Why is there so much home schooling?

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  • laurajcarter
    laurajcarter Posts: 2 Member
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    1. Yes, there are many "secular" homeschoolers. There are also Christian homeschoolers who chose homeschooling for non-religious reasons.

    2. Not all public schools are "that bad". Some of us just feel that homeschooling is "that good".

    3. Socialization is a red herring. Spending time with family, friends, neighbors, and community members offers ample practice at coping skills and self mastery.

    It seems to be a trend, but I wouldn't call it a fad as it has always existed (children educated in their home by parents or somebody chosen by them). And I hope it isn't "the way of the future" because parents need choices. Not everybody can or should homeschool.

    Well said!

    Honestly, public schooling is more of a "fad" than homeschooling if you go by the amount of time it's been around!
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
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    Most of the time, I wish he wasn't so socialized!

    lol. Sounds familiar!
  • jhmomofmany
    jhmomofmany Posts: 571 Member
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    US schools now can make medical decisions regarding your children's healthcare thanks to our horrible president. My daughter is now homeschooling her kids because she doesn't want the government in her children's healthcare or have government propaganda taught to her kids and I don't blame her.

    What kind of medical decisions can they make for your kids? What are you talking about?

    My oldest son was born very prematurely and was on an IEP for public preschool and kindergarten. He had significant delays in fine motor skills. In kindergarten the school started sending him for weekly sessions with the school psychologist, and this was arranged without notification and without my consent. Toward the end of that school year I was summoned for a meeting, the gist of which was that I needed to take him to a doctor's appointment the school had set up, in order to have my son medicated for ADD/ADHD, or he would be unable to advance to 1st grade with his class.

    IMO, this fits the bill as the school making a medical decision for my child and then coercing me, the parent, to go along with their diagnosis. I decided THAT DAY that he would not be returning to school the following year.

    ETA: This was long before current healthcare legislation. There was a different horrible president in office at the time. :wink:
  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
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    US schools now can make medical decisions regarding your children's healthcare thanks to our horrible president. My daughter is now homeschooling her kids because she doesn't want the government in her children's healthcare or have government propaganda taught to her kids and I don't blame her.

    What kind of medical decisions can they make for your kids? What are you talking about?

    They are now able to legally take your middle school daughter in for an abortion without any parental consent. It's law here in Florida. How do people NOT know this? Yeah, no aspirin, but an abortion is fine. Sadly, I am not kidding. Out.


    What age is that? Sorry, I'm in the UK not the US so genuinely curious. Is it that the school can obtain consent in lieu of the parents? Or that the law of Florida states that it requires parental notification. However, parents do not have to consent?

    What are the vaccinations being given? Hep B & HPV?
  • EmilyTwist1
    EmilyTwist1 Posts: 206 Member
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    US schools now can make medical decisions regarding your children's healthcare thanks to our horrible president. My daughter is now homeschooling her kids because she doesn't want the government in her children's healthcare or have government propaganda taught to her kids and I don't blame her.

    What kind of medical decisions can they make for your kids? What are you talking about?

    They are now able to legally take your middle school daughter in for an abortion without any parental consent. It's law here in Florida. How do people NOT know this? Yeah, no aspirin, but an abortion is fine. Sadly, I am not kidding. Out.


    What age is that? Sorry, I'm in the UK not the US so genuinely curious. Is it that the school can obtain consent in lieu of the parents? Or that the law of Florida states that it requires parental notification. However, parents do not have to consent?

    What are the vaccinations being given? Hep B & HPV?

    Middle School in the US typically covers 11 to 13/14 years old. My understanding regarding minors and getting an abortion without parental consent is that it was intended for situations where the parents are abusive and would likely harm their daughter if they found out she got pregnant/had an abortion. Of course, these laws vary by state, so the specifics of how that plays out varies as well.
  • purplepopsicles
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    I was homeschooled :) My family got into it because my brother had special needs. I have gone to "real school" as well and found that I learned about 70% less while spending a good deal more effort, because schools are so focused on grades and tests. Homeschooling is not for everyone -- the student needs to be very self-motivated and responsible and the parents need time and dedication.
    As far as socialization goes, when I finally started school in the middle of high school I fit in fine and was a lot more well adjusted than many of my peers.
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
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    What age is that? Sorry, I'm in the UK not the US so genuinely curious. Is it that the school can obtain consent in lieu of the parents? Or that the law of Florida states that it requires parental notification. However, parents do not have to consent?

    What are the vaccinations being given? Hep B & HPV?

    Gardisil (HPV) vaccine is one, MMR I believe is another. I don't think they should give my child any vaccine without my consent no matter what it is for.
  • YesIAm17
    YesIAm17 Posts: 817 Member
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    US schools now can make medical decisions regarding your children's healthcare thanks to our horrible president. My daughter is now homeschooling her kids because she doesn't want the government in her children's healthcare or have government propaganda taught to her kids and I don't blame her.

    What kind of medical decisions can they make for your kids? What are you talking about?

    Haven't you heard about Obama's school kid death panels??? I cannot believe the liberal media isn't reporting on them.





    /snarkcuzuproblycouldnttell
  • simplycorey
    simplycorey Posts: 721 Member
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    I homeschooled my older four until my oldest was in 7th grade. It was mainly because all of them were learning so well at home at their own pace and the Christian foundation I was including was just a bonus. It's a lot of work and commitment but I am so glad I did it when they were smaller. I would have continued but I was going through a bit of hell with their father that made it hard for me to focus on anything and it was better to send them to school. I did homeschool my middle two again for a semester last year while we were in the process of moving but they chose to go to school once we got settled. I haven't decided if I am going to homeschool my youngest. I am taking life one day at a time right now.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Most of the time, I wish he wasn't so socialized!

    lol. Sounds familiar!

    I don't understand what this means. Why would you wish your children were less socialized? I thought socialized meant getting along well with others, having beneficial friendships with peers, and having more exposure to all different ways of living and learning and being well rounded that way.

    Ok, I just looked it up and saw that it has another meaning of conforming, so that must be what you meant (I would not consider that to be a good thing either). My kids are not "conformers" at all. My 9 year old daughter won the science fair, and was fully able to explain the physics behind her project and even made a second project to do the opposite goal of the assigned project and was able to explain the physics behind that as well. She creates her own school projects (such as building her own display of stone tools that she made) and turns them in on her own (without it being an assignment), and she formed her own biology club at school.
  • SweetLilyR
    SweetLilyR Posts: 283 Member
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    1. Yes, there are many "secular" homeschoolers. There are also Christian homeschoolers who chose homeschooling for non-religious reasons.

    2. Not all public schools are "that bad". Some of us just feel that homeschooling is "that good".

    3. Socialization is a red herring. Spending time with family, friends, neighbors, and community members offers ample practice at coping skills and self mastery.

    It seems to be a trend, but I wouldn't call it a fad as it has always existed (children educated in their home by parents or somebody chosen by them). And I hope it isn't "the way of the future" because parents need choices. Not everybody can or should homeschool.

    Secular homeschooling mom of two here...back later to read the thread fully...and ^^^THIS
  • jhmomofmany
    jhmomofmany Posts: 571 Member
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    Most of the time, I wish he wasn't so socialized!

    lol. Sounds familiar!

    I don't understand what this means. Why would you wish your children were less socialized? I thought socialized meant getting along well with others, having beneficial friendships with peers, and having more exposure to all different ways of living and learning and being well rounded that way.

    Ok, I just looked it up and saw that it has another meaning of conforming, so that must be what you meant (I would not consider that to be a good thing either). My kids are not "conformers" at all. My 9 year old daughter won the science fair, and was fully able to explain the physics behind her project and even made a second project to do the opposite goal of the assigned project and was able to explain the physics behind that as well. She creates her own school projects (such as building her own display of stone tools that she made) and turns them in on her own (without it being an assignment), and she formed her own biology club at school.

    I would guess the first quotes are talking about exposure and conforming with peers in matters of pop culture, language, dress, choice of friends, etc. It has nothing to do with academics. Kids learn to find their clique and stay within it, or risk harassment or ostracism. This is "socialization", classroom style. It can be more of a problem as the kids get older.
  • Carissa145
    Carissa145 Posts: 604 Member
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    Actually I know many more public schoolers who are much more "unsocialized" than homeschoolers-- especially around adults.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Most of the time, I wish he wasn't so socialized!

    lol. Sounds familiar!

    I don't understand what this means. Why would you wish your children were less socialized? I thought socialized meant getting along well with others, having beneficial friendships with peers, and having more exposure to all different ways of living and learning and being well rounded that way.

    Ok, I just looked it up and saw that it has another meaning of conforming, so that must be what you meant (I would not consider that to be a good thing either). My kids are not "conformers" at all. My 9 year old daughter won the science fair, and was fully able to explain the physics behind her project and even made a second project to do the opposite goal of the assigned project and was able to explain the physics behind that as well. She creates her own school projects (such as building her own display of stone tools that she made) and turns them in on her own (without it being an assignment), and she formed her own biology club at school.

    I would guess the first quotes are talking about exposure and conforming with peers in matters of pop culture, language, dress, choice of friends, etc. It has nothing to do with academics. Kids learn to find their clique and stay within it, or risk harassment or ostracism. This is "socialization", classroom style. It can be more of a problem as the kids get older.

    I see.

    Here in Canada the school goes from k-7, and so the kids do not have these issues. I will keep an eye on it, though. There is also a lot of involvement in activities, such as dance (actually within the school and a community wide dance festival that the school dance clubs perform at), so that sort of stuff really keeps kids focused on their passions: for my kids it's science, dance, and other arts, instead of conforming to peers. My daughter will wear her clothes inside out and backwards and doesn't even care what anyone thinks of it. So, they are more leaders than followers (so far anyway). That was what I meant about my daughter starting her own biology club that meets at recess. It's not academic, it's social.
  • ShapenerFiterrati
    ShapenerFiterrati Posts: 111 Member
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    I've been homeschooled all through highschool, and I was probably the most social person you could ever know. I had tons of friends that I met in programs, co-ups, field trips, etc...
    I loved being HS. It gave me a chance to work on my own pace, build my own space, build special skills (main one was interacting with other people), have a better relationship with my parents, and I learned more. I mastered everything better and gave me more confidence. My mother homeschooled me up until 9th grade, then I did an online program with an online teacher, of course with my moms interferance every now and then.
    Not to mention not dealing with all that cra* that happens in schools.... bullying, pressure, etc etc...
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    if i had kids i'd homeschool them at least until 7th grade..
    too many kids leave the american public system not having proper reading and writing skills and not knowing anything about math and sciences. no way i'd leave that up to chance.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    if i had kids i'd homeschool them at least until 7th grade..
    too many kids leave the american public system not having proper reading and writing skills and not knowing anything about math and sciences. no way i'd leave that up to chance.

    You can do both, though. They can go to school, and you can do learning at home with them. But, to be honest I wanted to home school also when I was in the States. I am very pleased with the schools here in Canada. I moved here before my kids started school.
  • mreimer102
    mreimer102 Posts: 28 Member
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    I have a Masters in education and could teach in the public schools, but have chosen to home school instead. My daughter was bullied for much of her 6th and 7th year. She would beg me not to let her go. Grades were in the toilet as well. I confronted the school and other parents; still not change. One day, after picking her up, she asked me point blank to pull her out and home school her. Now her grades are A's and B's, with a C now and again. She is in a public school Charter school online. Yes, I am a Christian, but I am doing this for her, at her request. She is so much more content and happy. Hangs out after school with friends from her youth group, which are many; has many sleep overs, and we are very involved in her life. She writes songs, plays the piano and bass, sings and is a very active now 14 year old, 9th grader. She is presently desiring to go to medical school to become a doctor; since her dad has had two heart attacks. She wants to be a heart surgeon. Her grades being home schooled, will allow her to start college when she is in the 11th grade.
    I saw what public school was doing to her self-esteem. Any mom and teach at home and now public schools are online, so parents can enroll them in private, Christian, or secular schools. It scares me all of the recent suicides and deaths that have occurred because of bullying. In the school she is in she even can go to local dances and the prom.
  • pawnstarNate
    pawnstarNate Posts: 1,728 Member
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    Cause that's how it should be and women should stay at home like June Cleaver and teach school and make me a sammich. Right? (I have quick reflexes so I can dodge those home school books and Tupperware bowls). :tongue:
  • mreimer102
    mreimer102 Posts: 28 Member
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    So is your mom for or against it? I love it. My daughter gets up when she wants to as a 9th grader. She is in a satellite public school online. Her home room teacher calls her every two weeks, and she can call the other teachers any time she needs help. They will get with her on the white board and help her, say in math. She just has to put in 5.5 hours a day. Usually finishes her work and I log, after checking, that she has completed them.
    I know of kids who hated it, like my own daughter-in-law, but she also had a bad relationship with her own mom and ran away as a teen. She told me that had I been her mom and home schooled her, she would have probably been very happy doing it. Her own mom just left her to herself. A parent has to be very involved or they need not do it.
    I pulled her out because of bullying, but with the Common Core Curriculum coming in and the UN's plans for the schools, we had better instill what we can, while we can. Being a Christian is another reason for us as well. I want her to have morals and not what peers and schools deem as appropriate for her. There are many reasons why.