If there is one thing I know that people will ask about the choice to home-school, it's:
"Aren't you concerned about socialization?"
If I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me, I would build a school and charge tuition. Every parent who has made the choice to home-school can relate to this question, because we've all had to answer it at one time or another.
The truth is, likely the only time we don't encounter this question when speaking about homeschooling to another adult, is when that other adult has also made the choice to home-school.
I can give you a thousand reasons why socialization is not a concern for me, but let me just keep it simple and straightforward.
I could send my sons to public school, where they will learn how other children get away with disrespecting teachers and other students. Where they could be exposed to social circumstances before they are mature enough to handle them.
They could be teased and bullied or molested by a school staff member or even another student.
Or they could hear stories from other students who are being abused at home that will strip away their innocence, much too early in life.
Just to name a few of the potential risks...and I realize that those are, for the most part, extreme-worst case scenario examples.
But if the worst case scenario of my children being home-schooled, is that they lack social skills that meet your criteria, I'll take that over the alternative, thank you very much.
Resource for helpful information regarding the choice to home-school:
http://www.people.howstuffworks.com/homeschool.htm/printable
"Aren't you concerned about socialization?"
If I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me, I would build a school and charge tuition. Every parent who has made the choice to home-school can relate to this question, because we've all had to answer it at one time or another.
The truth is, likely the only time we don't encounter this question when speaking about homeschooling to another adult, is when that other adult has also made the choice to home-school.
I can give you a thousand reasons why socialization is not a concern for me, but let me just keep it simple and straightforward.
I could send my sons to public school, where they will learn how other children get away with disrespecting teachers and other students. Where they could be exposed to social circumstances before they are mature enough to handle them.
They could be teased and bullied or molested by a school staff member or even another student.
Or they could hear stories from other students who are being abused at home that will strip away their innocence, much too early in life.
Just to name a few of the potential risks...and I realize that those are, for the most part, extreme-worst case scenario examples.
But if the worst case scenario of my children being home-schooled, is that they lack social skills that meet your criteria, I'll take that over the alternative, thank you very much.
Resource for helpful information regarding the choice to home-school:
http://www.people.howstuffworks.com/homeschool.htm/printable
