Home schooling

[nyyankeees]

Originally Posted by salty blues
http:///forum/post/2490009
From reading some of these replies, one might think the only place kids have for social interaction is public schools. This excuse is a myth anyway. I know several kids who are or have been home schooled. They are as well or better adjusted as any public school kids.
As to the idea that a parent must be "smart" to teach a child, this is also a myth. Obviously being a total ignoramus is one issue, however there are teaching materials and home schooling cirriculum that are used in home schooling just as in public schools.
The best test for determining if a parent can home school: Look around your house. If you find any kids that belong to you, then you are qualified to home school them.
It's not the only place but it plays a big role in most children's social development. Think back to when you were a kid, unless you, yourself were home schooled. Where did you meet most of your closet friends, how about your first boyfriend? Did you go to sports games, dances, school supported trips, prom ? Would you have missed it if you hadn't gotten to? I sure would've, I have some great memories from school and still talk to some of my friends from HS. It's not just the socialization with peers either it's learning to respect authority figures, mentoring and role models. yes, this should happen at home also, but i feel the more variety of people involved the better. I'm sure there are some people on this board who can still remember a certain teacher they had in grade school even though now they are grown adults. Like I said earlier "to each his/her own" but these are my reasons why I don't support it. (I'm not saying this is your reasoning) but sometimes I think parents choose to home school their kids because they are afraid of our current world situation. School shootings, molestation by teachers, bullying, drugs, etc... Yes, these are all horrible things but you can't keep your kid(s) in a bubble. Sooner or later they will have to deal with the ways of the world.

 

[reefraff]

If I had school aged kids there is no way in hell I would want them in a public school. If you have the ability to make a proper committment to homeschooling then more power to ya. I am not sure what would be the better use of time, homeschooling or the daily deprogramming session you have to put a kid through to get all the crap out most public schools are shoving down their throats.

 

[coral keeper]

I actually wanted to go to a home school. My dad said ok. The reason I wanted to go to a home school is because there are people that can bully you, sell drugs, and I was just watching the news where a 14 year old boy killed a 15 year old gay boy with a gun.

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by juice_1080
http:///forum/post/2489842
I agree that Public Schools don't seem to teach you much education wise but how is a stay at home parent that has not learned how to effectively teach math or science classes going to realistically give any better of an education.
I have had friends that were home schooled up till Senior year of high school and when they came into public for their last year they were lost and ended up dropping out. They lacked the knowledge of:
A) what they needed to know to keep on track with the classwork and prior important knowledge of the subject.
B) how to maintain their schoolwork and learn how to also include the social life that they previously never experienced.
I was homeschooled until high school. Ended up not studying for 2 years while high school caught up with my education from my mom. Didn't really have to study in college either. My mom was a heck of a teacher.

 

[beenbag497]

im home schooled

 

[socal57che]

From some of the posters here that are, or were, home schooled I have to say that they are pretty bright. I once thought that the social interaction of public school was necessary, but lately I have changed my mind. I couldn't handle home schooling and my daughter attends a really good elementary school. Middle school here is pretty good, too. It's high school that I'm concerned about. Maybe home school for the last few years before college is in order.

 

[stdreb27]

Personally as someone who was homeschooled in Elementary School but went to highschool for the athletics, I like homeschooling if done right.
It creates an environment where you can teach your kid without alot of the other garbage influencing him. I personally want to teach my kid about ---. and not let some government politician tell him the "politically correct" way to have "safe ---". I don't want my 6th graders being exposed to drugs and other substances. Have to listen to propaganda from tree huggers, or any other garbage they might come across.
One on one education allows you to customize the education for the child. You don't have to have your kid waiting while the teacher explains the math problem for the 3 time to another student, or handle disipline problems. You can catch and recognize problems earlier to address them. There are a multitude of benifits education wise for homeschooling your kid. Again if done right.
But that being said if you see your mom every day you're bound to butt heads especially in the teen years. And the effectiveness of the parent as a teacher wains. So I definately think you need to get your kids out of the house by the time they hit highschool. And hope you have done a good enough job raising your kids that they won't go too far off the reservation. Especially if they are into athletics. Because lets face it, home school athletics is an absolute joke. (as are alot of private schools)
That being said, if you aren't doing it right, then maybe they need to be in school, I know people who couldn't explain the electoral college, never read great literature like animal house, dickens, poe, defoe, dostoevsky(sp?), Kipling. And have some serious gaps in someones education. But that being said, I would bet alot of public school students have simular gaps in education. This can be pointed out by the amount of rememedial classes having to be taught at the college level.
I remember tutoring some kid public school all his live in remedial math. Couldn't solve a simple algebraic equation. x+1=5 or something like that.
I also think there is something to the "social" argument against homeschooling. I know in the oil industry is your education, but almost equally as important is who you know and are friends with. So their is a major degree of success dependent on social skills. But those can be learned in highschool and college.
so my ideal solution would be keep em home in elementary school. Then let them go a bit later in life. I don't want the government with more contact with my kids than I have when they are little anyways.

 

[aquaknight]

Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/2490849
I don't want my 6th graders being exposed to drugs and other substances.
So what happens when they 'graduate' home school, goes to college, and their roommate which they become good friends with, smokes pot? How will they handle it?
That said, the social scene has changed, it is much easier for kids to interact now then ever. I will agree that I've been with previously home kids in the upper level "IB" program during high school and they were definitely awkward. Of course all of them weren't, and like I said, times are changing. I for one, am just a proponent that you have been exposed to the real world, to know how to handle it, you simply can not read it from a book.

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/2490864
So what happens when they 'graduate' home school, goes to college, and their roommate which they become good friends with, smokes pot? How will they handle it?
That said, the social scene has changed, it is much easier for kids to interact now then ever. I will agree that I've been with previously home kids in the upper level "IB" program during high school and they were definitely awkward. Of course all of them weren't, and like I said, times are changing. I for one, am just a proponent that you have been exposed to the real world, to know how to handle it, you simply can not read it from a book.
Well they live and learn. The idea would be that I've indoctrinated them enough, they are old enough, where it wouldn't be a temtation. Personally I went to college and ended up having 3 pothead roommates, I never took a hit. That was the first time I had contact with drugs. A 6th grader does not need to be offered drugs. Nor be exposed to the "real world" not yet anyways. A 12 year old is in no position to make a choice that will effect him for the rest of his life.

 

[aquaknight]

Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/2491004
Well they live and learn. The idea would be that I've indoctrinated them enough, they are old enough, where it wouldn't be a temtation. Personally I went to college and ended up having 3 pothead roommates, I never took a hit. That was the first time I had contact with drugs. A 6th grader does not need to be offered drugs. Nor be exposed to the "real world" not yet anyways. A 12 year old is in no position to make a choice that will effect him for the rest of his life.
Very true, I guess I wasn't thinking of the 6th grader. But keep mind that, in about 3 years, they're going to start to drive and spread their wings and it would be quite hard to keep a teen seperated from that stuff in today's society. There are a bunch of big steps coming up very shortly for him/her. I'd rather have it spread out learn evrything in middle school/high school, then at college where drugs/---/drinking&driving all become very real issues and I've seen so many kids not be able to handle everything at once.

 

[clown boy]

Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/2490864
So what happens when they 'graduate' home school, goes to college, and their roommate which they become good friends with, smokes pot? How will they handle it?
So you're saying that being among bad people every day strengthens you? I see a problem with this reasoning.......

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/2491025
Very true, I guess I wasn't thinking of the 6th grader. But keep mind that, in about 3 years, they're going to start to drive and spread their wings and it would be quite hard to keep a teen seperated from that stuff in today's society. There are a bunch of big steps coming up very shortly for him/her. I'd rather have it spread out learn evrything in middle school/high school, then at college where drugs/---/drinking&driving all become very real issues and I've seen so many kids not be able to handle everything at once.
But that is either way, homeschooling or not, heck I'm a year out of college, I remember the binge drinking parties, in college kids can't take care of themselves. (never binge drank) How can we expect them to in jr high, and first couple years of highschool?

 

[coral keeper]

Originally Posted by Clown Boy
http:///forum/post/2491056
So you're saying that being among bad people every day strengthens you? I see a problem with this reasoning.......
Being among bad people every day will cripple you not strengthen you....

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by Clown Boy
http:///forum/post/2491056
So you're saying that being among bad people every day strengthens you? I see a problem with this reasoning.......
That isn't quite what he is saying.
There is a certain amount of "street knowledge" that is required in todays world. Just to be aware of your surroundings. For example The drug culture has its own language and tells, that they moronically use thinking that they are being sneaky. That people really should know just to be able to get out of that location if some thing is going down.
Being Nieve won't stop a bullet or keep you out of trouble.
And his argument is that school is where you learn about the "real world." I think the home is. You don't have to experience something to learn something.

 

[clown boy]

Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/2491066
school is where you learn about the "real world." I think the home is. You don't have to experience something to learn something.
Exactly! The idea that you can learn about living in the world better from anyone else other then your parents is a lie.

 

[bdhutier]

Originally Posted by NYyankeees
http:///forum/post/2490317
It's not the only place but it plays a big role in most children's social development. Think back to when you were a kid, unless you, yourself were home schooled. Where did you meet most of your closet friends, how about your first boyfriend? Did you go to sports games, dances, school supported trips, prom ? Would you have missed it if you hadn't gotten to? ....
It's not just the socialization with peers either it's learning to respect authority figures, mentoring and role models. yes, this should happen at home also, but i feel the more variety of people involved the better. ....
you can't keep your kid(s) in a bubble. Sooner or later they will have to deal with the ways of the world.
This is the precise reason we home school our kids. A little background... we HS'ed in North Dakota because the schools were so awful, Barney videos taught them more. When we moved here, they were in PS on base, which worked fine. Finally, we moved off base to our current home, and they went to PS. The schools were supposedly soooo good.

Our daughter's math textbook (for the entire year) ended up being the study guide book for the TAKS test. One strike. My kids really weren't happy, because the other students were constantly misbehaving and disrupting class. The teacher spent the majority of their time yelling and trying to discipline instead of teaching. Strike two. Finally, my oldest daughter (4th grade @ the time) came home and announced that during recess, it was decided she was the "hottest" girl in class. Strikes were irrelevant at this point. They've never been back.
So, I'm not interested in the "social education" my children are receiving at a PS. I think my kids are more socially functional than most PS kids, because they are respectful of others, don't pick fights and arguments, and aren't violent towards others. I suspect the main reason the HS kids seem socially awkward to journey (just a guess), is the HS kids spend most of the time uncomfortably watching the PS kids behave like a bunch of idiots, and have no interest in joining them.
The issues of the "first boyfriend/GF" are not a concern to me, since I'm trying to instill a foundation of virtue and chastity in my children... We go on far more education trips than any PS I know of... All I remember about the four proms I went to was everyone taking pictures for "parental proof" they went, then everyone running off to various hotel rooms full of kegs, bottles, and condoms... Honestly, I'm very doubtful there is much of anyone I'd like to mentor or provide a role-model for my children. I have too much of an interest in my kids' well-being and proper development to allow that. You don't dump police recruits in the middle of the projects to help them learn how to deal with street gangs

.
Originally Posted by AquaKnight
class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" border="0" alt="View Post">
So what happens when they 'graduate' home school, goes to college, and their roommate which they become good friends with, smokes pot? How will they handle it?
I for one, am just a proponent that you have been exposed to the real world, to know how to handle it, you simply can not read it from a book.
In the case of my children, I would argue that by college, the actions of the kid will be a personal, semi-adult choice. They will have to make that decision, and hopefully I will have developed enough of a moral foundation so they will not join in. But like I said, they will have to make that decision by that age. I will say, that at least HS kids probably (there are some wacked-out parents out there) won't have already smoked pot at that point. A large percentage of their PS counterparts will have. Besides... I'm not sure how old you are, AquaKnight, but since when has high school or college been "the real world?"

 

[aquaknight]

Originally Posted by Clown Boy
http:///forum/post/2491056
So you're saying that being among bad people every day strengthens you? I see a problem with this reasoning.......
No, not at all. In that scenario, I used it because you really don't have much choice to hang out or not with that 'bad' person. Sure you turn him in, request a new roommate, etc, each to his own on that one. I would rather been say, at a party in highschool, been offered a joint and said no, so I have that experience under my belt of telling some retarded kid at a party no, then to just have heard lectures from Mom/Dad about not using drugs and then having to tell my roommate for the first time "no." I'm not saying be best bud with the drug dealer, but I just saw some issues with isolating a teen from situations, like parties, where some drug happened.

 

[1journeyman]

Good post BDhutier, though my observations weren't that shallow.
My observations come from our large group times, when we would have 100 or so JR and HS students interacting together. Situations where the majority of the students were accustomed to by going to PS (hallways, lunch, etc.).
Socialization does take place in the teen years. I'd rather not get my Human Growth and Develpoment book out to go into this more thorougly, but it is certainly true.
For one thing the boy/girl dynamic is a two edged sword. On the one hand, a home schooled kid is protected from the nonsense that takes place. Otoh, PS girls get the advantage of seeing guys develop and learn to spot the pick up lines and lies at a much earlier age. We had a family move into our church whose 15 year old daughter was home schooled. Cute girl. She came into my office one day after a weekend event we had and started telling me how this guy was so nice that she had been talking to over the weekend. The guy was not nice. Every girl there knew that but her.
It's a complicated issue, which again, is why I'm all for voucher systems and private schooling. More social interaction with peers, but more parental involvment in schools and more opportunities for kids to learn and avoid the pitfalls of PS (private schools are far from drug/crime/s ex/ free zones, but they are better).
Parental involvement in a teens life, no matter where they are schooled, is crucial. If a parent is willing to be active in a teen's life throughout their public school years they can provide a huge advantage to the student's choices. That's where the studies and observations derail in this regard. Some of the parents whom would be most active in a child's schooling choose to home school. The effect that has on a child cannot be overstated. MANY of the struggles the typical student goes through in PS could be avoided with proper parenting. Public School parents certainly can raise intelligent, drug, alcohol and s ex free kids.
I'm not bashing home schooling, I'm just saying I've seen both sides of it play out. It's up to the parents to decide what's best for their kids. You have to carefully weigh social skills/education/pitfalls and decide for yourself what is best for your family. Again, I'm not bashing home schooling, but it does have downsides.

 

[aquaknight]

Originally Posted by bdhutier
http:///forum/post/2491082
In the case of my children, I would argue that by college, the actions of the kid will be a personal, semi-adult choice. They will have to make that decision, and hopefully I will have developed enough of a moral foundation so they will not join in. But like I said, they will have to make that decision by that age. I will say, that at least HS kids probably (there are some wacked-out parents out there) won't have already smoked pot at that point. A large percentage of their PS counterparts will have. Besides... I'm not sure how old you are, AquaKnight, but since when has high school or college been "the real world?"
I guess there are just two trains of thought on this. It's my opinion that you just can't beat experience. What I see from your post is that you build the child up, teaching entirely what you, the parent know and feel is correct, then leave the child to 'fend for him/herself.' I fully understand you till to instill as much morally as you can and preach and preach, but they will eventually go to that first party and meet that first girl/guy. I'm 22 and the 'real world' started when I was old enough to 'do the dirty', have a job of my own, and then be legally held responsible for my actions. If this sounded a bit critical, I definitely apologize, I mean everything in the best of terms. Everyone is different, everyone thinks different.

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/2491116
I guess there are just two trains of thought on this. It's my opinion that you just can't beat experience. What I see from your post is that you build the child up, teaching entirely what you, the parent know and feel is correct, then leave the child to 'fend for him/herself.' I fully understand you till to instill as much morally as you can and preach and preach, but they will eventually go to that first party and meet that first girl/guy. I'm 22 and the 'real world' started when I was old enough to 'do the dirty', have a job of my own, and then be legally held responsible for my actions. If this sounded a bit critical, I definitely apologize, I mean everything in the best of terms. Everyone is different, everyone thinks different.
Experience is good, but how much "drug experience" do you need? I with I'd never met those roommates who were pot heads. I saw very little benefit from knowing them.