Ask HN: If you’ve considered homeschooling, what’s stopping you?

Re:Ask HN: If you’ve considered homeschooling, what’s stoppi... by biomcgary on Friday July 01, 2022 @03:49PM (#31951821)

My wife and I were both homeschooled (I also attended private and public schools at various times). With homeschooling, we had a lot of positive social interactions (4-H, history club, co-operative classes with other families, neighborhood kids) and essentially no negative ones. My experience in public schools was quite negative (as well as being educationally weak). Our third son is autistic (probably my genetics) and does very well being homeschooled. Since he is nearly non-verbal, the likelihood that he would encounter abuse in a traditional setting that he could not report is quite high. Of course, having siblings contributes to socialization.

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Re:Ask HN: If you’ve considered homeschooling, what’s stoppi... by jimhefferon on Friday July 01, 2022 @04:29PM (#31952396)

> essentially no negative ones

Negative interactions can sometimes be a help, or a part of life, or whatever is the right phrase. In Jr High one day after school some kids beat me and a friend up (for no reason that I could figure out). Of course, I won't say "it made me who I am today" or any baloney like that but it certainly helped cement a resolve to not be them.

> nearly non-verbal

Yes, for sure the individual kid is the prime thing a person worries about. I am glad to hear he does well.

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Re:Ask HN: If you’ve considered homeschooling, what’s stoppi... by wccrawford on Friday July 01, 2022 @04:41PM (#31952543)

I still hate bullies to this day, but there's no denying that they made me tougher.

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Re:Ask HN: If you’ve considered homeschooling, what’s stoppi... by JackFr on Friday July 01, 2022 @05:34PM (#31953282)

All my life I had been taught that bullies were dumb. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at college and came across the first bully I met who was smarter than me. Much smarter than me. Didn’t make me tougher, but it made me realize even as you become an adult there are simply people to be avoided.

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Re:Ask HN: If you’ve considered homeschooling, what’s stoppi... by kitsunesoba on Friday July 01, 2022 @03:53PM (#31951887)

Yeah, I won’t deny that it can work well and produce well-rounded, socially capable adults, but it’s dependent on the parent(s) getting a lot right in doing it, which is anything but a given. Homeschooling isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly, and I think that parent(s) considering it should be honest with themselves in evaluating their ability to pull it off well.

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Re:Ask HN: If you’ve considered homeschooling, what’s stoppi... by biomcgary on Friday July 01, 2022 @04:13PM (#31952140)

Homeschooling does require a lot of commitment and consideration of your limitations as a parent. For example, I think there is value to cooperative homeschooling for some subjects (e.g., science, which requires equipment). Trying to "go it alone" for everything can be a bad idea. In addition, most states don't provide funding to school at home, so homeschooling parents also face an economic disadvantage.

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