18 Reasons Why Doctors and Lawyers Homeschool Their Children-article

[treestarfae]

http://childrensmd.org/uncategorized/why-doctors-and-lawyers-homeschool-their-children-18-reasons-why-we-have-joined-americas-fastest-growing-educational-trend/

[Scarlett]

Great list....and not just for doctors or lawyers.

[Hilltop]

My dh posted a link to this article on Facebook a couple of days ago. He and I were both pleasantly surprised at the reactions from some of our friends. Several friends that do not homeschool mentioned that it was a good article and/or good food for thought.

[Butter]

I saw that earlier. One of the things isn't accurate depending on where you live. In Maryland they won't let kids do even speech therapy at the public school. And definitely no doing some things at school and some at home. It is a great list otherwise, but a lot of YMMV.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I'm not sure what the doctor/lawyer thing has to do with it. I think large portions of that list would apply to almost any homeschooler. I agree with a pp who said not all of it is accurate nation-wide, and the author sounded a little too "school-at-home" for my taste, but overall I agreed with it.

[LucyStoner]

I don't think the professions of homeschooling parents matters or that someone's profession makes their opinion more authoritative on issues outside of their profession. I agree with her reasons by and large but think the title is misleading (like it is arguing that there are a huge number of those in medicine and law who homeschool) and irrelevant.

[wapiti]

I don't think the professions of homeschooling parents matters or that someone's profession makes their opinion more authoritative on issues outside of their profession. I agree with her reasons by and large but think the title is misleading (like it is arguing that there are a huge number of those in medicine and law who homeschool) and irrelevant.

 

 

I agree with all this. (And, FWIW, unfortunately homeschooling does not seem to be well-accepted by most of the doctors and lawyers I know, as well as others with various graduate degrees from top-tier institutions. I know a lot of lawyers with very bright kids, even with their share of 2e issues and whatnot, but few have more than toyed with the idea of homeschooling and many seem downright hostile to the idea, mostly over socialization.)

[Kathleen in LV]

I don't think the professions of homeschooling parents matters or that someone's profession makes their opinion more authoritative on issues outside of their profession.

 

I agree with this statement. But as a former practicing attorney (and wife of an attorney), I think I kind of understand what the title is getting at, but it is difficult for me to articulate well. As a homeschooler, I feel like my world is completely different from the "world" I lived in as an attorney (and, in my opinion, better). But in the "attorney world" I was always around people with a good bit of money who were concerned about their childrens' education - which almost always meant expensive private school. Many worked long hours and spent little time with their children (other than the annual expensive vacation). I'm not trying to bash attorneys, and I'm not trying to say it's like this for all of them. I think the title is just addressing the fact that the advantages of homeshooling are so numerous that even doctors and lawyers are choosing to alter their very different lifestyles to enjoy those advantages.

 

I hope that sheds some light without offending.

 

Kathleen

[stripe]

 

These were not the stay-at-home-moms in long skirts that I expected. The face of homeschooling is changing. We are not all religious extremists or farmers, and our kids are not all overachieving academic nerds without social skills.

 

Well, that's a relief! Especially when we get to the end of the article and read

 

According to the national center for education statistics, 36% of homeschooling families were primarily motivated by a desire to provide religious or moral instruction. Our family is not part of this 36%– we never objected to any values taught in either our public or private schools. Nevertheless, we’ve really enjoyed building our own traditions and living out our family values in a way that wasn’t possible before homeschooling.

For example ... we spend an entire week celebrating Easter.

 

Not sure why the National Center for Education Statistics doesn't get capital letters or a link! Anyway I wonder if she'd deign to associate with fellow homeschooling moms. I appreciate her ideas, but the tone irritated me. Come on. You don't have to belittle religious people (especially since it turns out she is one! ha) in order to say homeschooling is okay. It's a bit too much, "Hey! I'm normal!" for me.

[violamama]

Some of my friends have said something along the lines of, "Well, hs is fine for you and your husband because you guys have done a lot of school yourself and have degrees. It shouldn't be a right for other people."

I feel very strongly that this is false, and that with the resources available today anybody can homeschool well. The logic they're using is faulty anyway because neither of us received any special teacher training and getting a random doctorate does nothing to help prepare a person to homeschool.

 

That being said, I think the article makes a lot of good points. She could have been more kind to the people who might indeed fit the skirt-wearing stereotype, and that part of the article made me a bit uncomfortable. I wish people didn't have to tear down the thing they are afraid of being lumped into, and instead just proclaim their own differences.

[cathmom]

I read this because my oldest son wanted me to. He thought they sounded very naive and new to homeschooling. The "do anything you want at the public schools" is not accurate in our state either - a little fact-checking might have been a good idea.

 

What struck me was the financial cluelessness. The dilemma of choosing whether to pay for college/retirement/private school isn't a dilemma for lots of us because we can't pay for any of them. It sounded like, "homeschool so you can have a better retirement!" Whereas my dh and I quit homeschooling so that - maybe - someday we can have a glimmer of a hope of retiring.

 

And then I think it was the "old smartphone" comment that did me in. I don't even have a smartphone, let alone multiple old ones to give my children. The only reason I have an iPad is that my school got one for each teacher.

 

But then, despite the fact that I have a master's degree, I know I wasn't the target demographic for this article. And the title just makes me think of the song "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys, make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such..."

[violamama]

 

And then I think it was the "old smartphone" comment that did me in.

 

Reminds me of the time they were recommending you use your leaf blower to dry the top of your SUV after washing it... in "Real Simple" magazine! The idea of somebody forking over $5 for a magazine about using tons of money to make your lavish lifestyle appear simple, yet then handwashing their Lexus... neither real nor simple, I say!

 

And the title just makes me think of the song "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys, make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such..."

 

Waylon! Yay, tunes from my childhood. (I was not a coal miner's daughter but I liked to pretend I was...)

[justamouse]

I saw that on FB and I loved it. Great article.

[Lisbeth]

The article is written from the perspective of her reality. I know several people whp choose not to use private schools because they get better value for that money in homeschool. It is just one perspective.

[Alice]

I’m a homeschooling pediatrician. As you might imagine, many friends sent me this article. :) There was something about it that overall left me annoyed although that might have been more my mood than her fault. I think one thing was that it seemed shallow. Homeschooling is fun! Homeschooling makes parenting easier! Homeschooling makes me yell less! I think part of that is that it’s written to a non-homeschooling audience so it’s not really meant to delve into the more challenging parts of homeschooling. (For the record, I do think it’s fun most of the time and in some ways it’s easier than being in school elsewhere. In other ways, it’s really hard. And I do yell.)

 

Homeschooling is fairly uncommon in the medical world. (Although I might be changing my mind on this, I keep meeting other doctor homeschoolers.) I know all my own partners think I’m slightly nutty. Whenever we have a family who comes in who is slightly odd and homeschools someone will make a comment to me or something about “of course, your family is differentâ€. I don’t necessarily want to feel like an ambassador of homeschooling at work but sometimes I do feel that way. I generally end up feeling like I don’t quite fit in anywhere. So I get where she’s coming from. However, I thought the whole “this is a big secret†conceit was a bit ridiculous. Sure, other doctors might think you’re nutty but who cares? Noone really cares what you do, even if they think it’s weird.

 

That’s my take. Overall it was kind of just a “meh†article.

[Alice]

Double post.

[Scarlett]

I’m a homeschooling pediatrician. As you might imagine, many friends sent me this article. :) There was something about it that overall left me annoyed although that might have been more my mood than her fault. I think one thing was that it seemed shallow. Homeschooling is fun! Homeschooling makes parenting easier! Homeschooling makes me yell less! I think part of that is that it’s written to a non-homeschooling audience so it’s not really meant to delve into the more challenging parts of homeschooling. (For the record, I do think it’s fun most of the time and in some ways it’s easier than being in school elsewhere. In other ways, it’s really hard. And I do yell.)

 

Homeschooling is fairly uncommon in the medical world. (Although I might be changing my mind on this, I keep meeting other doctor homeschoolers.) I know all my own partners think I’m slightly nutty. Whenever we have a family who comes in who is slightly odd and homeschools someone will make a comment to me or something about “of course, your family is differentâ€. I don’t necessarily want to feel like an ambassador of homeschooling at work but sometimes I do feel that way. I generally end up feeling like I don’t quite fit in anywhere. So I get where she’s coming from. However, I thought the whole “this is a big secret†conceit was a bit ridiculous. Sure, other doctors might think you’re nutty but who cares? Noone really cares what you do, even if they think it’s weird.

 

That’s my take. Overall it was kind of just a “meh†article.

 

Well, I'm a homeschooling mom who has no formal education. :glare: And although I thought her points were good, I also felt it was a little elitist...which is why I mentioned, 'good article even if you aren't a doctor or lawyer.'

[Alte Veste Academy]

Some of my friends have said something along the lines of, "Well, hs is fine for you and your husband because you guys have done a lot of school yourself and have degrees. It shouldn't be a right for other people."

I feel very strongly that this is false, and that with the resources available today anybody can homeschool well. The logic they're using is faulty anyway because neither of us received any special teacher training and getting a random doctorate does nothing to help prepare a person to homeschool.

 

That being said, I think the article makes a lot of good points. She could have been more kind to the people who might indeed fit the skirt-wearing stereotype, and that part of the article made me a bit uncomfortable. I wish people didn't have to tear down the thing they are afraid of being lumped into, and instead just proclaim their own differences.

 

I agree. I personally find the whole doctor/lawyer thing amusing. The first time I ever heard about homeschooling, it was because DH's little sister was homeschooled. His mom is a doctor, but she did none of the schooling. She was far too busy. Instead, DH's dad, with "only" a high school education, homeschooled her. When he passed away, she was a sophomore in high school. She went straight to school and was off and running, graduating as the valedictorian. People assumed it was her mom's influence that produced such great results. It was not. Her success was a product of her own innate intelligence and drive and the diligence and commitment of her quiet, modest father.

[MeghanL]

I really appreciated her points. I especially liked her pointing out that they were done with their school day in the same time it took her to drop everyone off and pick everyone up. This was "her" list of 18 reasons why homeschooling worked for her family. She wasn't trying to preach to the choir, just show that professionals can homeschool successfully. There is still a very strong stigma that teh only reason to homeschool is for religious reasons. I thought the article did a good job in dispelling that particular myth.

[Freckles]

I thought she made some good points, but I could have lived without the rude comments about women who choose to wear skirts and "right wing kooks." Homeschooling meets the needs of all kinds of people.

[klmama]

Waylon! Yay, tunes from my childhood.

 

You're thinking Waylon, and I'm thinking Willie. It turns out we're both right! They won a Grammy with it in 1979. And now it's stuck in my head.

[cathmom]

 

You're thinking Waylon, and I'm thinking Willie. It turns out we're both right! They won a Grammy with it in 1979. And now it's stuck in my head.

 

 

You're welcome!

[Jennifer3141]

When we joined DH's first practice in 2006, it was assumed that we would send our kids to the same private school as everyone else in the practice. Two of the doctors were actually on the board. It's $10,000 a year per kid. And we could have swung it.

 

But it was presented in such an annoying way as in, "Weallsendourkidshere. Tuesdays are for shopping. Wednesdays are lunch at Amical and Thursdays we do the 10:00 movies together."

 

Eep. I knew they had hired DH but we laughed at the idea that they had hired me too.

 

We were the only co-sleepers. DH worked an INSANE schedule of 7 days of day shifts, one week of 10 -10, and one week of nights followed by one week off. So on his nights, the kids and I wandered like gypsies and then on nights he collapsed for two days and then we had three days of family time and then two days to prepare to go back.

 

We realized that DH would have no relationship with our kids for at least half the month and that their school schedule would take just as much precedence over our lives as his schedule already did.

 

And I did the preschool program at the school. I got to wander the campus and look around. Every single kid there looked like the other. There was maybe one token Asian adoptee. I think my kids are cute and all but a sea of blond hair and blue eyes freaked me out, especially transferring from a very metropolitan area. It was important to us that our kids chose their friends based upon their characters, not their parents' income.

 

So we looked at the public options and discovered a whole other slew of problems. And hanging on MDC, I heard about homeschooling. Everyone in DH's practice thought we were nuts or religious.

 

And 5 years later, about 1/5 of those doctors (actually their wives) are homeschoolers or were for a time. They do it for many of the same reasons we walked away from the system.

[Celia]

I thought some of the points in the article were good, but also didn't like the condescending tones. And I thought it was a little over-the-top as well. The one year old cleaning the toilet, 8 year old teaching himself organ, a vast array of parenting woes solved through homeschooling. Spanking abolished and loving obedience obtained (as if the two are mutually exclusive).]I think any fair article on homeschooling shares the challenges of it as well.

[mommylawyer]

As a homeschooling lawyer, I assure you that I get flack for homeschooling my children despite my education and "professional status." I found the article to be a bit condescending and unrealistic - I don't know if I tell at my children any less because I homeschool. Quite frankly, I feel like I'm onto them frequently BECAUSE I'm their teacher! The article didn't really excite me.

[kiwik]

People do assume that professionals don't homes hook but send their kids to expensive schools. Of course a professional parent is better able to support the family on one income.

 

I have to admit a lot of the stress in my house is caused by the need to get 1 child to daycare, one to school and me to work by 9 am. At the other end we are rushing to get from work to school to daycare to do homework etc. Add in school is boring from the oldest and i just want to stay with you mummy and it becomes hellish.

[plansrme]

I am a part-time attorney, and much of what she says rings true for us as well, though it took me a while to get past the "reasons why" in the title. (It's just "reasons," people. "Reasons why" is redundant. Of course, if she had been homeschooled herself, she would know that.) But back to the topic...

 

In addition to those she cites, I can think of a couple more reasons that professionals might be attracted to homeschooling:

 

1. Teaching is not intimidating. Once you've had a few arguments about your child with professional educators, you realize that you are trusting your child's education with, let's say, not the best and brightest. Then you might look up the stats of the average education major, and you will realize that while there are certainly exceptions--we all will stipulate to there being plenty of exceptions--odds are that little Suzy's first grade teacher isn't one of them. Odds are, in fact, that she is a 2.0 graduate of the local diploma mill that requires little more than a pulse to graduate. She might be lazy to boot, and after killing yourself to get through law school and those early years as an associate at a major law firm, laziness is something you will not abide. And really, having a lazy bimbo speak to you condescendingly about your child--surely I am not the first parent to be driven off of a cliff by this combination.

 

2. I, for one, relate to my children better through academics. I enjoy teaching grammar and history and math. I do not enjoy Monopoloy or card games. That is my husband's domain. Reading books together or talking about math in the car? Count me in. Need a kidney? Sign me up. But please, do not ask me to play Battleship! Whether that has anything to do with being an attorney, I do not know, but that is a big reason that I like homeschooling. It is not why we started, but it is a perk.

 

3. Taxes. The marriage tax is a huge reality to two-income families. (Which is why the whole gay marriage campaign makes me scratch my head. Want to really put it to gay people? Let them get married and let's have all those DINKs pay more taxes!) After taxes, reducing one parent's work hours will often more than pay for the cost of private school. Private schools in many areas are well into the $20's. Multiply that by 2, and after a marginal tax rate approaching 50%, it very quickly becomes cheaper to stay home.

 

Overall, I thought it was a fine article. She does not purport to speak for everyone, but I am sure many parents--attorneys, doctors, teachers, fire fighters, whatever, can relate to her reasons.

 

Terri

 

ETA: DINKs = Double Income No Kids.

[lollie010]

Some of my friends have said something along the lines of, "Well, hs is fine for you and your husband because you guys have done a lot of school yourself and have degrees. It shouldn't be a right for other people."

I feel very strongly that this is false, and that with the resources available today anybody can homeschool well. The logic they're using is faulty anyway because neither of us received any special teacher training and getting a random doctorate does nothing to help prepare a person to homeschool.

 

That being said, I think the article makes a lot of good points. She could have been more kind to the people who might indeed fit the skirt-wearing stereotype, and that part of the article made me a bit uncomfortable. I wish people didn't have to tear down the thing they are afraid of being lumped into, and instead just proclaim their own differences.

 

Yes! I had a friend post this on Facebook and I thought it was a pretty good article that could help explain some of my choices to my attorney and doctor friends. However, I did not share the article, because I did not want to be condescending to my denim skirt, high school diploma friends who have mentored me and walked me through the transition from the attorney world to the homeschool mom world. They are brave, smart, and beautiful women who homeschool on minimal budgets, sometimes without transportation to outside activities. It's just not helpful for me to share how doctors, lawyers, and big budgets can do this homeschool thing "better" than they can.

[momofkhm]

I read the first reason - about less time homeschooling than driving and had to laugh. Then I remembered she was talking about 2nd and 4th graders. The driving part with high school - I feel some days that's all I do!

[lollie010]

 

2. I, for one, relate to my children better through academics. I enjoy teaching grammar and history and math. I do not enjoy Monopoloy or card games. That is my husband's domain. Reading books together or talking about math in the car? Count me in. Need a kidney? Sign me up. But please, do not ask me to play Battleship! Whether that has anything to do with being an attorney, I do not know, but that is a big reason that I like homeschooling. It is not why we started, but it is a perk.

 

 

Love it. Please, child, don't bring out a board game. I just can't do it!

[Orthodox6]

I don't think the professions of homeschooling parents matters or that someone's profession makes their opinion more authoritative on issues outside of their profession. I agree with her reasons by and large but think the title is misleading (like it is arguing that there are a huge number of those in medicine and law who homeschool) and irrelevant.

 

:iagree: Nonetheless, I always think it a lovely, metaphorical "spit in the eye" to "the establishment" when public or private school educators homeschool their children!

[musicianmom]

 

 

Love it. Please, child, don't bring out a board game. I just can't do it!

 

Oh my goodness. I have never heard anyone else say this. This is so me, and I've always felt so guilty about it.

 

Edited because I quoted the wrong post, I meant to quote the poster who said she relates to her kids better through academics.

[RemsMom]

I agree. I personally find the whole doctor/lawyer thing amusing. The first time I ever heard about homeschooling, it was because DH's little sister was homeschooled. His mom is a doctor, but she did none of the schooling. She was far too busy. Instead, DH's dad, with "only" a high school education, homeschooled her. When he passed away, she was a sophomore in high school. She went straight to school and was off and running, graduating as the valedictorian. People assumed it was her mom's influence that produced such great results. It was not. Her success was a product of her own innate intelligence and drive and the diligence and commitment of her quiet, modest father.

 

When people find out I homeschool they often ask if I have a degree. My husband has multiple degrees so I just tell them he has enough for the both of us. I only have a high school education but somehow managed to graduate two students so far.

[Alice]

Well, I'm a homeschooling mom who has no formal education. :glare: And although I thought her points were good, I also felt it was a little elitist...which is why I mentioned, 'good article even if you aren't a doctor or lawyer.'

 

I’m not sure if I offended you with my post. I didn’t mean to imply that the article was only good for those who are doctors/lawyers.

 

I was thinking more about this article last night and realized it comes down to this for me (and I’d guess for the author also):

 

Being a doctor who home schools is more of a big deal and an oddity in the medical world than it is in the homeschooling world. I find that fellow homeschooling moms aren’t that interested in or bothered by the fact that I also work. But people in my office/other doctors I meet/patients who don’t homeschool are usually either fascinated or disturbed by the fact that I homeschool. I think that’s where the author is coming from.

[GinaPagnato]

I get her points, and appreciate them.

 

But...

 

Point #4: Homeschooling is not hard???

 

:svengo:

 

Just swing by my place on Monday when Spring Break is over... :lol:

[cathmom]

Yeah, some of those points had me scratching my head.

[Sarah Bailey]

I've seen this going around FB and just now read it - there are alot of things I don't agree with her on, so it's one post I won't be sharing.

[Georgiana Daniels]

The points in the article are good, but the Susie Sunshine tone seems a bit unrealistic. Surely I'm not the only homeschooling mom who yells and has to deal with the occasional meltdown. Plus my kids aren't teaching themselves to play the organ ;) But I get that she's trying to make a larger point to an audience that I'm not a part of.

 

If the article can help break down some of the homeschooling stereotypes, then I think it's served its purpose.

[Leav97]

But please, do not ask me to play Battleship!

 

I thought I was the only one. 3 words.... Chutes and Ladders

[armymomma]

I am a doctor too. I don't meet too many other physicians out there, but more than I did ten years ago. She is pro-homeschooling. She is on our side. She is optimisitic. She is presenting a positive view of home education to many, many people. That is a good thing.

[Meriwether]

 

I thought I was the only one. 3 words.... Chutes and Ladders

 

I can handle Chutes and Ladders. Dh gets Candyland. And War.

[Alice]

 

I can handle Chutes and Ladders. Dh gets Candyland. And War.

 

Candyland is what why kids have older siblings.

[Scarlett]

 

 

I’m not sure if I offended you with my post. I didn’t mean to imply that the article was only good for those who are doctors/lawyers.

 

I was thinking more about this article last night and realized it comes down to this for me (and I’d guess for the author also):

 

Being a doctor who home schools is more of a big deal and an oddity in the medical world than it is in the homeschooling world. I find that fellow homeschooling moms aren’t that interested in or bothered by the fact that I also work. But people in my office/other doctors I meet/patients who don’t homeschool are usually either fascinated or disturbed by the fact that I homeschool. I think that’s where the author is coming from.

 

 

No, no. You did not offend me in the LEAST. My comment was to agree with you that some of us are educated professionals and some are high school graduates and so her talking about the 18 reasons 'doctors and lawyers' homeschool their kids was a bit elitist sounding.

 

But I think some people took it differently than I did....my mom for instance, who is a retired teacher 'got' it right away. .....that the author was reaching out to professionals to say, see there are good reasons for anyone to try this.

[KrissiK]

The article was ok. Although as she was extolling the virtues of homeschooling and how wonderful her life is since she started homeschooling, I was picturing in my mind the cover of every single ABeka curriculum catalogue I've ever seen, right down to the one with the beautiful girl with ringlets in her hair and a big bow on top sitting at the table smiling as she's doing her math. And then there's me and my kids. But, whatever. If her life is like that, good for her. As far as her being elitist, she probably is. But, I think her one thing she's trying to get across is that while homeschooling is not mainstream (it's not, really. It's an alternative form of education in today's modern times) it's not just a bunch of fringe weirdos doing it. I don't perceive homeschooling as being out of the ordinary, because a lot of people around me are doing it, and in my little corner of the world, it is accepted. Many people don't agree with it, but it is still considered an acceptable and normal alternative. But, perhaps in other social circles, homeschooling is a completely foreign idea.

[Forget-Me-Not]

 

 

Candyland is what why kids have older siblings.

 

 

Amen.

I was thinking about this and realized I have a lot of HS friends with husbands in the medical field. Not all of them, but more than other fields. My DH is a physician. He has patients who know that and pass things along to us. He came home with a ziplock full of petrified wood the other night.

[HS Mom in NC]

Here's my comment awaiting approval at that website:

 

Wow.

 

It's remarkable to me that someone trained in a profession requiring the use of the Scientific Method and reasoning skills would begin her homeschooling investigations with such preconceived and stereo-typical notions about homeschoolers. At least she admits it, but I wonder if she's reflective about it and what it reveals about her, how she got there, and how she can work to avoid such awful attitudes in herself and people like her in the future.

 

Many homeschoolers are hassled by their pediatricians when the doctor learns the children are homeschooled. Many go so far as to give unsolicited advice to parents on this subject they usually know very little about. I wonder if she has been this type of pediatrician in the past. If she has, is she sorry about it? How does she address this issue with colleagues who do?

 

The title implies homeschooling parents who are professionals are motivated by something different that homeschooling parents who are not professionals. These reasons are commonly given by homeschoolers of all types, even by the types of homeschoolers who aren't professionals and those she calls religious kooks. Does she think that being a professional gives more weight to her pro-homeschooling position? Why? She's simply coming to conclusions that have looooooooong been recognized and accepted by millions for decades now whether they're professionals or not.

 

Is the author aware that depending on the state she lives in online public school is not legally recognized as homeschooling and requires the child to be registered as a public school student? Is she aware than depending on the group, many homeschoolers don't recognize online public school students as homeschoolers? In an article about homeschooling directed at people who don't, this is an important topic.

[plansrme]

Here's my comment awaiting approval at that website:

 

Wow.

 

It's remarkable to me that someone trained in a profession requiring the use of the Scientific Method and reasoning skills would begin her homeschooling investigations with such preconceived and stereo-typical notions about homeschoolers. At least she admits it, but I wonder if she's reflective about it and what it reveals about her, how she got there, and how she can work to avoid such awful attitudes in herself and people like her in the future.

 

Many homeschoolers are hassled by their pediatricians when the doctor learns the children are homeschooled. Many go so far as to give unsolicited advice to parents on this subject they usually know very little about. I wonder if she has been this type of pediatrician in the past. If she has, is she sorry about it? How does she address this issue with colleagues who do?

 

The title implies homeschooling parents who are professionals are motivated by something different that homeschooling parents who are not professionals. These reasons are commonly given by homeschoolers of all types, even by the types of homeschoolers who aren't professionals and those she calls religious kooks. Does she think that being a professional gives more weight to her pro-homeschooling position? Why? She's simply coming to conclusions that have looooooooong been recognized and accepted by millions for decades now whether they're professionals or not.

 

Is the author aware that depending on the state she lives in online public school is not legally recognized as homeschooling and requires the child to be registered as a public school student? Is she aware than depending on the group, many homeschoolers don't recognize online public school students as homeschoolers? In an article about homeschooling directed at people who don't, this is an important topic.

 

 

Wow back. I do not understand the animosity. You know what is funny about stereotypes? They don't make themselves up. For every person ranting about stereotypes, there are a hundred who fit it to a tee. So what? She is not saying there is anything wrong with being a right-wing, skirt-wearing fundamentalist. Just that that is not who she is. Why hate her for saying so? You have been to homeschooling conventions, correct? Ever looked around? I can see why one might walk in and say, "These are not my people." So maybe she did, but she got over it. Good for her.

 

Terri

 

[HS Mom in NC]

Wow back. I do not understand the animosity. You know what is funny about stereotypes? They don't make themselves up. For every person ranting about stereotypes, there are a hundred who fit it to a tee. So what? She is not saying there is anything wrong with being a right-wing, skirt-wearing fundamentalist. Just that that is not who she is. Why hate her for saying so? You have been to homeschooling conventions, correct? Ever looked around? I can see why one might walk in and say, "These are not my people." So maybe she did, but she got over it. Good for her.

 

Terri

 

 

Hate is a very melodramatic word to use. When someone points out another person is using offensive, stereotypical language, do you always accuse them of hating people?

 

So do you think the stereotypes about African American men being violent criminals is OK because it's true of some African American males? Or do you expect people to assume that there is a much wider range of African American males and not use "gangbanger" when referring to African American males in general even though a segment of African American males do in fact fit the stereotype of gangbangers? What if they told you they were surprised to see that there are African American men who aren't gangbangers? How is that different than her attitude?

 

She specifically stated that the stereotype was what she was expecting. A very naive view to hold of a group of people numbering in the millions. My point was not that she realized things were different than she expected, I was pointing out there is a serious attitude problem in her that created her condescending attitude to being with. Some self reflection on her part would be appropriate in her situation as it would be of anyone with such a condescending attitude toward any group of people.

[Sarah CB]

I agree with all this. (And, FWIW, unfortunately homeschooling does not seem to be well-accepted by most of the doctors and lawyers I know, as well as others with various graduate degrees from top-tier institutions. I know a lot of lawyers with very bright kids, even with their share of 2e issues and whatnot, but few have more than toyed with the idea of homeschooling and many seem downright hostile to the idea, mostly over socialization.)

 

My dh is a lawyer and I know two dr's kids who are homeschooled :)

 

But, I think I know far more teachers who homeschool than any other profession.

[Jennifer3141]

Wow back. I do not understand the animosity. You know what is funny about stereotypes? They don't make themselves up. For every person ranting about stereotypes, there are a hundred who fit it to a tee. So what? She is not saying there is anything wrong with being a right-wing, skirt-wearing fundamentalist. Just that that is not who she is. Why hate her for saying so? You have been to homeschooling conventions, correct? Ever looked around? I can see why one might walk in and say, "These are not my people." So maybe she did, but she got over it. Good for her.

 

Terri

 

 

This is very, very true. The only homeschool conference DH and I ever went to had a TON of denim skirted people and sporting crosses. Just an utter ton. We looked at each other, looked at the crowd and burst out laughing. And we didn't stay very long.

 

Those are not "our" people. It's fine if you are one but your reasons for homeschooling are probably different than ours.

 

For example, DH is heavily involved in the science and mathematics of things as the kids grow. It is absolutely important to him that our kids have a complete grasp of their genetic code, their bodies, how our atmosphere functions, and all the parts of plants. He hits the hard stuff with the kids like nobody's business. We sat down with the PS school at looked at their curriculum for math and science a few years ago and I thought DH was going to blow an artery. It is complete crap. And there was NO history. None. The teachers just kind of patch it together as they feel like so everyone knows who MLK is (for February, I guess!) but no one knows who Martin Luther was. There was no context whatsoever. They did have "civics" though.

 

For a very long time, the majority of homeschoolers did so for religious reasons. This is changing and it's changing rapidly for many, many reasons. And what we've see as professionals is that fewer and fewer people are assuming we are closet right wingers and more and more people are assuming we are either just incredibly fussy about education OR we hate the "socialization" thing of school. But no one whispers, "Wow! I didn't know you were Amish/Mormon/whatever" to me anymore.