That was a question asked online by a young man who could not understand the choice to homeschool. He went on to say that parents who homeschool are overprotective and selfish. While he understood that high school was “viscous” it was no reason to keep your child at home. Two young people responded supporting his statements and one was homeschooled for a short time. Another response was this:
I agree with you, being home-schooled will make kids become more dependent and less social. School better prepares kids for the real world, and shows the bright and bad sides of life.
I am quite certain we (homeschoolers) have all heard comments similar to these statements. For veteran homeschoolers, comments like these are tiresome. However, to many who are considering the homeschool path, comments like these may cause them to make a different choice. Now, I am all about making choices but those choices need to be based on fact and not opinion. Since these extreme statements reflect opinions held today we would be remiss not to explore them.
Is homeschool torture for kids?
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That is the definition of torture. So, no, homeschool is not torture. Now, there are children who are not happy being homeschooled for a variety of reasons. However, when is the last time you saw kids jump up and down excited to spend 6 to 7 hours in school? The kids in my neighborhood claim they “hate” school. Isn’t it just crazy that their parents torture them with going to school? It is absurd to base your decision on homeschooling solely on your child’s position on the topic.
Do parents homeschool to overprotect their children?
The reason one family homeschools may not be the same as another family. In my ten years of homeschooling, I have known very few who homeschool in order to protect their children from the world. Now, many of us homeschool to protect our children from worldliness or indoctrination of secular humanism. Yet, this does not mean we keep our children locked away in a tower never to see the world in its true form. In addition, many of us homeschool because we find the school system broken, ineffective, and intrusive. Some had bad experiences with the school system and decided to leave it behind. And, of course, there are many who homeschool out of choice and never considered the school system at all. For them it has always been a lifestyle and not a reaction to public schooling. With so many viewpoints it is not fair or accurate to broadly say why homeschoolers choose to homeschool.
Are homeschooled children socially awkward?
I have met many socially awkward people and children in my days. Never once did I blame the school system they attended for this issue. On the flip side, homeschooled children have more access to true social experiences than a child in a building with only her age group for 6 to 7 hours a day.
Kids are kids in any environment and each have their own personalities. Some kids are outgoing. Some kids are shy. Some kids are a bit behind. Some kids are comfortable talking with anyone. Some of those kids are homeschooled and some attend a traditional school. I have four kids and one is shy, one is outgoing, one is out of her mind with energy, and one is a quiet cynic. All of them know how to communicate with adults and kids alike.
Does school prepare kids for the real world?
If the real world is sitting in a building for hours a day experiencing learning through textbooks and videos with only your peers while under a system’s authority to tell you what to wear and when you can eat and visit the lavatory, then yes…school will prepare your child for the real world.
As far as the homeschool educational experience goes, children get to use all their senses. They get to touch a sting ray as opposed to reading about one. They go on nature walks to find leaves and animals rather than identifying them through a textbook.
In my home, my kids have experienced many ups and downs of life. Our lives are sprinkled with trials, failures, successes, and celebrations. My kids get a front row seat even if I would rather put up a sold out sign. My kids learn to adapt when mom is sick, when finances are low, when a new sibling is born, when a family member goes through a trial, and all of life’s experiences happen. I submit to you that homeschooled kids are not shielded from real life. Real life meets them at their doorstep and they face it daily.
Do homeschoolers and parents who send children to school have to clash?
Absolutely not. If that were so, I would be in constant conflict with myself as I have three homeschooled kids and one in school. How you educate your child is a choice not a social statement you whack someone over the head with.