What are the problems with homeschooling?

Answer 1

Long-Term Effects of Homeschooling I have been homeschooling my two children for eight years now, and would like to make a simple point. Every child is different. It is possible for one child in a family to be very well socialized, while another fits the homeschool stereotype. This is the case with my two children.

My daughter seems to fit in very well indeed. She is often asked to parties, talks on the phone incessantly, and seems very comfortable in most (if not all) social situations. When she encounters problems that would have had me in tears as a preteen, she simply discusses it with me and moves on. I am amazed by her social abilities.

My son, on the other hand, does not fit in so easily. Even though he did attend school for three years, he seems to struggle with maintaining social relationships. Interestingly, he also had problems fitting in during his private school days - before we even considered the prospect of homeschooling. He is a very intellectual sort, and just does not seem to have a flair for socializing, particularly in large groups.

It seems that no matter how hard I try to help my son become socially involved, he gravitates toward solitary pursuits. I have noted similar socialization patterns in other homeschooling families I have met in co-op classes - one child extroverted, another introverted in the same family.

I believe that regardless of the schooling situation, my daughter would be more at ease in a group, while my son would be more capable with his studies. If you are concerned about the long-term effects of homeschooling, take a long look at your children's personalities before you begin. I believe that that personality sets the socialization tone. Truly, every child is different.

Here's more information from Wiki s contributors:

• I homeschooled through junior high and high school. I agree that there are some social disadvantages to homeschooling, but I think that they can be avoided or changed. I realized when I was 15 that I was awkward around most of my peers and so I worked really hard at changing that. If parents are careful to involve their children in social groups the kids will be able to learn the necessary skills.

• I was home-schooled from 4th-12th grade. I absolutely loved it. I experienced things that I wouldn't have if I was still in public schools. Right now I am a freshman at a Bible college. Last semester I received good grades and I am learning so much. On the contrary about being unable to socialize; my brother and I were actually so busy with 'socializing', that we at times were overwhelmed. But we loved it.

When I got to college, I found that I was better prepared emotionally than the majority of the students who had been to public, warehouse high schools. Most of the kids from the warehouse schools had learned to distrust their teachers, and they carried that over to college. I was able to treat the professors as equals, rather than as threats. I was accustomed to being responsible for showing up on time, and for getting my work done. That was new and difficult for some of the warehoused kids. I was better prepared academically, too, but that's another story.

Since many of the freshman students weren't quite behaving as adults yet, I found some of their behavior strange, but they changed, and I got used to them. They had been isolated from the real world for most of their lives, and so in college they had to make some big changes. Most of them adapted to the adult world quite well, but that was the world I'd been raised in.

We were both socially impaired by it; our parents made a point to keep us in sports and try to keep us socializing w/ other kids. But it wasn't enough. Most of our friends were also homeschooled too. Some of us turned out OK, some didn't.

Also, the learning environment is very different. There is no lecture/notes type environment. With a well laid out curriculum I was pretty self sufficient w/ my education. I had a number of pages to read, do the even questions in the work at the end of the chapter, mom graded it, if I didn't make the grade; I did the odd questions too. When the weather was nice, we went to the beach, and I did my math in the sand. When I didn't understand a math concept, my uncle who was a math genius tutored me on it, if I didn't understand something in science, my dad tutored me on it.

I cannot learn in certain types of classroom environments. I think this is why I left high school, and never finished even an AA at a community college. I never learned to take notes, still can't take notes. I can sit through a lecture, absorb everything and ace a test on it, but if any part of the grade relied on keeping notes, I was a D student..

I have a good computer job now, and do well. My brother also has a good job, is happily married w/ 2 kids and has just bought a house.

Some of my friends that I was homeschooled w/ are 30 years old and working in fast food.

I wouldn't change a thing myself, and I don't think my brother would either.

I think I got a far better education homeschooled then I would have in a public school, but I know that my social skills were very underdeveloped because of it, and that makes furthering my education more difficult (at least in a formal classroom environment, I can still teach myself).

Answer 2

Home schooling can be a good and bad thing. It is good because your child will be less likely to get involved in drugs, sex, or other illegal things. Yet, this might shelter your child from people and have it harder for them to move out and on their own. I believe high school is a necessity to kids to prepare them for future life and give them better people skills. Home schooling can also be good for a child who needs a fresh new start or needs to get away from a label given to them from others. It has it's ups and downs and you just need to do what you think is right for them.

Answer from tshirtdr1:

I believe homeschooling is generally positive, as my children are often around other homeschoolers, and do not miss out on traditional activities.

Here are ten reasons to homeschool:

10: Being with your kids all day instead of the state-paid babysitter.

9. Being certain your child understands all grade appropriate goals.

8. Overseeing your child's moral education.

7. Taking vacations any time of year.

6. Taking vacations and field trips when there is no crowd (since the other kids are in school.)

5. Saving money on school clothes.

4. Reduced peer pressure.

3. The kids stay innocent longer because they are shielded from negative outside influences.

2. Learning information that is not part of a normal curriculum like computer programming or art.

1. Teaching your kids "life skills" all day.

Answer 3

I have been a home school mom for ten years. Obviously, my answer is biased. However, I can say that there are definite pros and con to home schooling your children

PROS:

• control the curriculum your children learn
• be personally involved in your children's education
• spend lots of time with your kids
• instill your values daily
• greatly reduce unnecessary drills, testing and "busy work"
• tailor your program to each individual child and his/her learning style
• limit negative influences often associated with "regular" school
  
• More natural social opportunities among different age groups.
  

CONS:

• limited access to certain extra curricular activities, such as sports/drama
• limited social opportunities (this is almost always easily overcome, but it is a VALID issue) Effort must be made to give your kids social opportunities that naturally occur at school
  

Please note that there were two other CONS listed here not given by this contributor. I tried to cut and paste them to separate them from my own comments and lost them. I apologize to the contributor.

I agree with the young woman below with one exception: While many things depend upon the parent, it also depends upon the parents' time and economic abilities. We don't have a lot of money and so cannot take advantage of all that is available in our community. I have to work part-time, so there are certain groups my kids can't go to simply by virtue of not having a ride.

It is simply something you must consider when making the decision to home school. We are very involved parents, naturally. I would say 99% of home school parents are very involved and invested in their children's education.

I am a teenager who was home schooled until this year and I have to refine this list:

• First of all, the schooling you receive by being home-schooled TOTALLY depends on the parent. If you are a parent deciding to homeschool, decide now to be committed and involved. I have seen many many home schooled children and they range from the very brightest to the most pathetic. In each case, the ability of the children depends on what the parent is willing to do for their children.

• Second, it is not true that you have a very limited access to certain extra curricular activities. As I said I have been home-schooled many many years and these are some things I have done. (It is all up to the parent). I did soccer for three years, my mother coached my second and third year ~ She learned how. You don't have to already be a sport coach to give your child a sport education. 2) I play piano. It is actually easier to get a music lesson when you are home-schooled because you can fill time slots that public schooled children cannot. 3) I have been acting for years! It is no harder for a home schooled child to get into a community play than a public schooled one. In fact you get a better experience in community plays than in school ones. (Trust me they are MUCH better anyway.)

• Third. Limited social opportunities is ONLY VALID IF THE PARENT DECIDES THAT THEY DON"T WANT THEIR CHILD TO HAVE SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES! I find it offending that someone has decided that it is a valid issue. I am in public school now and I find it the most boring, the most unsocial, and the best way to hold back children's progress yet developed.

• Fourth. I am not saying that a parent's time and economic abilities do not factor in a child's education. But there is much you can do without money. Science can be learned in the woods with nothing more than a magnifying glass and a mother's love. If a mother or father is working then this can prove to make the downfall of a child's education. This is something for the parent to consider. Sometimes it is the better of two evils to send a child to public school and to know that they will receive much less education than possible than to know that if you homeschool them you will never have the time to give them your love. In the economic recession we are living in today, it is quite possible that money problems can take priority over a child's education. It is very important for someone in the family to be the bread winner. There are SO many opportunities for children that are being home schooled that not being able to take advantage of certain groups is not going to wreck a child's education

Answer 4

Pros- FREEDOM, highly intellectual education( vs. Standard public school) cons- LONELY, lack of any real social skills, not really a real teenage experenice, lots and lots of time spent with family. I'm a 15 year old girl, I don't regret my homeschooling, but I don't recomend it trust me.

Answer 5

I know people who home schooled their children in the middle school (most difficult age for children)ages and they had great results with their girls!

Homeschooling can result into good, if it's manage well, after all the sacrifice & responsibility parents took in regard to time, socializing the student, money etc.

Those who are anti home schooling claim that the system is not perfect but it IS a microcosm of life itself and that, in itself, teaches our children how better to cope with the vicissitudes of life. They claim that home schooling will have a profound negative effect on a teen's ability to socialize with their peers. But the fact is that homeschool child is no less than an ordinary school students in academics, social and extra-curricular activities.

Answer 6

Homeschooling, like everything, has its pros and cons. Many of them you will find at this website: http:www.homeschool-rewards.com/reasons-not-to-homeschool.html -OR-

http:www.homeschool-rewards.com/homeschooling-vs-public-schools.html. You can see for yourself the topics of the page. Be careful, you may just WANT to homeschool!

Answer 7

There are many pro and cons to homeschooling your child. You'd get to spend more with your children and you'll get to choose what they learn about and the methods you do it. You can also get to experience field trips and all the fun stuff with your children. Then again, I believe public school will help with your child's socialization skills. Everyone has their own opinion when it comes to homeschooling.

Answer 8

Homeschooling has some of the same advantages as traditional schooling. Some of the pros of homeschooling are that the child gets more one on one attention from the instructor. The curriculum is similar to that of traditional school. The parents can homeschool their child if they are qualified. The parent can see up close and personal how their child is progressing. One major cons of homeschooling is that the child does not receive the same social interaction with other children as they would if they were attending traditional schooling. Homeschooling is about making the child and the parent comfortable with the learning environment.

Answer 9

i homeschool and i say the downside IS EVERYTHING