You don't know what you're talking about, you're just speculating.
The kids I worked with went to specialized classes anywhere from 1 to 4 days a week (where I taught them), had a network of active social relationships, participated in local sports clubs, and were also able to avoid some of the pitfalls of traditional schooling. They learned from some of the best teachers around for the subjects their parents didn't feel comfortable with. They were commonly more well-adjusted people than most. They are people you wouldn't guess were homeschooled and they went off to standard (and sometimes elite) colleges. You may know a lot more homeschooled people than you realize.
I also saw some real problem kids where parents were not doing the necessary things to give the kids space, independence, and proper socialization. In my case, that was the exception but obviously I didn't get to see any of the kids who are so isolated that they wouldn't have come to the out-of-home classes where I was a teacher.
To assume that homeschooling means the kids never get out in the world, don't have friends and social interactions and are just cooped up inside just shows you have no understanding of what homeschooling is like (in that it varies widely). Just like all other forms of schooling, it can be done wonderfully and done terribly.
You have no understanding of what the case is for this particular parent.
And I can assure you, the bad kind you describe is not the exception. What percent it actually represents no one knows, which is a whole other problem. But it's not just a few people here and there.
There are huge networks of people and conferences full of vendors selling parents do-it-all-yourself curricula. In the 90's and early 2000's Bob Jones University (even most evangelical Christians think they're too extreme) found it profitable to sell pre-recorded math and science lessons for high school level homeschoolers. And while I know what valence electrons are (my public school peers probably forgot), I also thought the Earth was 6000 years old into my mid twenties. And like I said, they didn't make and sell all those videos just for me.
It would be great to have more hard data on the current state of homeschooling/home tutoring though...
This describes most of the homeschoolers I have ever known, including myself. It's what I think of when I hear the word. Perhaps I had an atypical experience, having grown up in a Boston suburb.
Side-note for the original OP if they're reading this: these types of communities are so supportive of one another, there may even do things like fundraise to help the more needy within their communities or otherwise work with you. There's huge benefits from being part of such communities which are typically far stronger and meaningful than any community of parents around a typical school.
Now, that's not to say everything is fine. Some large portion (majority?) of homeschooled kids including most of the ones who went to these largely excellent co-op elective things where I taught are homeschooled in part so their fundamentalist parents can keep them away from ideas that would challenge their religious dogma. So, the kids learn ballroom dancing, computer programming, public speaking, music, and more while being socialized in a largely healthy, supportive place with close friends… and also learn that the Ice Ages were caused by the floods around Noah's Ark a few thousand years ago… and the sort of parents who are those fundamentalists have inherently some other quirks that lead to some awkwardness. Also, the rest of us don't know that these people exist since they were never our classmates in normal schools.
And there's a portion of homeschool parents who are just great in every regard and homeschool because they can afford it and realize that the combination of what they can do plus all community resources results in a top-notch education. So, those kids took classes with me at the same places and skipped the insane anti-science classes that were also taught there and instead taught their kids real science either on their own or through different outlets.
In short, it's complex. But everyone who experiences these not-all-that-home-schooled contexts realizes that it's pretty good and that leads to more people doing it. So, in the end, I suspect that's the majority of homeschoolers these days. It's probably super rare to be homeschooled and literally just be at home and never connect to these other home-school resources right around you.
It's difficult to counter an argument about homeschooling having a negative effect on social interactions, since that observation is highly subjective. For what it's worth, I've never had any trouble grabbing beers with co-workers after work or meeting people in social settings. Some of my homeschooled friends definitely feel uncomfortable in social situations; I wouldn't say it happens with a higher frequency than my non-homeschooled friends.
That aside, when discussing education I prefer to compare quantifiable metrics, such as test scores, college GPA, employment rate, and median salary. A number of studies have compared these metrics, many of which indicate that homeschooling may provide better opportunities for children (after adjusting for income, location, ethnicity, number of parents at home, number of working parents, etc...). If you're interested, I can dig up these studies.
Homeschooling has prepared me, all of my siblings, and many of my childhood friends incredibly well for the "real world." I highly recommend it.
I do see that some homeschooled adults are more comfortable doing their own thing, similar to Montessori-educated adults, and some people find having interesting hobbies and jobs upsetting, but we need a few more people like that!
Of the childhood friends I still keep in touch with, I know several other who were homeschooled. None of them are awkward, antisocial or unsuccessful.
FYI. I homeschooled my sons. Tokenadult homeschooled and is author of one of the earlier and most respected homeschool websites, Learn in Freedom.
I worked for The TAG Project for part of the time I homeschooled.
Sorry to be so blunt but if you go forward with your stated plan I think you are making a huge mistake. I understand how parts of this comes off "Who the fuck is this guy to be telling me how to raise my children?" but I think if you were to poll people (on HN or elsewhere) you would get a similar response re: homeschooling.