Homeschooling
Many homeschoolers do so for strongly religious reasons, and/or because they hate public schools. We incorporated no religious study, and I’m a supporter of public schools.
So “normal” families don’t understand us because we homeschool, and homeschoolers don’t understand us because we’re secular.
The arguments people give against homeschooling I pretty much don’t have the inclination to argue against. “Socialization” is one I hear a lot, that I just don’t care about. D and I are both introverts, and the kids are pretty well adjusted, pretty well able to get along with a wide range of people. The less they act like kids their ages, the better.
Homeschooling has also, I’m sure, made our kids be better friends. The Girl plays well with The Boy because she has to (he’s the only one around) and because she’s not surrounded by peers who vent about how they hate their little siblings. The bonding between our kids is one of the things others remark on—how well they get along. I can only hope it continues.
So while we aren’t officially homeschoolers this year, I still feel like a homeschooling family. I have the mindset that my kids should have a great deal of flexibility and the ability to learn at their own pace. That they shouldn’t be oppressed by teachers. (D and I have plenty of stories of teachers doing just that to us.) Although the curriculum we’re using this year is prescribed, I know we will still study other topics as they interest us.
Many people ask how long we’ll do this. I answer, as long as it works for us. Many families homeschool for early grades, then “give up.” Helping the kids get through high school doesn’t intimidate me too much. Math is my best subject, and between us D and I can cover higher level science pretty well (elementary science is complete fluff and a waste of time). Colleges have gotten pretty good about evaluating applicants who have been homeschooled, and test scores seem to be the most important determinant. Besides, I can see both kids taking community college classes early on, both to get a jump start on credits/save money and to demonstrate their suitability for college.
Many homeschoolers do so for strongly religious reasons, and/or because they hate public schools. We incorporated no religious study, and I’m a supporter of public schools.
So “normal” families don’t understand us because we homeschool, and homeschoolers don’t understand us because we’re secular.
The arguments people give against homeschooling I pretty much don’t have the inclination to argue against. “Socialization” is one I hear a lot, that I just don’t care about. D and I are both introverts, and the kids are pretty well adjusted, pretty well able to get along with a wide range of people. The less they act like kids their ages, the better.
Homeschooling has also, I’m sure, made our kids be better friends. The Girl plays well with The Boy because she has to (he’s the only one around) and because she’s not surrounded by peers who vent about how they hate their little siblings. The bonding between our kids is one of the things others remark on—how well they get along. I can only hope it continues.
So while we aren’t officially homeschoolers this year, I still feel like a homeschooling family. I have the mindset that my kids should have a great deal of flexibility and the ability to learn at their own pace. That they shouldn’t be oppressed by teachers. (D and I have plenty of stories of teachers doing just that to us.) Although the curriculum we’re using this year is prescribed, I know we will still study other topics as they interest us.
Many people ask how long we’ll do this. I answer, as long as it works for us. Many families homeschool for early grades, then “give up.” Helping the kids get through high school doesn’t intimidate me too much. Math is my best subject, and between us D and I can cover higher level science pretty well (elementary science is complete fluff and a waste of time). Colleges have gotten pretty good about evaluating applicants who have been homeschooled, and test scores seem to be the most important determinant. Besides, I can see both kids taking community college classes early on, both to get a jump start on credits/save money and to demonstrate their suitability for college.
posted by YAMB at 11:48 AM
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