This is one of the things I've been pondering about lately. This year my oldest daughter started Kindergarten. I went to public school and I don't really remember having any problems, but when you are a parent looking in, things can seem different. I think I have the same worries as a lot of parents, will my child get a good education, will they get the attention that they need, will they learn a lot of bad habits, will the other kids be mean to them? As the year has gone by some of my fears have subsided and some new ones have crept up. My daughter loves school. In fact, at Thanksgiving time she told us that it was too long and when could she go back? Now we are in the midst of winter break and yesterday she was crying because she missed school (part of that could have been the fact that mommy was tired and out of it). I asked her what she missed about school, was it the school work, recess, what? She said "I miss my friends".
So, here is where the back and forth pondering happens. I want to make sure that she is getting all the learning that she is capable of, she is really smart, but at the same time, she needs to be around peers. She is a lot like her mommy that way. I have heard some negative things about the reading program the school has implemented and it concerns me. I know that there is a lot that I as a parent can do to supplement at home, but is it enough. How do homeschoolers teach their children and still provide plenty of socialization? I realize that school is a place of learning, but they also learn to work in groups and socialize and play. Because I live out in the country there aren't a lot of activities that I could enroll my children in, such as gymnastics or dance classes, where they could get that dose of social life. There is only so much you can tell them before they need to experience working in a group.
I do think that at least for their early years I could teach them and they would probably do really well with the individual time, but I wouldn't know how to give them the social skills that they would need to go back into a public school. I don't think I could continue for their upper education. I've seen both sides, where children are well adjusted, and where they aren't.
So, what are people's reasons for homeschooling, and how do you socialize you children?
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3 comments:
Okay, Tasha, I have lot to share with you. But I don't have time today to think it through and type it out. I grew up in private, public and homeschooling. And I know homeschool my kids. So I will get back to you in a few days. Great blog!
Hi Tasha,
First, I must comment on the "socialization" that happens at school. School is the only place in life where we are associating primarily with people the same age as us. While this may be a good thing in some ways, it isn't the end-all of socialization for our kids, or necessarily the best way.
I was homeschooled until 5th grade and then attended public school through high school. I hated public school, partly because of being ostracized for being "different", and partly because it was a lot of busy work and not a lot of real learning. This is from the point of view of the student I was.
I have seen parents successfully homeschool their children AND teach them to be socially adept. In some ways, more so than some public-schooled kids I know. But it goes both ways. I've also seen the helpless, sheltered homeschooled child who can't deal with the real world when he/she reaches adulthood. As with anything in life, there must be a balance.
That's a lot of rambling, but maybe a thought or two was worth the read? lol!
I love your blog and will subscribe!
Karolee
I'm not sure you really want to hear my opinion, but I'll give it to you in a diluted form so it does fry your senses....
I would never EVER send my children to school to be socialized. I might send them there to learn something, but if I wanted to teach them how to be "social" I would teach them in a different environment. I don't believe that there are many kids at school that could teach my kids anything socially positive...stopping there...
I socialize my children every day when they around all ages of people. I am able to see how they interact with people and I can teach them what was appropriate and what wasn't. When we are going to be around adults or others they haven't met we actually role play what they are going to say and how they act. "make eye contact, call them by name,...." I want to say more but I'll stop...
Like your blog by the way. : )
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