July 16, 2008
A few nights ago, my husband and I were riding home from a concert with some friends, when the subject of homeschooling came up.My 11 year old sister is leaving Kansas for a few months this fall to come stay with me, and I'm going to be assisting her in her homeschooling.And my friend went ballistic."But homeschoolers are weird.""There are weird people who go to public school, too.""But homeschoolers are REALLY weird.""I was homeschooled.""Well, fine, Beth. You're like the ONE normal person who was homeschooled."And when we got home, I expressed to my husband how incredibly exhausting it is to spend your life constantly being asked if you have friends, if your mom teaches you math, and if you've ever eaten at McDonalds. (The answers to all three questions, in case you're wondering, are "yes.")The one argument most people seem to have against homeschooling is that "homeschoolers are socially awkward," but I doubt that it has much to do with homeschooling itself and more to do with the person and their parents. After all, aren't there "nerds" and "geeks" at public school? Isn't there the weird-smelling kid who always sits in the back? What about the chubby girl with huge glasses that nobody likes? There are always social outcasts and children who struggle to make friends, but that doesn't mean that homeschooling itself is inherently evil or that it fails to perform its function.Yes, there will always be those homeschoolers who don't let their kids wear pants or who freak out if their child wants to listen to any non-religious music, but those are the exceptions to the rule. Most homeschoolers - and I've met thousands - are normal people. They do their schoolwork, they play video games, they go to dances and play sports and date. They eat macaroni and cheese when they feel like it, and they aren't secretly aliens. And after they graduate high school, many go on to lead successful lives, filled with careers and marriage and world-wide travels. Some of them even have babies and blog for Lawrence.com, socially inadequacy and all.
Comments
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DOTDOT (anonymous) says...
"What about the chubby girl with huge glasses that nobody likes? "That was me. Should I be hurt?
July 16, 2008 at 7:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alm77 (anonymous) says...
BRILLIANT!!! I love it!! Personally, I've chosen public school for my kids, but that is, and has always been "subject to change without notice" depending on our situation. I know TONS of homeschool parents and kids and some like us who use whatever works best for the family at the time and the kids I know are some of the hippest, most exposed and well educated people in my social circle. There are, of course, exceptions to which we sigh and say a little prayer, but yes, they are the exception and not the rule. I think that there was a time when most homeschooled kids were a bit "weird" (I went to Bible college with more than one socially retarded homeschool student) but currently, homeschool parents are taking extra steps, whether it be co-oping for music, art and P.E. or just intentional culturalization to see to it that their kids are able to cope in the "real world" (whatever that means) later in life.GREAT BLOG!!
July 16, 2008 at 9:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
buck (Buck Rowland) says...
Over the years I have been privileged to work with home schooled children. They have ranged in their backgrounds from free-range hippies who refuse to tell their children "no," to right-wing hate everything types. My experience has been that these children, or young adults rather, were very well socialized. Other than one notable exception, these kids were polite, knew how to carry on conversations, worked hard, were on time for work, were open to new ideas and had managed to escape the public school oppression I personally experienced. Also, I work with the public, most of whom attended public school. If you can find any home schooled children who are weirder than those the general public schooled society have to offer, watch out. I would wager than Charles Manson went to public school. I would also bet the Phelps folks were public schooled. And DotDot, I guess the only thing worse would be to have home schooling from your parents and be the chubby girl with glasses at school that no one liked.
July 17, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mitzibel (Misty Nuckolls) says...
I think the problem lies with the word "weird".And Bethie, you *are* weird. You're weird, in part, because you're an intelligent young woman whose life goals had been thoroughly examined and set at an age when most girls are still trying to figure out . . . well, everything. Weird because you view education as a gift and a journey rather than some sort of purgatory to be endured. Weird because you view your personal values to be more important than the acceptance of your peers.And I'm homeschooling, in part, because I want my kids to be *your* kind of weird.
July 17, 2008 at 8:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DOTDOT (anonymous) says...
While I have always been tempted to consider homeschooling, living in Lawrence has changed my mind. For now.Part of the charm of this town is the number of over-qualified people doing low paying jobs. My kids have great teachers, love school, and I want to take advantage of that while I can.
July 17, 2008 at 6:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ladylaw (Terry Bush) says...
I can't tell you how often the word "weird" was used to describe me during grade school (and to be honest, for years after 8th grade ended). I prefer the word Unique myself - same meaning without the negative over-tones. And I was not home-schooled. Had I known it was an option, I would have gladly home-schooled my son rather then put him in the hands of strangers whose values were not mine and whose judgement I did not always trust. Had I done that he perhaps would not have hated school so much.....Or maybe more (who knows)? I have known some really odd - errr excuse me, unique - people in my life, home-schooled or other wise. I don't think where, by whom, or how you are taught matters nearly as much as what you are taught. And if we don't trust parents to be smart enough to decide if they are qualified to teach their own children, how can we trust them to pick out teachers who are good enough to teach them? Not everyone is a good teacher, and not every parent has good judgement. But for those parents who are good teachers and do have good judgement, the proof is in the pudding (so to speak): people who home-school their kids to be like Bethie should be given awards, not discouraged!
July 22, 2008 at 12:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )