Scooby Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 One of my sisters home schools her 5 kids, her hubby is a dean of students at a Baptist thelogical seminary, he is about to complete his PHD, she was an elementary teacher for a few yrs out of college, I have no doubt they know how to educate their kids properly, they are both highly intelligent folks, she is now using the "Veritas Press" curiculum for her oldest daughter--age 13, but I admit I worry a little; she once said that they would let the kids go to regular school during high school to benefit from all the extra curricular activities, scholastic competitions, etc those kids get to enjoy, now she is saying that they are going to keep them home-schooled throughout. I know their thought is that the children will attend "secular" colleges, no mention of religious colleges, so I worry that they might not be socialized enough. I admit I am in the dark about all this, just wanted to get your perspective if you were a home schooled/a home-schooler, or knew those that were and how they turned out...thnx for the insight:) Maybe I'm worried for nothing:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 There's an organization here in Austin that offers home-schooled kids a "social outlet", which also includes sports teams. I think they play against small and/or religion-based high schools. Perhaps your area has something similar? Socialization is a must, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 I agree, they are in the NOLA area, I know they let the oldest girl go to summer camps, and allow one of the boys to do little league (the other boy is on the autism spectrum so they are very protective of him) but not really much outisde activities for any of the 5 kids, other than home school co-ops, and they live on campus at that seminary. My nieces and nephews seem very sweet and bubbly though:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 My 2 children were home schooled although not from the beginning. My son went to middle school for one year but from then on he was home schooled. My daughter started home schooling about grade 9 but after a year decided she wanted to go to public school so she could be part of the Governor's School. My son go plenty of socialization. This was done through our church and meeting with other families that home schooled their children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I'll admit I have never been a fan of home schooling. The lack of socialization, the possible narrow view of the parents, extra-curricular activies, and more. If there was more regulation on it (Yeah more Gubment intervention or a reliable non-profit org.) I might be swayed. My wife and I are both teachers, and we never considered it. Granted our specialties were not very broad. I guess I also think as to why. Are the area schools that bad? My daughter was very shy. She came out of her shell quickly and positively. Going to (what was wrongly label "not a great set of schools" in our county) she excelled at everything, got into U of I (not an easy school to get into), graduated in 4 years after changing her major 3x, and has had a very successful working career in business and education. All of her friends were similar and they're still friends 15 years later. Just my . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 yes, FBJ that is what they do also, socialization thru their home school program, and thnx for 2 cents RR:) I appreciate yall!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gopher Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 (edited) I'll admit I have never been a fan of home schooling. The lack of socialization, the possible narrow view of the parents, extra-curricular activies, and more.If there was more regulation on it (Yeah more Gubment intervention or a reliable non-profit org.) I might be swayed. My wife and I are both teachers, and we never considered it. Granted our specialties were not very broad. I guess I also think as to why. Are the area schools that bad? My daughter was very shy. She came out of her shell quickly and positively. Going to (what was wrongly label "not a great set of schools" in our county) she excelled at everything, got into U of I (not an easy school to get into), graduated in 4 years after changing her major 3x, and has had a very successful working career in business and education. All of her friends were similar and they're still friends 15 years later. Just my . There are several areas, just in the Bay area alone, where I would rather home school my kid than have her attend school there. And I'm pretty sure there are plenty of schools in this country that are far worse than the ones I have seen. That said, simply home schooling a kid, to keep them out of harm's way, isn't the answer, all by itself. Someone very close to me was home schooled from point A to Z, and I've seen first-hand how it can affect a person if they don't get enough social interaction, etc. So, I'm not saying that I'm 100% pro-home school, by any means, or anything even close. Plus (and this is probably most important), it's definitely not something that just anyone can do. The home school "teacher" has got to have the right set of skills... Patience might be at the top of that list, but obvious things like simply having the knowledge necessary to effectively teach the material is also key, among many other things. Bottom line... I don't think anyone can accurately say, with 100% certainty, whether someone else should or should not home school their kid. There are obvious advantages, in my opinion. Likewise, if you're not extremely careful and well informed before you enter into the endeavor of trying it, there are some definite disadvantages (and risks) as well. Edit: Never mind... I read your question to read "Are there schools that bad?" Whole different question than what you were actually asking. My bad. Edited March 5, 2011 by Gopher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 no, thnx Gopher, I think u answered my questions...thnx so much!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 (edited) We homeschool our kids. Without getting into all the details, we believe strongly that the benefits outweigh the risks. Regarding socialization, I always wonder where everyone is meeting these 10 year old kids who are bastions of good, rational behavior that our kids should aspire to model? Are their peers later in life going to be 8yr old or 14yr old kids, or other adults? To me, socialization is more about learning how to deal with adult issues in an adult (i.e., rational and level-headed) manner ... not to decide whether or not Justin Bieber is dreamy. That said, our kids get 'out' plenty ... Chief Dick (and his wife) have met them all on a few occasions ... I will let him comment on what they're like. Edited March 5, 2011 by muck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 thats a great point Muck, I appeciate the insight too, something my sis echoes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brentastic Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 We homeschool our kids. Without getting into all the details, we believe strongly that the benefits outweigh the risks. Regarding socialization, I always wonder where everyone is meeting these 10 year old kids who are bastions of good, rational behavior that our kids should aspire to model? Are their peers later in life going to be 8yr old or 14yr old kids, or other adults? To me, socialization is more about learning how to deal with adult issues in an adult (i.e., rational and level-headed) manner ... not to decide whether or not Justin Bieber is dreamy.That said, our kids get 'out' plenty ... Chief Dick (and his wife) have met them all on a few occasions ... I will let him comment on what they're like. I'm in favor of home schooling provided the child gets to socialize because socialization is a HUGH chunk of life. However, I think you're way off base in regards to the rationale bolded above. Just like anything in life, you can't just go from beginning to end without the experience of the 'traveling' in between. It's not thorough learning, nor is it practical to skip the process of becoming an adult. If you don't live a childhood in the truest sense, including talking about dreamy Bieber or hot babes, then how can you identify and understand that normal process of human developement? Why would you want to skip the foundation of the process? Demanding too much from children is a recipe for disaster, imo. There needs to be a balance to everything and more than ever during human developement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I have neighbors that homeschool their two kids, a boy and a girl. The whole family is really odd and it seems like all the neighborhood kids shun these two. One day I spotted the boy in the woods in his underwear, pushing a tire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I have neighbors that homeschool their two kids, a boy and a girl. The whole family is really odd and it seems like all the neighborhood kids shun these two. One day I spotted the boy in the woods in his underwear, pushing a tire. Your neighborhood is an unfailing source of odd people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 We homeschool our kids. Without getting into all the details, we believe strongly that the benefits outweigh the risks. Regarding socialization, I always wonder where everyone is meeting these 10 year old kids who are bastions of good, rational behavior that our kids should aspire to model? Are their peers later in life going to be 8yr old or 14yr old kids, or other adults? To me, socialization is more about learning how to deal with adult issues in an adult (i.e., rational and level-headed) manner ... not to decide whether or not Justin Bieber is dreamy. That said, our kids get 'out' plenty ... Chief Dick (and his wife) have met them all on a few occasions ... I will let him comment on what they're like. Muck does have great kids; heck, he's got a great family with great role models, including his folks. My thoughts on this are the same as how I feel about the way parents raise their kids: I'm not there. I'm not them. Therefore, I'm not qualified to judge how someone else raises their children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I have neighbors that homeschool their two kids, a boy and a girl. The whole family is really odd and it seems like all the neighborhood kids shun these two. One day I spotted the boy in the woods in his underwear, pushing a tire. Bizarre behavior no doubt. But, is it any more strange than the boy from a more traditional school setting who decides to dress up like a girl one day and see what that's like? I'm in favor of home schooling provided the child gets to socialize because socialization is a HUGH chunk of life. However, I think you're way off base in regards to the rationale bolded above. Just like anything in life, you can't just go from beginning to end without the experience of the 'traveling' in between. It's not thorough learning, nor is it practical to skip the process of becoming an adult. If you don't live a childhood in the truest sense, including talking about dreamy Bieber or hot babes, then how can you identify and understand that normal process of human developement? Why would you want to skip the foundation of the process? Demanding too much from children is a recipe for disaster, imo. There needs to be a balance to everything and more than ever during human developement. You are absolutely correct in regards to the process and the 'in between'. For thousands of years, the process of developing youth into productive and highly functioning members of society was not left up to peer-review, but left up to the tutors, extended family, clergy, siblings, military, etc. If you fill the mushy brains of youth with mushy material, their awareness and sensitivities do not develop, and as a result, they end up wasting substantial portions of their lives trying to "figure out who they are". Which is, imo, a rather pointless (and vain) excercise. Childhood in the truest sense is NOT shuttling from one activity to another, life full of carpools and busy, busy, busy. It is taking a hike in the woods, jumping on the trampoline and having a food fight in the yard with your siblings. Much of being a kid is simply PLAYING. Today, most parents are more focused on their kids being in whatever activity is in season than they are in their kids learning how to actually enjoy themselves and find pleasure in the simple things in life. So, yes, our kids want to know when we'll start hiring a chess tutor. They also build forts in the yard with old pine branches, catch skinks, and watch for unusual birds. And, bake. And, haul firewood. And, practice their Latin. And, want to watch Star Wars. And, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I see both sides of the argument - we aren't sure what we're going to do with our kids. I'm assuming that education won't be an issue, since the BIGGEST indicator in academic success is that someone at home gives a sh*t about the kid's schooling (our kids have two people). I think that a concern about the kids being properly socialized is valid; however, being active in rec sports and your neighborhood (matt700 excepted, he probably should stay inside with the shades drawn and the doors locked) will probably fill the "social" aspect as well as knocking around the schoolroom for 6 hrs a day would. Another concern I have (in general, not directed at anyone here) is that some people may WANT to keep their kids away from the big, bad liberal indoctrination, but then end up sending their kids to college academically unprepared, be it by having a poor grasp of mathematics, or by teaching their kid Jesus escaped on a dinosaur after helping Booth kill the tyrannical Abe Lincoln. All that said, I know two sisters whose mother homeschooled them; one is a wonderful, responsible, grounded young woman that I anyone would be happy to have (though her mother isn't, but I think that's just parenthood). The other one seems to have a bit of a wild streak in her. But both seem MORE than capable of functioning in society as well as anyone else in their peer group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egret Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Public schools should be about more than just socialization. There should be a wide breadth of knowledge and opportunities available to all children in schools. Public school teachers at the middle and high school level should have a depth of knowledge in their fields that would be challenging to replicate in an average home schooling environment. That being said, I know that is not always the case. It's just the way that it should be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I see both sides of the argument - we aren't sure what we're going to do with our kids. I'm assuming that education won't be an issue, since the BIGGEST indicator in academic success is that someone at home gives a sh*t about the kid's schooling (our kids have two people). This is what I believe also. I have recommended home schooling to at least a dozen parents over the years, (much to the dismay of my principal). I have several friends who home schooled their children and they all were part of a co-op of home schooling parents. The kids seemed to turn out alright because they all had parents who gave a sh*t about their education. Every last one of those kids could not wait to get away from home when they turned 18. But we were probably all that way. I think it all depends on the parent(s) who will be doing the schooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 We homeschool our kids. Without getting into all the details, we believe strongly that the benefits outweigh the risks. Regarding socialization, I always wonder where everyone is meeting these 10 year old kids who are bastions of good, rational behavior that our kids should aspire to model? Are their peers later in life going to be 8yr old or 14yr old kids, or other adults? To me, socialization is more about learning how to deal with adult issues in an adult (i.e., rational and level-headed) manner ... not to decide whether or not Justin Bieber is dreamy. That said, our kids get 'out' plenty ... Chief Dick (and his wife) have met them all on a few occasions ... I will let him comment on what they're like. my kids will probably go to school outside the house. and they will probably go to public schools for at least part of that, maybe all. but not too long ago I read the following little bit that made me start to think a little bit harder about this "socialization" holy grail we all seem to hold so near and dear... I have my own horror story. In high school, we were segregated by gender for Phys. Ed. class. Our Phys. Ed. instructor was a lazy man who often would sit in his office off the gym through the whole class and not pay attention to what was happening. Incidentally, every year when I go back to visit my home town, I drop in on my favorite high-school teacher, who was the vice-principal at the time. When I told him the story I'm about to tell you, he told me that the Phys. Ed. teacher often slept when hidden away in his office. Maybe he was sleeping the day this happened. It happened in 11th or 12th grade--I don't remember which. I tried to forget.I was called "the brain" by many of my classmates, and not usually with a complimentary tone. Our gym had ropes hanging from the ceiling. We were milling around when suddenly three or four boys picked me up and held me horizontal. They then put my neck through a hangman's noose that they had tied in one of the ropes. When I looked into their eyes, they seemed to be weighing whether to hang me. I decided that my best strategy was not to protest or make any noise at all but to let them figure out that this was crazy. I don't know that they did figure out that it was crazy. The look on their faces as they took my head out of the noose was more the look of someone saying, "I guess we shouldn't hang him" the same way they might have said, "I guess I'll have vanilla ice-cream today." My friends, incidentally, although they were in that class, did not intervene. One of them, if I recall correctly, did look concerned, but it's possible that he thought, as I did, that he had better not make any sudden moves. And for whatever reason, I didn't go to the vice-principal and tell him and I didn't tell my parents, even though my father taught in that same 300-person school, or siblings. I told no one. In fact, I didn't talk about it until I was 38 years old and in a men's therapy group. I wasn't always the victim either. I inflicted my share of cruelty. My 8th grade teacher, Miss Boas, treated most of us badly, hitting us with a stick when she had a bad day and we gave wrong answers. But the one person she singled out for special abuse was Esther. Esther was a plain looking girl without a lot of self-confidence, but probably within the normal range. When Esther gave a wrong answer, Miss Boas would sometimes hit her especially hard with her stick and a few times came down the aisle, pulled Esther out of her seat and shook her violently. As I tell this story, I sincerely regret that I didn't do something to block Miss Boas, to prevent her from treating Esther that way. I sometimes pictured sticking out my foot to trip Miss Boas as she went down the aisle. I didn't have the guts. But I did way worse, as did many of the kids in my class; we piled on Esther. We would say her name with dripping sarcastic cruelty, the way we had learned from Miss Boas. Who says schools don't teach values? Miss Boas taught us well. By the end of that year, Esther was almost a basket case. If these stories were told by a few of my friends and me, that would be bad enough. But they are widespread. Everyone has them. Next time you go to a parents' evening at school, pay attention to how some of the parents--usually the working-class parents, I have noticed--conduct themselves around teachers. You will often see the same fear and concentration-camp caution that those parents learned as children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westvirginia Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I haven't read everything in the preceeding posts but our kids are homeschooled. Like muck, I think the "socialization" theme overblown. Personally, I think it's a real convenient whipping boy for gov't schools and their unions to use against homeschoolers. You have to wonder, when the gov't schools get embarassed at spelling bees and math field days. Another thing is that teachers can indoctrinate just like parents do (I remember I learned as FACT that the constitution was a "living document" in fourth grade. Not that it was one school of thought, but that it WAS. You also have earth day and a bunch of other questionable crap that could be used as much for political indoctrination as for education.) Because of the socialization issue though, we have our kids enrolled in a weekly co-op, as well as other outside art(s) classes. My kids are/were in Daisys (precursor to brownies for little girls) and have plenty of interaction with the kids in our neighborhood. They also have tons of cousins. Big John has met my kids, FWIW, and he can feel free to opine if he'd like. The bottom line is, homeschooling in and of itself isn't lacking in anything. If the kids are lacking in social graces and adapting mechanisms, it's probably not as much to do with being home schooled as it is with other aspects of their lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 If the kids are lacking in social graces and adapting mechanisms, it's probably not as much to do with being home schooled as it is with other aspects of their lives. This. Social adaptability has more to do with self-confidence, self-awareness and empathy than with where (or how) a kid learns to spell "Youckon Teritories" or that 2+2 is 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 a kid learns to spell "Youckon Teritories" or that 2+2 is 5. You may need to rethink this homeschooling thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 You may need to rethink this homeschooling thing. Forget it, He's rolling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Big John has met my kids, FWIW, and he can feel free to opine if he'd like. They look like normal well-behaved kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.