Home schooling has been getting a little more mainstream every year for the last couple of decades. In some ares home schooling is still looked at as a lunatic fringe activity but in other ares it is becoming much more accepted.
Home school kids may be able to take classes at a local school or participate in sporting activities. Many colleges are also starting to recognize home schooling as a legitimate way to get an education, not only that they are stating to recognize that home school students excel in the college environment.
People often think of home schooling as a new activity, but the truth is that it has been around longer than traditional schooling, it is the original schooling. In the past kids learned what they need to know from their parents. This often meant farming, a trade, or the family business, but nonetheless it was the norm. It has not been since more modern times that compulsory schooling was the norm and in some parts of the world it still isn’t the norm.
So, in truth when we home school we are picking up traditions of the past. Some of which had the ability and the side effect to create very strong family units.
One of the best things about home schooling and what many people who object to home schooling do not recognize is that home schooling is real life schooling. Kids that have spent their entire lives in the artificially engineered school environment are often shocked when they get into the real world and see how things really work. Public school kids are often ageist (think racist towards kids of different ages) but home school kids often don’t make these black and white distinctions.
Home school kids are often much more willing to talk to adults and are much more socially well adjusted. Surprise!!! Public school teaches kids some pretty crappy social values and many kids look back at school years with pain. Home school kids often do not have these same scars and are much more open to social interaction with a wide variety of people.
Sure, there are the crazies in the home schooling world but there are plenty of crazies in the public school world too, just watch the headlines. There is certain to be a teacher student sex case in the next 6 months, there always is.
What is most important about homeschooling is that it gives parents an opportunity to know their children. This is often not considered, but kids grow up fast and if they spend most of their waking hours away from home parents often don’t really get the chance to know their kids before they leave for college or the workforce. This is tragic, because children are a gift that is to be cherished. If we send them away and are too busy when they are home, we are missing an important part of life, that is over far more quickly than you expect.
Home schooling is a great option for anyone willing to get to know their kids and willing to put in some hard but rewarding hours.