Myths about Home Schooled Children

[Heather]

1.  All Home schooled children miss out on important social events.- Not true.  I can't think of one singular event that I had in public school that my children don't have available to them.  They can play any sport through city, church, or youth leagues until they are of high school age, and then they are able to play for the local Christian Academy that serves as a home-school charter. Parents can choose for their kids to attend group classes with other families of home schooled children, dances, homecoming, pep rally's, prom, and even graduation.

2. All Home schooled children are isolated from society and don't get proper socialization skills.- Again, not true.  It is actually quiet the opposite.  Consider this, children learn behavior from watching the behavior of those around them.  The idea that it is a good idea to throw 20 to 30 kids of the same age in a room together for seven hours a day is a great way to teach them how to interact in society baffles me!  Home schooled children that are active in the community interact with more adults than those in public school in most instances.  Their exposure to the world isn't limited to the classroom and the same kids and teachers day in and day out.  Home school parents that use the world as their classroom and not just their home introduce their children to a plethora of adults and children alike and teach them how to behave in certain social situations by living those situations.  These children are often more equipped to handle life because their parents taught them how to behave appropriately instead of them trying to figure it out by mimicking other children who are just trying to figure it out for themselves.

3. Home schooled children exist out of a dysfunctional necessity. Again, not true.  There are actually some of us out there that simply want to be responsible for raising our children in the way that we deem appropriate.  We want our children's education to be tailored to their needs, and are blessed with the means and opportunities to do just that. 

4. All children who are home schooled are at a disadvantage later in life.  Once again, not true.  Advantages later in life stem more from whether you were successfully educated or not, no matter whether that education came from public school, private school, or even home.  Home stability, money, location, parental involvement, and general intelligence also play a bigger role in success than where someone got their education.

5. All home school parents are crazy nut jobs.  Well...maybe 

[BUGEYE]

Heather, back in my day public school would probably have been best because teachers could handle disipline and really teach.  but now classrooms are in chaos. teachers no longer have time to teach because they're too busy trying to keep order.  they dumb down the schools so certain ethnic groups can make passing grades and then turn loose a bunch of ignoramuses on society.

You go right ahead with what you're doing. your kids will be better for it.
I'd rather have your kids living next door than the hoodlums that I have.
disipline with love, teach respect and honesty and you won't go wrong.

[no guns here]

Praise the Lord!  Heather hit the nail most squarely on the head.  Debunk the myths, stereotypes and generalizations.
Public school has only existed for about 120-130 years.  Before that all school was home-school or some kind of church school.


Bugeye,
As you said, I would rather be surrounded with polite, respectful homeschool kids at home and in society instead of the "socialized" public school hoodlums and wannabee's.  Every word out of their mouth is offensive and dirty.  They ignore rules of common sense, politeness and decency.  When you bring this to their parents attention they then yell at you and defend their kid no matter what and refuse any type of punishment.


NGH

[Old Fart]

I have to agree with Heather. I work at a Area Career andTechnolgy Center in central Oklahoma.
We have approximately 30 public schools sending us students for a half day career curriculum.
I teach a couple engineering related courses so most of my kids are pretty good kids anyway.
We also have kids from 2 private school and one large home school group.
The percentage of knuckleheads from the home schooled bunch is easily the lowest.
Social skills seem to be lowest in the private school kids, but that's to be expected.
Private schools are probably the most structured though.

We get an occassional goofball from the home school bunch, but usually because they've been
booted out of the public and private schools. Once in a while it's because poor parenting that
enables the behavior.

[The Hermit]

My late wife's sister home schooled her children. The local school provided teaching material and had her children in for sports activities.
Her kids scored well above average on their tests and are socially well adjusted. They have sleep overs with their neighbors kids who attend school, nobody makes a big deal about it.
My hat is off to anyone who home schools.

  The Hermit

[ironglow]

Heather is RIGHT ON !  I have experience with both and find the home schooled children are  fully as well "socialized" as public school kids.
   Remember, there are certain things you may not want very young children "socialized' into !

    Now, if we can just get back some of the taxes home schoolers pay to the public school system.  Vouchers are a good idea whose time has come...

[billy_56081]

2 thumbs up Heather.

[XD40SC]

It's been my experience that the home schooled catch up on socialization rather quickly when they get away from home .

[ironglow]

  My experience is that they never lag in 'socialization'.  Then if they can matriculate at a quality institution such a Liberty (VA) , Grove city (PA), Regent (VA) or Hillsdale (MI) ...or similar, they can develop into solid citizens with proper values intact.

   If I am not mistaken, none of these schools accepts government funds or government intrusion.

[Shu]

I would rather be around kids who were homeschooled. They are much politer and courteous.
There are just way to many myths about things started by people with no knowledge.
The more time you spend with your kids the beter chances are they will become human beings and not thugs.

So WTG Heather.

[ironglow]

Yep !   WTG Heather..