Chuck was reading my blog and expressed some concern that, should a reader browse on "Ejucatin' Da Boys," the search would come up blank. Just so Chuck will be able to relax and not worry that our local truant officer or representative from CPS will be knocking at our door, I will say: Our boys are being ejumacated. I just haven't yet published our funny home schooling stories.
This is not a funny story, but may be a good place to start. There are, basically, 3 common objections I get from people who do not home school: 1) kids need socialization, 2) home schoolers are wierd, and 3) kids have fewer options for secondary education.
Why do I home school?
What a fine question and one that I ask myself at least daily. Why do I do this? I could be decorating my house, reading a good book, planting a garden, or writing during the day instead of at 3:00 AM.
We chose home schooling because we want to teach our kids that real life is deeper than Skechers and to let them discover who they are unhindered by peer pressure.
THE TRUTH ABOUT SOCIALIZATION:
Chuck was reading my blog and expressed some concern that, should a reader browse on "Ejucatin' Da Boys," the search would come up blank. Just so Chuck will be able to relax and not worry that our local truant officer or representative from CPS will be knocking at our door, I will say: Our boys are being ejumacated. I just haven't yet published our funny home schooling stories.
This is not a funny story, but may be a good place to start. There are, basically, 3 common objections I get from people who do not home school: 1) kids need socialization, 2) home schoolers are wierd, and 3) kids have fewer options for secondary education.
Why do I home school?
What a fine question and one that I ask myself at least daily. Why do I do this? I could be decorating my house, reading a good book, planting a garden, or writing during the day instead of at 3:00 AM.
We chose home schooling because we want to teach our kids that real life is deeper than Skechers and to let them discover who they are unhindered by peer pressure.
THE TRUTH ABOUT SOCIALIZATION:
The most common objection I hear about home schooling centers around “socialization.” I’ll address that one with an illustration. Have you seen the news footage of the Punta Gorda school bus driver whose fight with 2 boys was caught on tape? I read that the boys, brothers, are being charged with felony assault. Their parents don’t seem to think that's fair. They think the bus driver, who is being charged with misdemeanor battery is getting off too lightly.
The whole fight started when the driver tried to get the younger brother to wear his seatbelt. The boy refused and the driver was coming back to enforce his request. Though the busses are equipped with seat belts, Florida law doesn't require the kids wear them. My guess is that the boy was being disruptive and the bus driver needed him to stay put.
Watching the tape, you can see the boys in action; disrespectful, cursing, treating the driver really badly. I think the driver exhibited remarkable restraint. I can't imagine that is an easy job.
Why didn't the boy just do what he was told? It is because we live in a society where personal freedom is more highly valued than living for others.
Now, hand me a ladder please while I dismount my really high horse. As a teenager and young adult, I was exactly like those boys. Praise God that I never ended up on National T.V. or worse. Chances are they will grow up and, especially when they have kids of their own, feel really badly about their behavior. It’s just such a long hard road without a map. In our home school, the boys are being given the map; I don’t believe my boys would ever behave as these 2 young men did, because it wouldn't occur to them to behave that way.
Quiz:
Who do I want teaching my kids how to behave socially?
A) The other kids at school.
B) Ed, Edd and Eddy.
C) Mom and Dad.
Pick C. Teaching respect for authority is not on the public school agenda; in fact, it’s not allowed to be!
HOME SCHOOLING: IT’S NOT JUST FOR RIGHT-WING RELIGIOUS FANATICS ANYMORE.
Home schooling was not something I ever seriously considered before my kids were old enough to begin formal education. My impression of home schoolers was not very flattering. I thought of home schooling moms as being frumpy, self-righteous, bible-thumping fanatics in 3/4 length denim skirts and long hair always worn in a ponytail, toting 8 kids behind them living on self-sufficient farms and grinding their own wheat while their kids learned to work with their hands. I have nothing against these fine women; it's just not me, almost.
Then I started to meet other parents and their home schooled kids. The moms did not (all) look or act the way I had envisioned. They were pretty, bright, not necessarily religious, and as far as I could tell, not social misfits. Their kids were very smart, mature, respectful and kind. Yes, respectful and kind! Kids!
Quiz:
What is the profile of the typical home schooling family?
A) Lives on 10 acres in the woods in a trailer with its own bunker storing canned goods, bottled water and arsenal to protect and sustain life for 2 years in case the U.S. turns its sovereignty over the United Nations or Armageddon begins.
B) Kooks and child abusers.
C) Well educated and socially active parents, motivated by reasons even outside of religion, concerned about the quality of their children's education and character development.
Pick C. Not all home schoolers are religious fanatics. Though we are teaching our kids using a curriculum grounded in Godly character traits, I know of many, many home schoolers who are not motivated by religion. And, we don’t own guns.
3. Yeah? Well I’m Not Sending My Kid Out into the World with merely A G.E.D.!
Am I limiting my kids’ potential to get into college or have the opportunity to participate in organized activities or earn scholarships? Not at all! First, what's wrong with a G.E.D., anyway? The home schooled kid can still get into college, it may just be a year or two at a community college at first. This is not a hinderance, though, as most home schooled kids are academically ready for college by 16 or 17 years of age.
If a diploma is important, many home school co-ops will issue diplomas. In fact, the home schooling parent can issue a diploma. Universities rely on the ACT or SAT scores, anyway, and if you have carefully documented transcripts, there should be no problem.
As far as sports and other organized activities, at least in Texas, there are more home schooling support and co-op groups than I can keep track of. There are science fairs, spelling bees, organized field trips, team sports and auxiliary classes to teach things like foreign language, music, art, drama; or just about any subject that you as a parent may not feel qualified to teach. There is even a high school football team for home schoolers, which competes against other high school teams. I've heard, from a recruiter, that league scouts have even started to check out the home schooled crowd.
Home schoolers are invited to take all of the academic aptitude tests offered to public and private schools, earn scholarships, and can even get accepted to top colleges. More and more universities are welcoming home schooled kids into their campuses.
Quiz:
Home schooled kids have potential to grow up to:
A) Either live on welfare or hold menial jobs.
B) Become missionaries.
C) Be public school bus-drivers
D) All of the above AND be admitted to top colleges and have professional careers as doctors, engineers or scientists.
Pick D. Every possibility open to public and private schools is open to home schooled kids. They, like all kids, are limited only by their initiative, imagination, and intelligence. Oh, and one other thing: possibly limited by the depth of their parents’ pockets.
Will I home school the boys all the way through high-school? I’m not really sure. I have many, many, many days that I just want to see my kids off in the morning and welcome them home with hugs later in the afternoon. My house would be cleaner. And I might be nicer. But then again, maybe not…the grass is always greener, as they say.
It’s totally an individual lifestyle choice. There’s no doubt that many bright, kind and respectful kids come out of public school, as well. In fact, my boys have bright, kind and respectful friends that go to school. In the end, I believe the quality of a child’s character is indicative of the quality – not the same as quantity – of his parent’s involvement in all aspects his life.