Comments on: Why I Hate Homeschooling

By: Kim Siever

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:12:06 +0000

Lack of communication with children your age isn’t a problem with homeschooling; it’s a problem with your homeschooling.

By: Albert M. Kramer

Albert M. Kramer — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:29:32 +0000

When I was young, and stupid, I had some problems with alcohol, so my parents took me from school. I started homeschooling, graduated it and went to MIT. Today I have my own children and I’m thinking what should I do. The problem with homeschooling is the lack of communication with other kids of your age.

By: Lakota Myers

Lakota Myers — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:34:39 +0000

One thing that many overlook is that, while the majority of people in the world today-ncluding homeschoolers-live in urban areas, some do not. My hs daughter seems to be suffering socially despite my efforts, in part because we cannot go to such places as often as urbanites. PS was her source for socialization. Now it is a struggle.
Do not assume everyone lives within 30 miles of a city.

By: Audrey

Audrey — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:32:00 +0000

That’s so sad! I homeschool my daughter and she has lots of friends to play with, and a couple of very close friends. I wonder if the mom is aware of how her daughter feels.

By: Anyway

Anyway — Mon, 26 May 2008 06:57:22 +0000

My homeschooled daughter has more friends than her public schooled mom (yours truly) ever did.
And frankly, while I agree that kids need time away from their parents, I think we’ve reaped in whirlwind in terms of the behavior we see in youth today, which is for the most part the product of kids being left to raise one another for 7-8 hours a day. My 12-year old receives compliments often concerning her behavior and social skills (introducing herself to coaches and adult scouting volunteers, etc.). Perhaps this is because she was raised by an adult, and not other children.

By: Ice Cream

Ice Cream — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:06:58 +0000

And I’m sure there has never been a public schooled kid who felt they didn’t have friends…

By: Mary Siever

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:53:00 +0000

Oh and I forgot, they also go to the library. Another favourite place.

By: Kim Siever

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:31:19 +0000

I’d also assert that social interaction without parental oversight is also important to correct childhood development. Does homeschooling allow for a scenario like that?

Sure. My previous comment gives several examples of this. Other than field trips and trips to the park, we don't participate in their other activities.

Would you say there are any inherent weaknesses to homeschooling?

Sure. It is too easy for unmotivated/apathetic parents to screw up their children's education. I don't know of any, but I assume some must exist somewhere.

By: rick

rick — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:24:10 +0000

"In school you aren’t allowed to interact during school time except in group situations approved by the teacher. "

"...but there was little socializing during class time when I was in school."

Yes, it appears you both had different experiences with interaction between kids and teachers than I experienced and my children experienced at public school.

Group interaction and teacher led discussion seems to be stressed even more now than when I went to school.

I'd also assert that social interaction without parental oversight is also important to correct childhood development. Does homeschooling allow for a scenario like that?

I know one technique for strengthening one's position on a topic is to recognize and overcome the weaknesses of one's position. Would you say there are any inherent weaknesses to homeschooling?

By: Mary Siever

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:55:45 +0000

Well, I don't know about all homeschooled children, but mine don't stay home for 7 or 8 hours. We do sit down work in the morning and then are out doing other things, field trips, the YMCA, ballet, soccer (seasonal), art classes, Nature Centre, what have you. Oh yes, shopping, recycling, park (not often enough for their comfort). To compare this to public schooled children, I would say they get more opportunities for socialising. In school you aren't allowed to interact during school time except in group situations approved by the teacher. My children have 3-4 hours of school work and after that they have the rest of the day in which to participate in other activities. We would still do these things without church.

Not sure how those two phrases totally contradict each other. Let me explain. School doesn't socialise. People do. So if people see other people and interact they can become socialised (depending on how they interact). But these "socialisation" standards that seem so important to non homeschoolers (and yet public school doesn't seem to add much to proper socialisation) there are plenty of examples of children who were public schooled who didn't seem to benefit from the alleged socialising aspect so it seems to me that socialisation comes from another source. Not school. Merely being with other children doesn't create proper socialisation.

I wasn't really asserting that public schooled children are more violent. Probably some are. But I doubt that has anything to do with school itself. Just as lack of socialisation wouldn't have anything to do with homeschooling. Other sources are likely the culprit.