Angry Homeschoolers ????

[TracyR]

I've always read how happy families that homeschool are, and the happy stories where children grow up being great, thanking their moms and dads for homeschooling them.

But what I'm curious about is , are there people out there that are mad because their parents homeschooled them and not let them go to brick and mortar school?

 

I'm not sure why but I thought of that today and just wondered if that has ever happened.

I have met people where they said they were homeschooled and then when they were high schoolers wanted to go to high school and their parents let them and they felt it wasn't the wisest decision on their part.

But has anyone heard of the opposite?

[tntgoodwin]

I was homeschooled my junior and senior year. I wish I had gone to public school the whole time. My grades could have been good enough that I could have been valedictorian, and got a full scholarship to a good college.

 

On the other hand, had that happened, I probably would not have met my wife, joined the military, etc.

[Sevilla]

Yes, I know quite a few 'angry homeschoolers' who will never.ever homeschool their own kids due to their own experiences.

[Outdoorsy Type]

I know several people who are anti-homeschooling after being home schooled. Most of them don't have children yet, though. :tongue_smilie:

[GWOB]

Our babysitter was homeschooled the whole way and loved it. Her brother feels very differently. His wife would like to homeschool her kids, but he feels very strongly about it. I gather the mom was something of an unschooler, and while that style worked with her dd, it did NOT work with her ds. I keep this story in mind when I consider our hsing direction. What may work for one kid may be terrible for another. The beauty of hsing is finding a good fit for each individual child. That good fit just may be ps.

 

Right now my kids are happy homeschoolers. Oldest is only 10, so the emotional teen years have yet to affect hsing. I just re-evaluate every year. However, I'd rather my kids hate me for homeschooling them than have them hate me for throwing them into ps and subjecting them to the crud that happens there.

[GoVanGogh]

I know two boys that were homeschooled (different families, different decades) and hated it.

I don't think, though, that they can make a fair comparison. They are judging what they know they didn't like against something they know little or nothing about. (Yes, they know 'about' a brick and mortar school, but they don't know how they would have done, what their teachers would have been like, if they would have been popular or bullied, etc.)

[ocelotmom]

I know a homeschooled adult who I don't think would really be considered an "angry" homeschooler, but who has no desire to homeschool his own kids and isn't big on the idea in general.

[Trish]

Let me know when the app comes out!

[Aelwydd]

This is totally apropos to nothing, but the title of this thread keeps making me think of "Angry Birds," except with a bunch of sullen, scowling little kids being sling-shot instead.

[GWOB]

Let me know when the app comes out!

 

This is totally apropos to nothing, but the title of this thread keeps making me think of "Angry Birds," except with a bunch of sullen, scowling little kids being sling-shot instead.

 

:lol:

 

They would be knocking down a stack of old-school Calvert, Bob Jones, or Abeka books.

[Sevilla]

Some of the angry homeschoolers I know were only hs'd for a few years and then went back to traditional school - and felt (and still feel very strongly) that their parents did a poor job of hs'ing, that they were bored and did not learn much, and when they went back to school were behind and had to work hard to catch up.

[Runningmom80]

Let me know when the app comes out!

 

:lol:

 

 

I only know of happy homeschoolers. That doesn't sound like a very fun game. ;)

[pdalley]

This is totally apropos to nothing, but the title of this thread keeps making me think of "Angry Birds," except with a bunch of sullen, scowling little kids being sling-shot instead.

 

 

:lol: (I'm getting addicted to that game)

[KathyBC]

I know two women who would rather have attended brick and mortar school. One was deeply unhappy about being homeschooled, as was her sister. Their parents isolated them from all other children. No Sunday School, even had a falling out with aunts and uncles over theology, so no cousins either. She has no children and was worried I would be isolating my dc if I homeschooled. The other woman I don't know as well. She was homeschooled up north and also felt very isolated. She had a teen-aged daughter. She expressed concern that my future children would be isolated if they were homeschooled.

 

I tried to pay attention to those voices of experience. We live rurally and don't have as much contact with other kids as some might, but we've made efforts to ensure our kids see others on a regular basis. We don't homeschool to isolate our kids. If they resented being homeschooled that would defeat the purpose, IMO.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My niece wishes that she had not been homeschooled for elementary (she went to ps for junior and senior high). She says it was very isolating. I had to remind her that it wasn't homeschool that was isolating - it was the fact that at that time her parents were "Back to nature" hippies who lived way out in the wilderness. Sometimes people blame homeschooling when it was a combination of choices made by the parents.

[Cheryl in NM]

I homeschooled my step daughter for 2 years. It was miserable for both of us.

[*Inna*]

This is totally apropos to nothing, but the title of this thread keeps making me think of "Angry Birds," except with a bunch of sullen, scowling little kids being sling-shot instead.

*snort* :lol:

 

A friend of mine was homeschooled, along with her younger brother. She loved it and now is homeschooling her children. He hated it and his kids attend a public school.

 

I knew another person, who was very negative about her homeschooling experience, she kept going on and on how it "crippled" her socially. I'm sure that woman has a whole load of issues, whether caused by homeschooling or not I'm not quite sure. She seemed to be a very angry person in general.

[Alenee]

A previous neighbor of mine was homeschooled. She's in her 40's now so that gives you perspective on the time period. She does not have a good relationship with her mother now and hates that time in her life. She said her family went through a massive transformation that began with all of the girls in the family being made to wear dresses to their ankles, high necks, etc. From what I understood, mom was under someone's influence and it completely changed the family for the negative. Her situation was an extreme case... I won't go into any details but will say that it is families like hers that are NOT the norm but seem to be those with which non-homeschoolers judge the lot of us.

 

eta: not saying that the long-dress-wearing was the problem...it's just what I remember her talking about first thing. It was all new to the girls in the family.

Edited July 3, 2011 by Alenee

[Dirtroad]

My niece wishes that she had not been homeschooled for elementary (she went to ps for junior and senior high). She says it was very isolating. I had to remind her that it wasn't homeschool that was isolating - it was the fact that at that time her parents were "Back to nature" hippies who lived way out in the wilderness. Sometimes people blame homeschooling when it was a combination of choices made by the parents.

 

:iagree: Also, many of the adults who were homeschooled were in a different era. Fewer tools available to the parents, no networks or groups for field trips & recreational activities.... it was tougher on their parents and them, I am very sure.

 

And like someone said about one "angry homeschooler"... they don't have kids yet and others weren't in classrooms...so they really can't compare the experience and may be enlightened if they ever have children in schools.

[dangermom]

I've heard some people who were raised in very restrictive homes lament their homeschooling. They were nearly always very isolated and their educations neglected in favor of chores. It does happen.

[lovelaughs_times_three]

Goodness...I hope my kids don't feel this way someday! It would be interesting to know if all the kids who resent it now had some things in common - like being very isolated, the style of teaching not matching their style of learning, etc.

I want my kids to look back with very fond memories of this time...

[Peela]

It sounds like isolation is a common factor in those who resent having been homeschooled, and possibly an alternative style of education, or lack of education, that made them feel disadvantaged or different.

 

I remember reading an account of an adult who was unschooled who was choosing to homeschool his own daughter however did not feel he was given enough of an education and intends to do it differently himself. He was not rosy eyed about homeschooling at all which was actually quite refreshing to read.

 

My kids would have resented it if I hadn't made sure they got a lot of social time. I feel lucky that we had a social group that worked for us, and even though my kids are no longer homeschooling, ds15 just spent the weekend with homeschoolers. He has many friends from different groups, but he told me the other day that although he is at school now and he enjoys it, he "will always be a homeschooler at heart.". That touched me, because so will I :)

I think the difference for him is that he can see that all those other kids know nothing else- school is all they have known- and they are stuck there no matter what till they are 17.5. He, on the other hand, was not institutionalised for almost 8 years, and now that he is back there, he knows if it doesnt work out I will find another way for him. So he's not a prisoner, which those other kids literally are.

 

However, I do feel that experiencing both school and homeschool has been the right thing for him. And for my dd, it has been perfect that she has attended college at an early age. They would have resented homeschooling any longer.

 

The idealism of parents can be both beneficial, and a dangerous thing.

[snickelfritz]

I've heard some people who were raised in very restrictive homes lament their homeschooling

 

I know two adults who were home schooled. One was like this. She is almost gleeful about being able to wear shorts, as an adult. She is still in the conservative Christian camp. She plans to send her kids to public. Her dh was public schooled, so they do have experience with both.

 

The other says she would homeschool, but her dh is against it and her kids go to public.....which makes me think she doesn't feel very strongly about it.

[CandaceC]

For those of you who know angry or disappointed homeschoolers, I would love to hear the reasons if you haven't shared already.

 

My husband and his 4 siblings were homeschooled all the way through, and while they will tell you a few things that could have been better, overall they have good feelings about homeschooling. 3 out of those 5 homeschool today.

 

I will say that they were very involved...played on basketball and baseball teams, band, church, etc.

 

Interesting topic!! :)

[kolamum]

Out of five one was angry.

 

I have beautiful memories of it. I was indifferent to it happening at the time.

 

An older sibling didn't share that mind set and was very set in "school ways". This sibling can also be snitty about a lot of things so I don't know if the "I missed out on and it's not fair" attitude is because they really felt that way or because they wanted to "get in someone's face" that day. Kwim?

 

Another was truly grateful and felt that if he hadn't been hsed he would have wandered down a dark and dangerous place. The other two have never complained. :)

[Outdoorsy Type]

Goodness...I hope my kids don't feel this way someday! It would be interesting to know if all the kids who resent it now had some things in common - like being very isolated, the style of teaching not matching their style of learning, etc.

I want my kids to look back with very fond memories of this time...

 

The people I know who are unhappy with their home schooling experience fall into to two categories.

 

1. They wanted the social experience of high school.

 

2. Their education was lacking because of neglect or poorly chosen materials.

 

I'll be honest and say that my own home education left me needing remedial courses for 1-2 semesters in college. It would have been easy for me to be upset about being so far behind when I started college.

[snickelfritz]

I'll be honest and say that my own home education left me needing remedial courses for 1-2 semesters in college

 

Although, in fairness, the same can be said of many who come through the public schools. I'm not contradicting YOUR experience, since you know what your schooling lacked, just making a comment.

 

As a bit of a side note...... I have a friend who was, technically, private schooled. He used a go-at-your-own-pace and do-it-yourself curriculum, that he refers back to with great.....sarcasm??? Derision??? Anyway, not good comments.;). So, any general school method (private, public, home, etc...) has the potential to be less than stellar.

Edited July 3, 2011 by snickelfritz

[Outdoorsy Type]

I agree, that is why I'm not upset. It would have been easy for me to slip through the cracks at public school as well.

[Ottakee]

I know of a few.

 

One girl feels she didn't get a good education and honestly, I don't think she did. The parents were more of the mind set that 8th grade is enough for girls and then it is home making skills, chores, etc.---all fine but this girl might have liked to go on to college or a trade and doesn't have the educational background to do so without a lot of study.

 

Another one who might not have resented homeschooling per say though was the oldest (a girl) with 5 younger siblings. She had to watch them a great deal growing up. I have nothing against an older sibling helping out, babysitting occ, etc. but it can become too much and they end up parenting more than the parents.

[Recovering Sociopath]

Thanks for starting such an interesting thread. We are just starting our home school journey, and since I didn't know any home schoolers growing up, it's still a new world to me.

 

My oldest keeps saying he wants to go to a "real" school. I think he is going on an idea of "real" school that he has gotten from cartoons. :P Also, he wants to ride a school bus. I'm not too concerned about it now, but we will revisit in a few years to see if he still wants to go. I want this to be a good thing for him, not something that embitters him toward us.

[kwg]

Goodness...I hope my kids don't feel this way someday! It would be interesting to know if all the kids who resent it now had some things in common - like being very isolated, the style of teaching not matching their style of learning, etc.

I want my kids to look back with very fond memories of this time...

 

:iagree: For those of you that know these angry hsers (kinda makes me :lol:) ....I am assuming they expressed resentment at the time? I know it can not be all roses but sometimes I do worry about the sighing and the slumped shoulders whenever it is time to do school. Not that he would not have to do it anyway; but it is easy to blame me when it is just life....I have assumed as he matures he would see that :tongue_smilie:

 

My oldest had to take remedial courses in college- and she was getting B/Cs in honors in ps!:glare:

[DawnM]

I actually don't know any personally, but I have heard they exist!

 

We have told our kids that should they wish to go to school they can. So far they beg to stay home, so if they are angry about it, it is their own fault! I will NOT pay for therapy! :D

 

Dawn

[abbeyej]

My own home schooling experience was very positive. But I know a guy about my age who is *very* anti-homeschooling because of his own background. His parents moved him from a suburban area where he enjoyed school to a rural area just as he would have begun high school. Their religious fervor increased radically, and he began home schooling. All at once. He felt stifled, like he was missing out on life experience *and* academic experiences, he had little time to interact with peers.

 

And now, in his 30s, he's still angry with them.

 

It's a real shame. And it's hard for him to understand that other people *can* have a positive home schooling experience.

[radiobrain]

Gosh, there are positives and negatives about every form of schooling.

 

I know a person who has 2 kids that resent the way they were HSed (radical unschooling) and the other 2 were very happy (they did adjust their methods).

 

I have very negative feelings about my excellent private school education. My parents would have been horrible homeschoolers. At the time I am sure I would have loved it, but as an adult I wold have been very resentful.

 

So, um, I guess I didn't actually answer the question. ;)

 

My kids have zero interest in going to a B & M school. I have explained that they might change their minds, and resent me in the future, but so far we are good.

[abbeyej]

Goodness...I hope my kids don't feel this way someday! It would be interesting to know if all the kids who resent it now had some things in common - like being very isolated, the style of teaching not matching their style of learning, etc.

I want my kids to look back with very fond memories of this time...

 

Common threads I've seen (among adults with negative hs experiences):

 

Isolation. Not only were they kept at home for "school", their interactions with the world were limited in other ways as well. No sports, no camps, no group music practices, no jobs where they interacted with lots of different kinds of people. They were at home and possibly at a (non-mainstream) church.

 

Family upheaval. Generally one or both parents went through some pretty extreme personality changes. Maybe a divorce and remarriage. Quite possibly a dramatic shift in religious persuasion. Home schooling may have *started* then, with the shift, or it may simply have changed. Whatever the causes, kid is suddenly far more restricted at a time when he or she was just beginning to need *more* freedom.

 

Educational neglect. I rarely hear adults say, "If only my parents had recognized my auditory learning style." They might acknowledge a mis-match somewhere along the road (for instance, Saxon math still makes me twitch!), but that usually doesn't make them angry. ... However, simply *not* having been taught, not having been provided opportunities to learn and grow, not having been pushed to do hard things... Those are all major issues. Also, complete denial of a true learning disability is a problem. Most of us can learn in a variety of different manners and will get by more or less with all kinds of approaches that are "good enough" -- they don't have to be perfect. ... But kids who showed clear and consistent signs of a real learning disability that was never addressed can often be embittered as adults. For a long time vocal members of the home school community argued against "labeling" students who had difficulty or told stories about those extremely rare cases of kids who couldn't read and suddenly began reading Lord of the Rings at twelve years old. I have no doubt that those kids exist, but far more common is the child who struggles with reading at 8 and at 10 and at 15 who still struggles with reading at 30. Denying kids the educational help they need when struggling, or the opportunity to be challenged as much or more than they would be in school is a problem.

 

Abusive parents. Obviously this isn't about "home schooling". But there are abusive or severely controlling (emotionally abusive) parents who also "home school" or who use home schooling as a tool to further that abuse. It's no wonder that kids who grow up in the situation find themselves thinking, "If only I'd been in school, somebody would have seen, somebody could have helped me! Even if they didn't, I could have had a few hours of peace and safety in my life." ... It's heartbreaking and, I believe, very rare. But it's understandable how that would turn someone against home schooling completely.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Let me know when the app comes out!

 

Ahah. So I wasn't the only one who thought it was going to be an app!

[kwg]

This conversation is reminding me of a talk I had when I was younger. A person I knew was talking about how she was not going to lie to her children about the myth of Santa b/c she was so hurt and betrayed when she found out and I called my mom later and asked her if she remembered me feeling like that b/c I did not and I was kinda surprised anyone would. She laughed and said "no you had bigger things to be mad at me about" (and I do not mean to belittle my friend's experiences at all!! but my mom did have a point in that I have PTSD from my childhood experiences) but it made me think at the time that maybe we all get ticked off at our parents for something yk? B/c they aren't perfect....and the trick is just not to screw the kiddos up too much :lol:

 

Hopefully too it is about listening to and respecting children as individual people and trying to meet their needs (not always wants) as much as possible.

 

Ds8 says he wants to stay home but he is still young. ds4 has asked when he can ride a school bus and I told him in our family we do that when we are older, like 10, and that seemed to satisfy him...at least he has not mentioned it since. He loves that he is in preschool at our co-op and it does help when people ask him if he goes to school.

 

I do worry though:tongue_smilie: I would worry if i sent them to school too- it is my nature

[melissel]

:iagree: For those of you that know these angry hsers (kinda makes me :lol:) ....I am assuming they expressed resentment at the time?

 

Given the backgrounds that many of the anecdotes here describe, it sounds like the isolated kids might have had the kind of parents that didn't allow the expression of too much resentment. Or, at the time, they may not have know what they were missing out out, but in hindsight, they can see deficiencies?

 

This is the kind of thing I think about when I hear peopl say that they don't allow their children input into whether or not B&M school is any kind of option. I can imagine a kid who is very unhappy at home and wants to go to outside school might end up being one of these anecdotes.

[Peela]

 

My oldest keeps saying he wants to go to a "real" school. I think he is going on an idea of "real" school that he has gotten from cartoons. :P Also, he wants to ride a school bus. I'm not too concerned about it now, but we will revisit in a few years to see if he still wants to go. I want this to be a good thing for him, not something that embitters him toward us.

 

A class or two where they have to sit still can give him that "school" experience and maybe turn him off it! My dd handled homeschool Latin classes but my son..he'd rather do just about anything else than sit there and be taught like that.

As for school buses- maybe a normal bus journey somewhere might help him quench that desire.

My kids definitely wanted to feel that peer thing- we got involved in a lot of group activities over the years.

As a mother who is dedicated to homeschooling it can be heartbreaking when your kids want to go to school to experience certain experiences- fortunately where I live the parents/kids organised homeschool balls and sports carnivals etc Not all kids need those sorts of things but mine felt they did and I am glad they had access to them.

[GoVanGogh]

I know two angry homeschoolers.

 

The first (21-years-old) hates any form of learning/reading/studying and wishes he had gone to public school for the social aspects, even though he was very active in the homeschool community and not isolated. I'm not sure that his opinion of public school would be much different and - more than likely - he would have dropped out or flunked out. In fact, he did drop out of college, despite a wonderful scholarship.

 

The second is in his mid-30s. His parents owned a bakery at the time he was homeschooled and he did his schooling in the office until lunch-time, at which time he had to put up his books and help with the business.

His issues are:

He was handed textbooks and required to learn on his own. (Who wouldn't hate that?)

He was required to work at the family business and views that as slave labor. (I went to public school but my parents owned a business. I was required to work there every day after school, so I understand what he is saying. But - in my case - I think working at our family business gave me a great work ethic and gave me business skills at a young age that many people never develop.)

He was telling me a few weeks ago that he always hated math when he was homeschooled but had a wonderful college professor that 'brought him up to speed.' He is now an engineer. It sounds, from talking to this man, that he was simply frustrated - that his parents wanted him to learn on his own and he hit a wall with what he could learn on his own with the books they gave him. I think that is very much an issue of the time he was homeschooled. Like I said, he is in his 30s now. There simply wasn't as much available 20+ years ago.

 

 

I love Angry Birds and think an Angry Homeschoolers app would be fun, especially if it involved certain textbooks. :D

[Philippians 4:8]

Good point!

[abbeyej]

...his parents wanted him to learn on his own and he hit a wall with what he could learn on his own with the books they gave him. I think that is very much an issue of the time he was homeschooled. Like I said, he is in his 30s now. There simply wasn't as much available 20+ years ago. ...

 

I disagree that it was because of the time. I see people asking *frequently* about how to have their children self-school these days, and many home schoolers still seem to place a high value on that. ... While I think learning to work independently and be self-motivated is important, I don't think that leaving a child alone with a pile of books to sink or swim is the way to go about that. And we all need mentors when we're working to learn something new. We may be able to find resources that give us most of the information, but it's vital to have someone we can discuss with, ask questions, be inspired by...

 

And yes, there were fewer materials out there specifically for home schoolers 20-30 years ago (when I was a home schooled kiddo myself), but I don't think that makes a difference if the family is just abandoning the child to do work on his or her own. Even access to computers, etc, can't make up for not having an interested, supportive parent or teacher around from time to time.

[dangermom]

The people I know who are unhappy with their home schooling experience fall into to two categories.

 

1. They wanted the social experience of high school.

 

2. Their education was lacking because of neglect or poorly chosen materials.

 

I'll be honest and say that my own home education left me needing remedial courses for 1-2 semesters in college. It would have been easy for me to be upset about being so far behind when I started college.

 

I don't think needing some remedial courses in college is quite the level of neglect that I'm hearing about from angry homeschoolers. It's more things like never doing any science ever, being put in charge of younger siblings' educations without time to do 9th-grade math, being taught only Dominionist history, college never being an option because of being a girl, that sort of thing.

 

I don't know if it's so much 'wanting the social experience of high school' as wanting any friends at all.

[kewb]

I don't personally know any angry homeschoolers but I know they are out there. I do know one angry homeschooling mother. She is only homeschooling because her ds begged her to homeschool and he was having problems in school with boredom and acting act. Her son is thriving. She makes sure he has social opportunities along with the educational but she resents every minute of it. She wishes he was back in school with his siblings so she can have her life back.

 

My kids love to tell me all they are unhappy with and when they come to me with their various grievances I tell them I will add them to the list of "All the things my mother did wrong" that I keep. This way when they are in therapy they can save some time by just handing over a copy of the list. So, if they are unhappy homeschooling I know they will tell me.

[TracyR]

I guess the question popped up into my head because of my oldest daughter. She is 13, very social. Though I ( as well as her teacher) that she's quite in a school enviroment.

Anyways the school shut down their 7th and 8th grades because of lack of enrollment. People send their kids over to the middle/high school for 7th and 8th grade now. But I do now want her stepping foot into the high school. Its not a good high school by any means. The enviroment there is down right despicable. Even my husband and I have seen it and heard it from others who have pulled their children out of there. I' have to many friends that are teachers and have heard the horror stories. I've yet to hear anything positive about the school. We come from a very poor town, so neglect and abuse and teenaged pregnancy runs rampant. Its nothing for a teenaged girl to have more than one child and be going to the high school where they provide daycare for them. Teachers have encouraged students to steal, students doing horrible things that involve feces, the hazing of the incoming 7th graders, I could go on and on. We have no school choice. Its the high school or homeschool if you have a child in 7th grade and above. No charter schools, no magnet schools , no other high school for at least a 45 mile radius.

 

My in laws have a 'romantic fantasy' of the days when they went to high school there, but those days are long gone. Children bring in drugs, if your a nice kid your a target for harassment or teasing , or getting beat up. Neither my husband or I can justify sending our daughter there. There would be no form of protection for her once she left our care. The teachers, staff , etc have proven they don't protect the students who are the target of bullying. Yet since my daughter has a few "friends" from her private school who are being forced to go there now due to the school shutting its 7th and 8th grades, she wants to go over there now. I told her its high school. She may see her "friends" ( you know those friends who are only your friends because your in the school building and haven't talked to you or called you up once this summer friends) passing by in the hallway, that they all won't be in the same classroom anymore. There is no recess, or breaks, its not at all like going to their private school. I've told her about the dangers of the school and yet she still presses my buttons. There has been a few times that my husband said to let her go and figure it out for herself , yet I still can't put her in that position because once your bullied , once your teased and taunted that's it. You just can't reverse that no matter how much therapy you've had( I know). I've seen how she's reacted when someone calls her a name at school. I know I can't protect her from everything but to knowningly put her in an enviroment like that I just can't justify it in my mind.

 

Plus the education is poor at best. Unless your in AP classes you don't have books of your own. You have to copy information into notebooks ( I'm not kidding about this, you will literally not see any of the high schoolers ever carrying around a book bag nor will you see them coming home with books either). The private school my girls went to this year actually covered 6th and 7th grade in one year and to be honest having my daughter home she's still full of holes in her education yet many who have graduated from the private school said they could have easily have skipped 7th grade at the high school. I know the school district itself is in dire straights. They are cutting teachers so there will be about 30+ students in a classroom. They are cutting courses like Chemistry, Spanish etc because they aren't in the state testing. You can do Chemistry as an elective if you want but its not required. I can see how well that's going to go especially when teenagers will do the least amount of work possible if given the chance ( there might be a few kids who really will take the class). Its just sad all around. We want our daughters to have more than that.

The reason the girls went to school this year is the lack of homeschool support we have in our community. There are homeschoolers but if your not Protestant, if your not part of their cliques they formed many years ago ( we're outsiders you see, not from this area) then your out of luck. At times I can feel isolated.

 

But as a homeschool family we did way more than any school, even the one they went to this year, could have ever given them. I did find kids for them to play with, they did Girl Scouts, were on the swimming team at the Y, was involved in other community sports. We traveled to museums , visited with family, the list can go on and on. This year they were stuck in a school building and then had two field trips. The end.

Then there is my sister who homeschooled and her kids went to school this year. She educated them but that was about it. They weren't involved in any of the above and yet her children are begging to come back home and mine want to go back to school!

I thought we had a wonderful time as a family. Yet my girls feel the need to be locked up in a building all day. I guess maybe thats what I need to do. LOL

 

Anyways it got me thinking, " Will my daughters be angry about the decision we made homeschooling?" We can't move right now to a better place with a better school district.

I guess in the end if our girls feel they need therapy because their parents loved them enough to make sure they had a good education, got to experience life, and were learning in a safe enviroment , then I guess it has to be then.

[Mama Lynx]

Those are *exactly* the things I've heard from angry homeschoolers. Most often I've heard the complaints about isolation, and educational neglect.

[cin]

I know several people who are anti-homeschooling after being home schooled. Most of them don't have children yet, though. :tongue_smilie:

 

Good point. That's like the teenager who sees no problem wearing LOW jeans and a short shirt. When her daughter is 12 yrs old, see what she thinks!

 

I'm sure there are bad homeschooling situations, just as there are bad PS situations. Each child is an individual, and needs to be schooled to meet their individual needs.

[dangermom]

Anyways it got me thinking, " Will my daughters be angry about the decision we made homeschooling?" We can't move right now to a better place with a better school district.

I guess in the end if our girls feel they need therapy because their parents loved them enough to make sure they had a good education, got to experience life, and were learning in a safe enviroment , then I guess it has to be then.

I think there's a big difference between grown kids thinking "I didn't like it at the time, but I know my parents did their best for me and they did give me a good education" and "My parents sacrificed me to their philosophy without thinking about my welfare at all."

 

From the responses you've gotten here and from what you've said, I hope your daughter will be the first kind! :001_smile:

[QuirkyKapers]

This is a great thread! It is good to have a reminder to think about am I doing these things with my kids? The isolation isn't an issue here, in fact my husband often wonders why they call it homeschooling when we aren't home all the time:)

 

As far as learning styles and creating a learning environment that works for the kids, remember that they are different is important. It is also a good reminder to make sure I am not expecting too much independent work as well as adult responsibilities... I am not saying they shouldn't have responsibilities are do independent work but sometimes I see other homeschoolers have put so much weight on their kids shoulders "because they are teaching responsibility". It is hard to find the balance isn't it?

 

Also, even if you think you are doing what is best for each child, they may not see it that way in the end. It is like two people hearing a friend talk about something. If they compare notes in the end, what they heard can be very different.

[kwg]

I think there's a big difference between grown kids thinking "I didn't like it at the time, but I know my parents did their best for me and they did give me a good education" and "My parents sacrificed me to their philosophy without thinking about my welfare at all."

 

From the responses you've gotten here and from what you've said, I hope your daughter will be the first kind! :001_smile:

 

:iagree: It does not sound like you have a whole lot of choice in the matter. In that case I would prob try to sweeten the pot somewhat- anything she is particularly passionate about that she could devote time to study? Or even get half days to pursue that interest? Let her pick some curriculum? Promise to set up times for her to hang out with friends that have gone to school?

 

Once she talks to the kids who have to go to that school and hears how horrible it is, she will prob thank you...well. Maybe she will not thank you out loud :lol: but she will prob think it!