid is the fun part after that it's just boring so I want them to have a full school experience while they can. I just have to be extra careful to teach them at home that they should not repeat or believe things they hear from the other kids at school. I don't think homeschooling is bad it just isn't what I would choose for my family. Every parent has to decide what works best for them. I have known home school kids that are very well adjusted, and others that are very socially awkward.

I would like my kids in a private Christian school if we can afford it...if not a public school

 

[Ariadne_GR]

I don't believe in homeschooling, teachers study education for a reason, and unless you're a qualified teacher you shouldn't be homeschooling your children.

 

[Bella Vita]

I agree after they get to a certain point the parent has to stop I mean unless they are trained of course. But I know I could not teach my kids calculus or anything like that.

 

[Pal Handy]

I agree after they get to a certain point the parent has to stop I mean unless they are trained of course. But I know I could not teach my kids calculus or anything like that.

Abraham Lincoln was home schooled and he was given such a passion
and hunger for knowledge by his step mother that it carried him to the highest
office in the land.

If home schooling is done right, the products of that education are by
far superior to those in public schools.

Many public schools are over crowded, under funded and populated with
problem children that the schools are powerless to control, educate or
reform.

Many of the teachers are liberal and so they want to instill their values
in the young and impressionable minds left to their care.

I have known many friends and family members who have home schooled
and their children are far superior in every way than most of the products
that come out of public education.

There are always the exceptions to these observations in both cases.

Don't write off home schooling as an option if
you find your local public school district sadly lacking.

A dear friend of mine home schooled his three boys and one daughter and all
have gone on to college and are excelent students and amazingly
well adjusted people and they all have a deep love for Christ in them.

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

 

[bsd31]

I don't buy this idea that homeschooling kids voids their socialization. It just means you need to look for it in other places at other times. Scouts, school sports, neighborhood bbqs, and so many other things can provide the socialization that kids need.

The best option is to send them to private Christian school. Be it boarding or just a day school, but if you can't do that then don't send them to a state public school. You have no control over and no idea what they indoctrinate your children with.

I went to a southern baptist military boarding school for grades 9-12 and without a doubt it was the best thing that was done for me during that time period. I didn't think so then, but looking back there is no question in my mind.

 

[Pal Handy]

I don't buy this idea that homeschooling kids voids their socialization. It just means you need to look for it in other places at other times. Scouts, school sports, neighborhood bbqs, and so many other things can provide the socialization that kids need.

The best option is to send them to private Christian school. Be it boarding or just a day school, but if you can't do that then don't send them to a state public school. You have no control over and no idea what they indoctrinate your children with.

I went to a southern baptist military boarding school for grades 9-12 and without a doubt it was the best thing that was done for me during that time period. I didn't think so then, but looking back there is no question in my mind.

Good posting...

Many home schoolers will develope networks with others who
are home schooling and so there is the possibility for shared resources
and even shared teaching responsibilities and shared socialization
within the home schooling network.

Any time parents are directly involved with their childrens education,
the benefits will be exponential...

Who better to teach, reinforce, encourage and mentor a child
than his or her own loving parent?

 

[Bella Vita]

Again I don't think homeschooling is terrible I have seen both results kids who are very well ajusted and kids who aren't. There is nothing wrong with homeschooling it just isn't what I would choose for my kids but it is for every individual family to decide. This is not a thread against homeschooling just a discussion on experience and choices.

 

[Pal Handy]

Again I don't think homeschooling is terrible I have seen both results kids who are very well ajusted and kids who aren't. There is nothing wrong with homeschooling it just isn't what I would choose for my kids but it is for every individual family to decide. This is not a thread against homeschooling just a discussion on experience and choices.

Well you got my 2 cents on the subject...

 

[tturt]

My choice would have been homeschooling when our children were growing up. For any topic the parent can't cover, there is a wide variety of resources available. They are already involved or can become active in many activities with other kids. After reading just one book that our grandson, whose a 3rd grader, was expected to read, I would have encouraged his parents to change. I didn't voice my opinion because it would have negatively influenced him in his pursuit of learning that material. But it really bothered me that he would be encouraged in that way of thinking. That's just one example -

Also, I absolutely hate standardized test results being used as the criterion to promote a child or not. There's a long list of influencing factors on test results or school performance such as the child not feeling well, a family disagreement, a big problem according to the child that morning, etc. Last year, our grandchildren experienced a death in their family and it impacted them the first three months of school. I also think year round school would be best for most kids. With homeschooling, you could take breaks and make adjustments as needed by the child.

There are concerns though with home schooling such as nothing really being learned by some of the children, a way to hide abuse, and those with learning problems being overlooked.

Though I think a Christian school would be a main option, I would check out their beliefs, etc - and not make assumptions. You would also have to look at their curriculum and compare it to the public schools as well as university admission criterion.

 

[Life2Christ]

Many of the teachers are liberal and so they want to instill their values
in the young and impressionable minds left to their care.

My daughter just finished Pre-K in a public school and I remember the teacher saying that at Christmas time that she would not be doing any religious themes. She thought it was distasteful and that it being a public school religion had no place. I said fine. All's fair,right? Well at Christmas time my daughter came home singing a dreidle (sp?) song her teacher taught her. I was like WTH?! I was kind of upset. I'm all for diversity but let's either include everyone or include no one.

 

[janny108]

I don't buy this idea that homeschooling kids voids their socialization. It just means you need to look for it in other places at other times. Scouts, school sports, neighborhood bbqs, and so many other things can provide the socialization that kids need.

The best option is to send them to private Christian school. Be it boarding or just a day school, but if you can't do that then don't send them to a state public school. You have no control over and no idea what they indoctrinate your children with.

I went to a southern baptist military boarding school for grades 9-12 and without a doubt it was the best thing that was done for me during that time period. I didn't think so then, but looking back there is no question in my mind.

"It just means you need to look for it in other places at other times. Scouts, school sports, neighborhood bbqs, and so many other things can provide the socialization that kids need. "

exactly. I've homeschooled my daughter for one year and that was enough for me. YES there are other places for socialization. My daughter did well but it was not for us as far as the socialization goes.

 

[charismaticace]

First I want to say that every child is home-schooled in that every parent should be a teacher. Now, having said that: I personally do not believe in home schooling. Granted, there are cases where in children are very well educated in their home schooling, however, too many times I have seen high school drop outs try to "educate" their children much to the detriment of the child.

 

[Chewy55]

If done properly, I see no problem with homeschooling. Some awfully bright people throughout history were homeschooled and they did all right.

 

[dies-l]

My kids will go to public school. I don't have anything against homeschooling per se but I believe that our public schools need godly kids, and our kits need experiences and values that are best provided in a more diverse environment than homeschooling and even private school can generally provide. Some homeschooling parents can give their kids these opportunities in other ways, but in most communities the public schools do an excellent job of providing basic subject matter education, socialization, and valuable experience in diverse social settings.

 

[Karpalokuu]

I was homeschooled. Not all of my schooltime, but only the last year of my high school.
It was the right option to me.
I am really introvert, and just did not fit in. And after 11 years of being teased/being anciety in school, I finally got home schooled.
Basic school just is not for everybody.
Some children just need homeschooling or some other kind of schooling.
I think if I had been taken out of publick school and to home schooling earlier, I may have not suffered from so bad debression I have suffered.

So, my point is: Every child is different, and some children just do not fit in in a regular school. Then look for some another option.

 

[amandita]

I have some friends who were homeschooled. They loved it. They actually participated in some kind of local organization that I can't remember the name of. It was a network of local homeschoolers who did all of the extra-curricular activities together. They had homeschool choir, homeschool study groups, homeschool field trips, and even a homeschool debate and speech team. Their debate and speech team actually got to participate in some regional (or national...I can't remember) contest against other students who were in public and private schools. Many of the students won top honors there. They even had a homeschool prom! And, actually, from the pictures my friend showed me, a ton of people attended. Living in a very rural part of Mississippi, many proms at local schools have less attendance than the homeschool one. Honestly, a lot of schools here have K-12 in one building and graduate (at the most) 10 students per year.

They also had to go to a center to take their tests to make sure they were actually learning. If the parent didn't feel comfortable or qualified enough to teach a subject, there were videos with teachers teaching the lesson. You could also work online with a live teacher/virtual classroom type thing. My friends also took the state standardized tests to make sure they were on track with the rest of students their age. It was a very interesting program.

 

[SoldierOfSoul]

Me and my brother were home schooled through middle school, it was mostly a good idea by my parents. It kept us out of a really bad school at the time and we got to spend a lot of time with our father (who died a few years later). The bad: It was hard going back to school and not knowing anyone from the previous years, but it all worked out.

 

[seashale76]

How do you feel about homeschooling? Would you ever home school your own kids? Were you ever home schooled? What have your experiences been with home schooling good or bad?

Homeschooling is great if the parent who is homeschooling has a clue and if they have the type of child who would benefit from homeschooling. If those two conditions are filled, then it can be a wonderful thing.

Would I ever homeschool my own kids? Yes. I already deal with other people's kids on a daily basis and I have a clue. I was not ever home schooled myself. Edited to add- my parents actually schooled us quite a bit during the summers via educational vacations, fun math packets, taking us to the public library, and I was taught how to read before kindergarden (as my mom was a reading specialist).

I teach in a public school and we sometimes get students who were home schooled before coming to us. Some of those kids are extremely prepared, very motivated, and their parents are very involved and knowledgeable. Plus- they make sure their kids have a chance to socialize with other kids on a regular basis via church, home school support groups, etcetera. It's great. All of my friends who home school are in this category.

Others are way behind, may have learning disabilities that were never addressed, and have parents who don't have the wherewithal to school their own children. The truth always comes out about these people- and their kids usually tell on them. T.V. viewing and video gaming with mom asleep half the time or worried about her own business/shenanigans is usually the tale that is told. If the kid in such a home decides they aren't doing anything, the parent usually doesn't push it and lets the kid have his/her own way. These kids are usually behavior problems (due to lack of attention and consistency) and mom will get tired of having them around after a while and send them to us for free babysitting. If you ever can get them to come in for a conference (rare) they will spin a tale of woe and excuses and ignore any and all helpful advice.

 

[Nienna_Lady_of_Tears]

While I had lots of outside activities such as sports, choir, speech and debate, and other things, my family used their homeschooling to shelter me from the world and things that my peers at church were into. I have never been able to overcome the hurdles of being able to connect with my peers as a result, as I grew up without a TV, computer, video games, and no music except hymns and classical music. Every year past 18, they came up with some "reason" that I was not able to graduate yet. The "Courtship Craze" wasn't good enough for them. Since neither dating nor courting are mentioned in the Bible, it wasn't Biblical enough.

I eventually graduated at age 21... when they found someone to arrange me in marriage with. He was 40. He had similar interests to me and seemed like he would genuinely care for me... that should make me happy, right? Also apparently my "education" was no further than 8th grade level, although I had taken some college classes in music and PE, as my family would say is fitting for a woman. My family did not approve of further education for young ladies because they believed it was the man's full responsibility to provide everything for his wife. Thus, I am now 28 years old and have never held a job.

I eventually ran away and became homeless to be with the one I loved. I met him at university (which I was able to transfer into without taking ACT or SAT because of those music and PE credits), which my family begrudgingly sent me to because the man they wanted me to marry required that I spend at least one semester in a university several states away so that I wouldn't regret not having that experience.

My family did everything they could to separate me from my love. We survived a 5 year long distance relationship with NO contact whatsoever, except when I could sneak to the public library and email him there. However my family soon stopped letting me out of the house except to go to church. Eventually I got money from a friend who knew my predicament and this allowed me to run away. I was almost 27.

Nowadays I'm back at the university where I met my husband. He's disabled, I am so behind in my education that I had to drop out of college, but he's a student. We're living on his disability check of less than $700 a month because I can't get a job because I don't have a GED and I've tried to pass it three times already.




While I will say I have many acquaintances whose homeschooling went well, and their parents ultimately did decide to let their children make their own choices in regards to belief, I also know acquaintances who have much of the same sad story.

I'm not as much against homeschooling as I am for homeschooling reform. I think that if a family homeschools then they sould be required to enroll their child in at least one public or private school activity a week. This would allow those who are trained to look for child abuse to recognize where there is trouble and for the child to speak out against their parents if necessary. I also think that if the child is raised well outside the realm of "normal" for our society (meaning the child doesn't have at least an operational TV, but not necessarily cable in their home, or has no internet access or anything else that is suspect of ultra religious beliefs) then further investigation should be made into that family's beliefs and rearing of that child. Sure, they might be able to interact with their fellow homeschoolers who are raised pretty much the same way. But what about the kids at church who are not homeschooled?

To this day, I have a hard time watching ANY movies that are not animated, because my family believed that movies were of the devil and I was not allowed to watch them. While I have been able to move past this point with music (I like gothic metal, and have turned Goth myself, which shocks my family) it's been much more difficult to learn to enjoy movies. I still don't have a TV, and it's been hard to branch out in my reading choices because all of my books were pre-read for me. If it had ANY romance, violence, crime, evil, etc. it was ruled out for me as an option to read. That left practically nothing. How can you have a book without a climax? How can you have a story without characters personal battles, even?



So in short, I hated homeschooling and would never homeschool any children I would have, not that I want any.

 

[Bella Vita]

^^ Wow that sounds absolutely awful your family is mean. No wonder why you have struggled so much they totally shut you away. You have a hard road but you can face this hang in there study hard and pass that test. God has given you those parents but he did for a reason you just have to see were he was in it I know easier said then done. But you have already made the first steps in getting your life back. You are beautiful and I admire your courage. =]