[valkyrieanne]

Many homeschoolers will tell you that homeschooling kids only takes 2 or 3 hours a day --- even less because of so much of what they do in school is a waste -- and from what I've seen much of the time spent in school isn't on actual learning --- so why can't parents who send their kids to school do both?

Yes, I've heard that said. It wasn't my experience, personally.

[FITZ]

I don't think education has to be a straight 2 or 3 hours of sitting with someone lecturing. You can let small kids do the grocery shopping --- give them $20 and let them buy dinner --- that helps them learn and subtract, have them help figure how much paint or floor tile --- to learn practical uses for equations such as perimeter and area. Family trips help them learn geography and map reading. They can see parent's working on a budget or income taxes --- be asked to double check figures. Or ask them what they're learning in science and find ways to reinforce some of that or incorporate it into discussions or field trips.