Top 5 Reasons To NOT Homeschool Your Kids (or… Why we do what we do!)

I just wanted to say that as a certified teacher I support your right to homeschool. However, not all folks who homeschool are as dedicated. 🙁 And, also, just as you wish people not condemn you for your decision, please do not look down upon those who send their children to school. Your “poor dears” comment seems a bit judgemental to me. Every child’s needs are different, even within the same family, and public school serves many just fine, just as private, charter, Montessori, etc. also all work for different children.

[…] happened.  I feared this very thing for quite some time and I thought I had all my responses prepared.  Most people we meet when we are out at unconventional hours for school-aged chidlren are kind […]

Great post!
When someone asks me why I homeschool, I give them just a couple quick reasons THEN I ask them “what made you decide to public school your kids?” Often I don’t even get to ask cuz most people will say they couldn’t do that cause they don’t have the patience. Or need the time away from their kids (which I agree is so painful to hear).
I LOVE the socialization part. I get compliments ALL the time about how well behaved, fun, and smart my kids are. But I still get asked about socialization when people first hear that I homeschool. I’m in direct sales, and bring my kids with me to most of my parties (“playdates”), my daughter dances twice a week and my son is in Tae-Kwon-Do. Plus, come on… we have friends!! Funny how nobody takes that part into account! Don’t forget the grocery store, library, post office, bank… where other people are. It’s not like we stay inside our homes all the time, never getting out!

I hope this sheds a little light to those who haven’t even slightly considered homeschooling.

I really never take offence to peoples reaction or questions about our decision to home school..I use it as an opportunity to joyfully express our excitement over being able to do so! My children are right there with smiling faces, so comfortable to give their reasons why they love it! If nothing else, our enthusiasm hushes their objections:)

I love this. I actually am a certified teacher, but that doesn’t seem to matter. Once I tell them that tid-bit they say “what about socialization?” Or “You are a teacher and you Homeschool!? Why?” My standard response “because I taught in the schools” We send our children to school to learn, not make friends or get an A. At home my kids learn and right along with them. Everyday I learn things that we were never taught in school.

My favorite… My daughter has dance class 5 days a week for a total of 8 hours for the week. Parents can sit in the waiting room & watch the class on the monitors. I was sitting there with another mom and we were watching my daughter in the class chatting and laughing with 3 other girls. The mom said “Don’t she miss not seeing her friends?” (?) “Um… she’s seeing them now.”

I always love the concerns people whether family, friend, or strangr gets so concerned about only child’s socialization skills, one of our former neighbors was always willing to point out his intelligence and was sue that was because of his being homeschooled but then she would next point out that he talked to her like adult to adult rather than child to adult and that was a BIG concern for her.

I love this post. I have the most criticism coming from my family 🙁 Sometimes it is awkward and I just try to avoid the whole conversation. Especially because I am a SAHM. They always ask my husband when am I going to work? The “work” I do raising my kids, feeding them home cooked meals and tending to our house don’t count. It is depressing at times. It all goes away when I see that light bulb go off in my kids heads and they learn! We laugh and have a good time learning together.

Great post! Yes, I’ve heard those, too! The thing that strikes me as funny is that no one who knows my children has ever worried about their socialization. The objections I get are from people like cashiers in stores who notice that I have school-age children with me during the day and start asking questions. They are ALL worried about my children’s socialization. And since I don’t make judgements about the parenting skills of people around me in a store whose children have wild haircuts or are dressed seemingly inappropriately or who are throwing temper tantrums – because I simply do not know those people and could not possibly know anything about them – then I am wondering why these strangers are so concerned about our affairs, and what makes them so qualified?? 🙂

great post. I so agree. we get mixed reactions too and I jave definitely heard all these. loved the post!!