Comments on: Reprise

By: Joe and Jean

Joe and Jean — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:57:55 +0000

Thank you for articulating this. I started writing my own answers to these questions and found a link to your piece.

My own frustration with being asked these questions is the insinuation that I haven’t done my research, that I’m negligent or naive. The opposite is true! The irony with this kind of scrutiny is that the most hands-off parents and the parents who are not involved in their children’s educations put their kids in public schools, they would never sign up for homeschooling!

By: Melissa Wiley

Melissa Wiley — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:28:30 +0000

You’re right: if the skeptics can’t come up with something better than the socialization thing, we’re going to have to help them out. My kids STINK at filling in those little ovals all the way on Scan-tron forms.

By: Mrs. G.

Mrs. G. — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:29:36 +0000

Seriously, the whole socialization issue is as tired as the “you can get pregnant from the toilet seat” myth. I am ready for some fresh and new criticism.

By: Sheri

Sheri — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 03:07:25 +0000

I really enjoyed this article! A link was posted on our local homeschooling support group’s website (http://shine-hs.invisionzone.com/) and I logged on here and soaked up every word. We have been homeschooling for 6 years now and I wish I’d come across such sage advice w-a-y back when, at the beginning of our journey!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:45:09 +0000

I have been hearing the socialization argument for years. My oldest graduated in May and was homeschool K-12. My response has always been that if the kids are doing what is expected of them in the classroom they will not be “socializing” with the other kids. We all know they are not supposed to be talking or passing notes, etc. in class so if they are “socializing” in class they are being disobedient. I for one want my children to learn to be obedient not disobedient. And exactly how much socializatin happens at lunch when they are stuffing their faces as fast as they can because they have a limited amout of time to eat the “delicious” school lunch. And how much socialization happens when the child who is disruptive or rather “socializing” in class has recess taken away from him? Not to mention when at any other time in a person’s life are they surrounded by 30 or more people of the same? Real life requires that we learn to socialize or interact with people of various ages.

By: Philippa

Philippa — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:51:57 +0000

Fantastic post thank you! These were all the concerns that I had before I started to home educate my children. After they had been out of school for 6 months, all of my concerns had been blown out of the water! Thanks for putting it way more eloquently than I could have!

By: Deb

Deb — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:57:10 +0000

I believe JoVE has a point. Many of us have made choices we wish we could change. My own mother thought of homeschooling us and didn’t. She regrets it a little - she thinks my brother was smothered by stupidity in the public schools. He has a super high IQ (one just needs to sit and talk a minute to know it)and no initiative to use it. He had problems in school because he didn’t like the tediousness of all the work he was forced to write out instead of just answer, sit in a class with a teacher repeating stuff the other kids didn’t understand, etc. Now, my brother works in a very low tedious job that pays the bills with no initiative to use his still-sharp and learning mind.
But like many moms out there today, she didn’t have the self-confidence to homeschool - and that was back in the day there were few. It takes a lot of guts to say to society at large “I can do a better job” and hold to that. The “what if I fail” holds many back, thus the “what makes you think your qualified” argument. Perhaps our response should be “would you like me to show you how you can homeschool, too?”
Then there are those who live in states that make it very tough to homeschool. We are very priveleged to have the opportunity and we are thankful to our Lord for that.