Posted on 01/25/2018 5:39:29 PM PST by huckfillary
Done right, home schooling is a very low-cost, personalized educational option, conducted in a safe, non-violent environment--your home. Statistics consistently indicate that home-schooled students excel in higher education and go on to lead functional, productive lives.
There are, of course, a number of life’s little inconveniences and impediments that operate against successful home-schooling. First, the parent-child chemistry has to be there. Many parents have told me that it simply would not work for their Matthew or Emily. Home-schooling my own son would have been the ultimate test of my patience. Both parties have to be committed and emotionally in-sync with the program.
Secondly, you all but have to have one fulltime stay-at-home parent. In today’s world, two-income households are pretty much the norm. A work-at-home parent with a flexible schedule or a parent who works in the evenings could also make home schooling a viable option. A private tutor is also an option, but only if you’re Paul McCartney.
Bear in mind, if you home-school your child through the elementary-school years, and decide to send her to a standard high school, be prepared for “culture shock.” It may take a while, if ever, for the child to acclimate to an institutional setting. Fixed class schedules, lunches, etc., may not sit well with a child used to the more flexible home setting; not to mention the teasing, the bullying, guns, knives, and drugs, if you opt for public high school. It’s all part of the government education package. Students are shocked to learn that pleasing your mother is a lot easier than pleasing your peers.
But if you are looking for a way to get your child out of the toxic, dumbed-down, PC, Common Core learning environment, home schooling may be something to consider. Home schooling isn’t for everybody, but public school isn’t for anybody.
Plus, you can’t really put goobermint in charge of operating schools and expect them not to teach the little crumb-crushers that government is the ultimate good, the ultimate authority on everything, incapable of error or bad motives, and that the should reflexively mistrust anyone who works for a living.
Home schooling is very hard.
A good Christian school is always an option. All three of our children went to a private Christian school near our home. Two have graduated. My second son’s graduating class was three. All three had enough scholarships that they are going to college for free - two at a local Big 12 school and the other at a local Christian college.
A lot of worthwhile things are hard.
But if it can5 be done a good private school is a good alternative.
Ping.
Not very hard.
Not easy, but not VERY hard.
But then again, the investment in my kids paid back dividends that are beyond value.
Parochial schools, period, are the way to go. (In my case, Jewish.) The child will share the same culture, tradition, & community as his peers, as well as learn (hopefully) ethical conduct.
As far as secular studies, Jewish schools unfortunately vary in quality. However, this can always be supplemented or remediated on the side. This is where home schooling might come in -- also private tutoring.
I would never send a child to a public school, even a good one. Not with the crazy liberal values (or lack of) so prevalent.
I read your comment to my wife, we homeschool, her reply was simple. "Not if you love your kids."
Private schools (religious or not) struggle here in NJ because the high public school taxes make the additional tuition unaffordable to most. Growing up my town had six Catholic schools; now there are none. Nobody can pay $6K in school taxes (not total property taxes - just school taxes) and another $6K (or more) in tuition. If they could, they would live miles away from here instead.
Home schooling is hard, but it’s worth every bit of the difficulty.
Father of four, all graduated. 3 of the 4 completely independent and productive.
One about to graduate college as an Astronautical Engineer.
From 2nd grade on I avoided the dumbest kid in the class. He was poor like me but he was likable. Every year it got reinforced how dumb he was. In 11th grade(10 years later) he quit. Never did anything for him. I remember in 8th grade when the Geography teacher said that in some places in Africa an injured person would stick his cut leg in a can of kerosene to kill the infection-that’s all they had. While all of us was aghast he asked “Does this mean that if he has a cut on his head he’ll stick his head in it?” He wasn’t so dumb. It was a shame.
I can fully understand why parents home school if the cost becomes too high. In a way, any parents who forego the public school option are making a sacrifice. Private school parents with their checkbooks and the home school parents with their time.
I'm looking forward to the day when we can stop paying tuition. We have four vehicles, the newest of which is a 2004 model. I wouldn't mind getting a new car or truck someday.
I recently upgraded from a ‘97 to a 2003; I hear you!
Our Catholic schools aren’t even an option once they’re all closed; at this point they are only options for wealthy areas and some poor areas (where massive subsidies are dumped into them - often for non-Catholic populations). The same high public school taxes make it practically impossible for live on one salary - especially as employers flee those same taxes.
Not making excuses; I admire people who can home school (for both their financial sacrifices and the commitment it requires); I’m just not up to the task.
Here, even the Christian Schools are mostly football factories than Education Factories....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.