Homeschooling - yay or nay?

[erin is nice]

If I do end up marrying and having children, I would try homeschooling, because the schools are slowly getting worse and worse. My sister who is four years younger than me, just entered my high school, and is promptly telling me how much it has changed for the worse (academically, socially). Of course, now they are teaching kids sex ed younger and younger, and everntually thyre going to start teaching kindergardeners about queers and cross-dressers. If I could find a good school, I would send my kids there. Of course, I suffered through public school and eventually came to a tradversion, but not all are so lucky.

I haven't encountered sex ed yet even with my oldest who's 11 and in fifth grade.

[MilesChristi]

In my school, sixth grade. But by younger and younger, I mean many schools are actively promoting the use of certain childrens books that tend to show homosexuality as a normal thing. books with titles like I have two daddies, or A king can marry a king, and similat garbage.

[zork]

If I do end up marrying and having children, I would try homeschooling, because the schools are slowly getting worse and worse. My sister who is four years younger than me, just entered my high school, and is promptly telling me how much it has changed for the worse (academically, socially). Of course, now they are teaching kids sex ed younger and younger, and everntually thyre going to start teaching kindergardeners about queers and cross-dressers. If I could find a good school, I would send my kids there. Of course, I suffered through public school and eventually came to a tradversion, but not all are so lucky.

Wow, and I thought I was young when I had my tradversion. God be praised for 'trads-forming' you earlier on. I occasionally hear of people I knew in school who have some sort of faith revitalization, but even then it's just back to the Novus Ordo for most of them. But as you said, not all are so lucky, or so blessed to beat the odds that secular society has stacked against young Christians of today.

[Archer]

In my school, sixth grade. But by younger and younger, I mean many schools are actively promoting the use of certain childrens books that tend to show homosexuality as a normal thing. books with titles like I have two daddies, or A king can marry a king, and similat garbage.

You're right, and you'll also find similar books in the childrens sections at libraries too.   It's a deliberate brainwashing assault on the young of our country. 

[LouisIX]

I said yes because I think that public and private schools not only formally teach dangerous things but often tend toward immoral behavior.  I attended Catholic schools my entire life and was probably worse off for that than having been in public school (maybe).

That being said, I've known homeschooled kids who are bizarre and unable to function socially.  That's a major problem with homeschooling.  If one homeschools it's important to immerse your kids in social settings in other ways.

Another problem with homeschooling is that it is sometimes lazy and often not challenging enough.  Many parents simply don't have the knowledge or skills needed to teach their children all they should know.  This is especially the case with middle and high school, where specialization in the various subjects taught is very important.

It can be done well, and is perhaps better than the alternative, but it's not without its downside.

[OCLittleFlower]

I said yes because I think that public and private schools not only formally teach dangerous things but often tend toward immoral behavior.  I attended Catholic schools my entire life and was probably worse off for that than having been in public school (maybe).

That being said, I've known homeschooled kids who are bizarre and unable to function socially.  That's a major problem with homeschooling.  If one homeschools it's important to immerse your kids in social settings in other ways.

Another problem with homeschooling is that it is sometimes lazy and often not challenging enough.  Many parents simply don't have the knowledge or skills needed to teach their children all they should know.  This is especially the case with middle and high school, where specialization in the various subjects taught is very important.

It can be done well, and is perhaps better than the alternative, but it's not without its downside.

Most homeschool kids aren't bizarre, at least not that I've encountered and I went to a college with many homeschooled students.  Most of them, you never would have guessed.  Yes, you need to make sure that they have social activities, but it isn't very hard to provide that if you are active in your church, a homeschool co-op, and/or other activities like elective classes outside the home or sports.

Sometimes conventional school is lazy and the students are bored.  My English classes at private, Catholic high school demanded less of the student compared to the public junior high I'd attended.  My sister-in-law managed to graduate high school (Catholic school) and get most of the way through college before she understood what verb tense meant.  And I was the one who taught her.  With homeschool, you have the option to allow your kids to "work ahead" in subjects where they have the ability. 

My high school had a policy against this -- you weren't allowed to take, say, AP English or History unless you were also doing well in Math and Science.  Why?  Because unless you had fantastic grades across the board you were a waste of an AP spot because you wouldn't be going to a top tier college.  And if you weren't going to a top tier college, they couldn't use you to advertise the school.

[Bonaventure]

What did they mean by top tier?

[Kaesekopf]

I'm not really sure what I would do.

Obviously, this is something I'd have to talk over with my spouse (if/when!) and we'd need to come to an acceptable agreement on this.

However, I would not be strictly opposed to sending the children to a good, quality Novus Ordo private school, an SSPX school (depending!), or homeschooling.

I would prefer that my children be schooled in a school setting.  We can fill in the gaps as they come along.

[LouisIX]

I said yes because I think that public and private schools not only formally teach dangerous things but often tend toward immoral behavior.  I attended Catholic schools my entire life and was probably worse off for that than having been in public school (maybe).

That being said, I've known homeschooled kids who are bizarre and unable to function socially.  That's a major problem with homeschooling.  If one homeschools it's important to immerse your kids in social settings in other ways.

Another problem with homeschooling is that it is sometimes lazy and often not challenging enough.  Many parents simply don't have the knowledge or skills needed to teach their children all they should know.  This is especially the case with middle and high school, where specialization in the various subjects taught is very important.

It can be done well, and is perhaps better than the alternative, but it's not without its downside.

Most homeschool kids aren't bizarre, at least not that I've encountered and I went to a college with many homeschooled students.  Most of them, you never would have guessed.  Yes, you need to make sure that they have social activities, but it isn't very hard to provide that if you are active in your church, a homeschool co-op, and/or other activities like elective classes outside the home or sports.

Sometimes conventional school is lazy and the students are bored.  My English classes at private, Catholic high school demanded less of the student compared to the public junior high I'd attended.  My sister-in-law managed to graduate high school (Catholic school) and get most of the way through college before she understood what verb tense meant.  And I was the one who taught her.  With homeschool, you have the option to allow your kids to "work ahead" in subjects where they have the ability. 

My high school had a policy against this -- you weren't allowed to take, say, AP English or History unless you were also doing well in Math and Science.  Why?  Because unless you had fantastic grades across the board you were a waste of an AP spot because you wouldn't be going to a top tier college.  And if you weren't going to a top tier college, they couldn't use you to advertise the school.

I do think that homeschooling is the better option, and it has few downsides when done well.  My point was merely that the greater upside comes with greater risks as well, if not done correctly.

[OCLittleFlower]

What did they mean by top tier?

Something they could brag about.  Stanford.  Ivy leagues.

[OCLittleFlower]

I said yes because I think that public and private schools not only formally teach dangerous things but often tend toward immoral behavior.  I attended Catholic schools my entire life and was probably worse off for that than having been in public school (maybe).

That being said, I've known homeschooled kids who are bizarre and unable to function socially.  That's a major problem with homeschooling.  If one homeschools it's important to immerse your kids in social settings in other ways.

Another problem with homeschooling is that it is sometimes lazy and often not challenging enough.  Many parents simply don't have the knowledge or skills needed to teach their children all they should know.  This is especially the case with middle and high school, where specialization in the various subjects taught is very important.

It can be done well, and is perhaps better than the alternative, but it's not without its downside.

Most homeschool kids aren't bizarre, at least not that I've encountered and I went to a college with many homeschooled students.  Most of them, you never would have guessed.  Yes, you need to make sure that they have social activities, but it isn't very hard to provide that if you are active in your church, a homeschool co-op, and/or other activities like elective classes outside the home or sports.

Sometimes conventional school is lazy and the students are bored.  My English classes at private, Catholic high school demanded less of the student compared to the public junior high I'd attended.  My sister-in-law managed to graduate high school (Catholic school) and get most of the way through college before she understood what verb tense meant.  And I was the one who taught her.  With homeschool, you have the option to allow your kids to "work ahead" in subjects where they have the ability. 

My high school had a policy against this -- you weren't allowed to take, say, AP English or History unless you were also doing well in Math and Science.  Why?  Because unless you had fantastic grades across the board you were a waste of an AP spot because you wouldn't be going to a top tier college.  And if you weren't going to a top tier college, they couldn't use you to advertise the school.

I do think that homeschooling is the better option, and it has few downsides when done well.  My point was merely that the greater upside comes with greater risks as well, if not done correctly.

Fair enough.   

[Archer]

Another problem with homeschooling is that it is sometimes lazy and often not challenging enough.  Many parents simply don't have the knowledge or skills needed to teach their children all they should know.  This is especially the case with middle and high school, where specialization in the various subjects taught is very important.

It can be done well, and is perhaps better than the alternative, but it's not without its downside.

That's a legitimate concern.  Let's face it, even in the best circumstances it's almost impossible to have an effective chemistry class at home.  And there aren't many parents who can remember advanced math or physics, let alone teach it.  I know I'd have difficulty.  What my parents did for myself and a couple of my brothers was homeschool us K-12 but sent us to the local highschool for math and science classes.  I went my senior year and it worked well so my parents ended up sending two of my younger brothers as well.  Depending on the maturity and ability of the kids, you could also substitute classes from a local college.  Sometimes the environment is better at a state or technical college than it is at the local highschool.   

[LouisIX]

I know one Catholic family (Novus Ordo, for what it's worth) that has 8 kids.  All except for the oldest were homeschooled.  The oldest turned out ok because a few moms did a co-op in their most formative years, but the younger ones who were taught merely by the mom were in terrible shape.

The last time I checked on them their 8-9 year old still couldn't read.

[Theophilus]

Homeschooling is the way to go, especially in the younger years (eight and under).  It is really best for little kids to be at home learning virtues, rather than sitting at a school with people who have little to no real interest in their moral/spiritual development.  Raymond Moore wrote a book, "Better Late than Early" in which he looked at thousands (I think) of studies on early childhood education and it is an outright failure.  Of course, it is a success in the eyes of people who want a dumbed-down populace.  Any advanced achievement is lost by I think first or third grade.  In a normal situation, parents are going to be the best teacher, because they love their kids and want the best for them, of course it's not easy. Homeschooling is so mainstream now, there are so many resources available, online classes, coops, virtual schools. 
Since the goal of public (government) education is to make people dumb
http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/MomsPDFs/DDDoA.sml.pdf
I will try to not send my kids there.  Hopefully homeschooling will be legal for many more years. 

[erin is nice]

Since the goal of public (government) education is to make people dumb

More homeschool propaganda. While we were homeschooling, my kids got a little behind in some subjects, because it was very difficult keeping up with 3 different grade levels, a toddler, and a baby. Now that my kids are back in school, they have caught up and surpassed of all the homeschooled kids we know from church. I'm not basing this on just knowing a few homeschooled kids-- we know many of them.
When your kids are consistently ahead of different homeschooled families, you have to start to wonder about how much gets done at home. And I don't want to say anything bad about the parents, I think it's nearly impossible to keep up with a bunch of different grade levels, toddlers running around, and babies, PLUS having to keep things clean, cook meals, and all that other stuff. There are only so many hours in the day