Homeschooling or Public?
831680
You are perfectly qualified and within your right to homeschool.  It sounds like you would benefit from it.  Firstly, you should check out www.hslda.org for all the legal information in your area.  Then you should check out your local library, or even Yahoo Groups, to find a support group, that way you'll know what kind of clubs and things there are for homeschoolers in your area (for when you are ready to be out there again).  \n\nGood luck with your decision, and I hope you feel better soon.
484600
I subscribe to a couple of Yahoo groups on the homeschooling book "The Well-Trained Mind" by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise-Bauer (classical education).  You might see if there's any groups that discuss your particular brand of homeschooling (Charlotte Mason, unschooling, ...)
981648
I home school my children and i in no way think they are better than public school children, there are well behaved and badly behaved children in both, i agree that homeschooling is not for everyone, but for some its what works. For us its the only option that has worked. So to answer your question i do not know why some people stereotype public schooled children....i guess its for the same reason that some stereotype home schoolers and say they are anti-social and weird.....what that reason is i would like to know
711517
Yes, I am. And being homeschooled is not that weird. It definetly has it's pros and cons - ups and downs... but hey I am getting an education that is safe. I'm not learning stuff that i shouldn't know. The reason I don't like it is because I LOVE hanging out and talking to people and I just homeschool with my brotther. But I make it up by being in Bible Quizzing, Youth Choir, and am very active in church activities ... so ya.
1036635
I'm for it.  My sister and brother-in-law homeschooled their two boys from kindergarten through high school graduation.  Both boys went on to college, and both have now graduated.\n\nI also have a lot of friends who have been (or are now) homeschoolers.  Those who have gone on to college have done extremely well.
156815
well, i go to public school, and i think it gives people better social experiences. it allows them to interact better. but that's just my opinion. lol. but public school is pretty cool. no drugs or anything.
863263
Sounds like intellectually home school would be great for you because you seem driven. But please allow me to relate to you, I am not here to disagree with you but to offer you my own personal experience with you.I am not against homeschool,but I have very similar personality traits as you and it was not the best for me.I was in public school until 9th grade and my mom pulled me out half way through.Of course at the time I was thrilled because I was overwhelmed with social anxiety.Although fairly popular I disagreed with most of what went on with my teenage peers,like parties,drinking,drugs,and promiscuis(spell check)sex.But as time went on I became very detatched from society and found hard to relate with others and the outside world.Which later led to depression which caused me to gain alot of weight which caused me to be even more anti-social.Don't be so quick to say that you can't be helped because when i realized what my problem was I made myself get out and find a job dealing with the public.And I would ask questions and start conversations with strangers until I felt more comfortable with people.I then became more sure of myself and the depression left and I lost the weight.The point is that you shouldn't be so close minded. I know by the words that you use you are very smart so use that to the positive and don't be so pessimistic and closed minded. I regret that I spent so much time being an adult and looking down on my peers instead of setting an example for them amongst them.Now that I am 23 years old with many responsibilities, I wish I had gone to prom or homecoming or dances or field trips instead of focusing solely on academics.
475467
Private schools are not always better than public schools.  Research both school and compare/contrast the pros and cons of attending that school.  Do what would benefit YOU the most.  Family and friends might not be there for you 20 years down the line... Education will...
297393
Homeschooling is the best.  Private school would be your next best choice if you can afford it.  There are many free resources for homeschooling. Try your local library for books about it and materials to use.  I would also recommend reading the book "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver DeMille.  You can buy it at gwc.edu in the bookstore section.  Believe me, it's worth the $15 or $20, even if you decide not to home school.
877583
My schools kinda different. I'm homeschooled and I love it. And yeah its cool. It gets harder every year. Only 2 and a half more years of it though... well then theres college.
146358
Research has repeatedly shown that home schooled kids do better on every measure the researchers think up.  As to the "general opinion," as in public opinion, I think sometimes people who send their kids to public school consider home schooled kids to be a bit weird.  "Why do their parents want to keep them home?" they ask.  The answers are as varied as the parents and kids involved.  Most, I think, simply do not trust the public schools.  If they cannot afford a really good private school, but can afford to be home enough to do home schooling (which can include involving grandparents and other relatives, and possibly parents who work different shifts so one is home at a time), that really is their best choice.  Usually the kids get enough socializing with their peers from other contacts in their lives, such as clubs and religious organizations.  I suspect some home schooled kids do get rather shy and unaccustomed to being around others.  I'm not convinced that is a bad thing, if they at least learn good manners.  "Shy" can be translated "reserved," or "quiet," and not necessarily a bad thing at all.
196978
i don't know.  in CA it's completely legal no matter what anyone tries to say.  As long as there is no child endangerement/abuse/neglect going on, it's fine.  I am proof that homeschooling works and that the government should keep it's hands off of something that they've managed to mess up beyond repair.  I think it's admirable that you would dedicate yourself to teaching your children.  It will pay off in the end and will be appreciated.  Good luck!
671773
My husband and I made the choice to homeschool before we even got married. Then, when we found out our first child had autism, it just cemented our decision. Here's the reasons why we chose to homeschool.\n 1. Saw my sister successfully homeschool her kids, even caught a learning disability in her first that the school had not caught, which is typical.\n 2. All the families in our church except one homeschool, their kids are WONDERFUL, smart, funny, mature, silly, normal kids. \n 3. Too much school violence, we didn't want to have to worry about our kids making it home from school. His nephew was kidnapped on his way home from school, 15 yrs ago, they never found him.\n 4. We are Christian, there's no room for Christianity in school anymore, and we wanted ours to be the influence most of the day, not a Godless school.\n 5. We don't agree with certain things that are being taught in schools that have no place being taught in schools. Moral issues that should be taught by mom and dad, at home.\n 6. Public and private schools don't allow the student to work independently, to be behind of they don't get something, or ahead if they get it faster than the other students. That's why so many kids fail. Homeschool allows the child to be at different levels in different subjects, depending on their ability.\n 7. Too much emphasis on passing tests, working on a school schedule, instead of emphasis being on retaining what they are learning. It's only common sense that if you pick a topic, read about it, maybe watch a video on it, go on a field trip to where you're studying about, take your time learning about it, you're going to retain it better then being introduced to something on Monday, being tested on it on Friday, and never seeing it again until finals, which by then you've forgotten it. \n 8. Yes, school is a good place to socialize. Unfortunately, for most students these days, that's all they think school is for. Emphasis from the students is on things it shouldn't be on at their age, such as dating, having sex, NEGATIVE peer pressure, drugs, etc. etc. Most kids in schools these days don't care about being there to learn. We don't want that kind of socialization until our kids are mature enough to know right from wrong. I don't want my kid when he's in 1st grade asking me some explicit question about something someone from school told him about. I want to decide when he's ready to learn about life, not some kid. Our kid's socialization will come from kids at church, people they see when we go on field trips or to the store, neighbor kids that we approve of, and sports or band, if they chose that, reading groups at the library, things like that. A more positive environment.\n 9. Finally, our decision to homeschool was based on wanting our kids to grow up believing in family first, nurturing values that have died in the past few generations. I know from when I went to school, your priorities shift from family first to friends first, and that's not right. That's why, we believe, there's so much disrespect for authority, for our elders, and we want to go back to the basics and teach that. That's just not realistic, for most kids, when mom and dad only see them for 3-4 hours a day after school before they go to bed. A person is going to be influenced by those that he spends the most time with.
894647
PLEASE DON'T TELL MY KIDS! They'll think I deprived them of all that fun leisure time all those years!  LOL\n\nI do know of one homeschool family who did that with their son, and it was horrible!  His mother claimed they were "unschooling" and all he did was play video games all day.  My daughters were friends with him and couldn't believe how far behind he was.  He couldn't read, write or do math anywhere near his grade level.  It was very sad.\n\nAnyway, that was only one of numerous homeschool families I was acquainted with.  Unfortunately, that's the one everyone focusses on and talks about.\n\nSue
295750
I have homeschooled for years now.  I hear from my old fart neighbor "When are you going to let them go back to school?"  Ugh.  It never ends.  I just don't broadcast it to the locals because THEY choose to be close minded and to not educate themselves about hsing.  Consider this 'comeback' as it's my best one:  My son gets a one-on-one education.  It's better than a private tutor.  He is fully socialized as he can go to church, soccer, chess club, library groups, the local rec center programs, 4H and scouts."  Folks that flip out and bring up socialization usually just grab that word because everyone that knows little about it uses it.  Good luck and you can email me for any help you need.
331382
Contact the school board in your area they will have the procedures and guidleines in a packet for you.They will tell you what curriculums are acceptable for the state in which you live. Then ask yourself why do you want to home school? If it is for selfish reasons like you don't want your five yr old to leave you.Or you think they will learn bad habits, you need to think again. These things will happen anyway and your not really helping them. Ask yourself is your child already shy or outgoing? Keeping them home because they are shy is not good it only sets it in stone. I home schooled my youngest son it's not an easy task and it is a very big commitment. You just can't pick and choose when you feel like teaching and what you feel like teaching( although many do). You must teach even when you don't feel good or they are in a bad mood. What kind of relationship do you have with your child? Does he listen well? You'll only be hurting your child if you don't do it the correct way. Many home school children fall very far behind because mom is not very consistant or tough. My son is now in Public High School and in Honors programs but my friend who is home schooling her children do nothing but crafts and play games and seem very behind for their age in all their academic studies.She won't get out of bed until 9:30am and stops teaching at Lunchtime. They go shopping everyday. Is this teaching her children?? You also need some support people, parents  or friends who can lend a hand now and then to give your child a variety of teaching techniques. And you must absolutely get them involved in other activities in the outside world, such as soccer or ballet or some type of group sport. Not a homeschooling group. It keeps them too sheltered and they never learn how to put up with negative people. Which the world is full of. Hope this helps feel free to e-mail me if you have any problems and good luck.
354054
Go with the church school - although if they are doing all the teaching I'm not sure how they qualify as a homeschool.  If they are ahead of their grade level at their current school, what's stopping them from being ahead in the church one?