Ask A Homeschooler

Do you like Ron Paul?
As a person, yes. But for his policies, not really.

Definitely as an advantage. People frequently remark to my mother how mature I am for my age (that's a compliment, right?). I believe this is due to my upbringing. My parents have not left me alone, they have always been supportive and encouraging.
My family can attest for that. We always get such compliments. :goodjob:

It's not that homeschooling is illegal, it's just that school-schooling is mandatory.
That's basically what he said. When you can't do it, you can't do it.
 
It's not that homeschooling is illegal, it's just that school-schooling is mandatory.

Same thing.

Will you homeschool your kids?

Probably not, I don't have nearly the patience my parents did:p but anythings possible.

Also, there's definitely the option of marrying and not having kids;)
 
I hope I can add another voice to this discussion. I was homeschooled from the very start all the way through high school age. I graduated high school at the age of 16, and am currently up for graduating with my bachelor's degree next year before my 21st birthday.

Something you always have to be wary about when looking at statistics relating to home-schooling is that, without spelling it out, they all seem to be interpreted based on the premise that the only significant difference between home-schoolers and public school students is the home-schooling. In practice, the mere fact that the home-schoolers' parents have the potential and interest to home-school their kids puts them into a group which is much more successful than the average student.

This is key. Parental involvement is the single greatest indicator of a child's success academically, whether they are public schooled, homeschooled, or an alternative.

I'm curious if any of you guys with a lot of home-schooling experience are in your late 20's or older? To me it seems like socialization would be the big issue with home-schooling. I hear you when you say that you're relatively introverted anyway, but it seems like that kind of thing would really catch up to you once you get to career age. Not that there aren't some careers where you can get away with being incredibly introverted, but nothing quite resembles high-school-after-high-school so much your average workplace and there are tangible benefits to being successful socially in a lot of cases. Obviously a person has plenty of opportunity to learn social behavior in a diverse group after high school, but I can't really think of another time when it is really forced on you. I realize there's no well spelled out question here, but I'd be interested to hear any of your musings on the subject.

In my elementary years I made most of my friends and socialized mostly through church, Boy Scouts, and other similar groups. I was relatively introverted as a child, but when I started college I became very extroverted. I think a lot of homeschoolers may have trouble making friends with their peers simply because they "live in another world" from other kids. Many of them appear very "grown-up" for their age and that makes it harder for them to fit in. This isn't simple social awkwardness, but just a difficulty connecting with people from a whole new world of experiences. I know that was a major obstacle for me when I was a teenager.

Will you homeschool your kids?

I am actually majoring in education and hope to teach public school. Perhaps my children will be in my classroom someday! Though, I wouldn't mind becoming a family man and staying at home to raise my children should the opportunity arise. :)

Your OP says you have a christian upbringing: do you plan to learn other worldviews (religions, cultures, etc)?

I had a conservative Christian upbringing as well, but I have great respect for other cultures and religions. I love drawing a diverse circle of people with whom I can talk and share about experiences and beliefs. Part of being a life-long learner.
 
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