I don't have kids of my own. Thought I should start out with that b/c things/opinions definately change when you have kids, I'm sure. Anyway I've seen the good and bad side of homeschooling. When I was in high school, 7 years ago there were a few kids that hung around with some of my friends, so I knew of them. They were actually behind. One of them had a brother in my school who was doing wonderfully, I don't know why he was home schooled but he wasn't doing so well.
Then when I got to college there was a boy who was majoring in the same thing as I and he graduated college when he was 19, then on to grad school right after that. He was incredibly smart and self-diciplined. The only thing that I saw a problem with, and this may have been his own personality not the fact that he was homeschooled but he could not talk to people nor could he work in groups. Again I don't know if it was just his personality or the fact that he lacked socialization skills. One time I saw him working with one of his group memebers on a project. He was just sitting there doing all the work and not really even talking to his partner, then later on he told his friend that he was going to have to do it all on his own because his group wasn't giong to be much help, that they didn't want to do anything. It was completely untrue. And we are in the computer field, so basically anything he does with his major he's going to be working with people.
Anyway I went to a high school where we didn't have fights, the teachers were great, and pretty much we (students) didn't pick on each other, well not a lot. I wasn't a rich pretty popular gal either. But with that I am kinda partial to public school but like I said I didn't see really the bad side of high school.
Somebody mentioned that it depends on the kid. I really think it depends on the parents. I mean, I know you know you have to be comitted but I seen and heard so many people jump into it and aren't. I think it can be wonderful with the right discipline and socialization. I also believe that home schooling is getting better and better all the time. I don't know if the parents are becoming more educated on it or if more opportunities and activities are opening up for them but either way they are getting better.
Good luck with what you decide.
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Courtney |