Home » Pick Your Crowd » Home Schooling » What are your reasons for home schooling your kids?

Hello, guest Login | Register

Name: briseis [ Original Post ] Over here in Ireland, home schooling is so rare that I have never heard of anyone in Ireland or even the UK who has home schooled their children, although I'm sure there are probably some who have and do. I have a 5-month-old son, and although I would never consider home schooling him, as I intend to be a working mother, I'm just curious as to the reasons why parents choose to home school, when our taxes go to paying for high quality education where teachers specifically educated in child education and the specific curriculum are available to do, lets face it, a better job than an untrained mother would do at home. Not to mention the wonderful socialising aspect school provides for children. Why turn away from all this in favour of keeping your kids at home, away from other children, with you all day long every day, while you make an untrained effort at teaching them? I'm not criticisng home schooling or those who do it! All power to you if you genuinely feel it is best for your little ones. I just don't understand the reasons parents do it? ↓

Your Name Your Reply

Name: Em | Date: Mar 20th, 2009 1:13 PM

I am a recently graduated-from-college young adult who was home schooled up until the age of 17. My mother wasn't going to home school but her sister-in-law convinced her to give it a shot with me (the oldest) and she never looked back. "the wonderful socializing aspect school provides for children" is not the only way to socialize your child. I never went to public school but I had lots of friends and extracurricular interests, as well as a more creative mind and I thought for myself. My friends, and other people I knew, who went to public school tended to almost always allow others to think for them. They weren't interested in pursuing creative extracurricular activities, found themselves dabbling in partying, drugs and alcohol while they were underage, and had parents who were not actively involved in their lives. Being a home school parent means being involved in your kids life as well as guiding them scholastically (or getting them tutors when you cannot teach certain subjects). As they grow up, you have to continually reevaluate how much freedom to give, in order to let them grow up without being sheltered. There are lots of people who are not sheltered, awkward home schooled kids. You just hear about the ones who are awkward because they stand out. :-) I would challenge you to give home schooling a shot, like my mom did. You won't be disappointed... and neither will you kids. As I got older, my mother gave me the choice to go to public school if I really wanted to... I never did. Instead, I went to community college in high school, then transfered to a school in Canada (because I was ready to leave home right after finishing high school/community college). I would also challenge you to consider that allowing a stranger to spend all that quality time with your child, instilling in them all their own ways of looking at the world, and molding them to fit into the box that is public education can hold a child back from experiencing education to it's fullest. You have a lot of options for home schooling education-and you can tailor homework to help your child with their SPECIFIC educational needs (weaknesses and strengths). You are your child's greatest advocate. ↑