IMHO, homeschooling can work for people. The trick is to actually homeschool your child, not just pull them out of public school. The effort to homeschool is immense. You need to be organized, arrange for the children to cover all of the subjects, arrange for social activities, etc. I don’t think one NEEDS to be in public school to work well within our society, but I do think children need the social interactions they get in group settings.

The article you pointed us to was TERRIBLE. The grammar was one thing, but the not-so-subtle hints that homeschooling mothers are insane was an insult to anyone with a mental illness.

Different children learn in different manners. Teachers are stuck in an impossible situation where they must cover all the different learning methods while making sure all of the students move forward. That’s HARD.

Sigh….

Of course some public schools are awful, and there’s no problem with acknowledging that, but instilling an attitude of contempt for the educational system in general is a sad way of going about raising your child. Eventually, they will have to participate in it (ie, college, graduate school, etc.) and will be surrounded by people who did well in the conventional system and even enjoyed it. I have observed many homeschooling families with this attitude — including my own — and it was not helpful for us to try to assimilate into the wider community as we grew up.

All this is to say that I do believe it is possible to properly homeschool one’s children, it is REALLY important to be aware of all these issues. Parents (obviously — this is the human condition) are not usually fully aware of the limitations they impose on their kids through their own limitations. I was not adequately schooled in math because my mom wasn’t good at it, and deep down in her heart of hearts, she thought it wasn’t important. (and it wasn’t to her career — she was a minister). Now I’m studying economics, after a decade of doing something else because I had no quantitative skills. If I had gone to school as a child, I would have had the opportunity to excel at something that neither of my parents could have or would have taught me — because they didn’t think it was important.

School isn’t the only—or even the best!—place to learn how to deal with other people or gain socialization.

And while some public schools are fine, others are NOT. And even some good ones aren’t a good fit for all children. Sadly, we have the case of a not so good school being a not so good fit.

Thanks for the article link (NOT!) LOL and the discussion (TRULY!).

The public schools are flawed, no question. But that love of learning, and intellectual excitement, can be taught at home alongside the regular schoolwork. Parents can arrange special classes and trips for their children. Many schools will accept credit from local junior colleges if the child is advanced and wants to branch out. I feel that a lot of the support for homeschooling comes from people who see the “benefits” of schooling their preschool age children — which is a very different process than teaching writing, biology, and algebra. Just my two cents!

I appreciate you sharing your experiences with Dotter’s homeschooled friends. As I mentioned before, we are looking at our options for elementary school. I am starting my own research, and value your opinion. My teacher friend in our school district is mostly concerned about what she calls “teaching to the tests”, and how binds her and her colleagues hands. From this post and the comments, it sounds to me like the best thing a parent can do is be educated and involved in their child’s life, so that they can make the best decisions for their children. And then not be afraid to change course if the need arises.

Thanks again.