Home Schooling

[Mr_Sun]

Not a homeschooling parent, but as a high schooler, all the people I know who were homeschooled are just better people in general. They are stronger Catholics, have all sorts of fun hobbies, and are exceedingly more intelligent (above the level of the teachers!), and more motivated to learn. Seeing this has inspired me to homeschool one day. Don’t let anybody talk you out of it, in a few years they will see the difference between your son and other children, and then perhaps they will understand

Im sorry, Im sorry but Teenage kids are smarter than 30+ year old teachers who get Masters in teaching a certain subject? that’s absurd.

Oh, Okay. Ontopic. sorry.

meh, I dont have anything nice to say about it so I wont say anything at all

 

[AnotherChance]

Michelle,

My oldest daughter is in private school, but I have three boys who are three and under. We are thinking that we may end up homeschooling them. I can’t imagine paying private school tuition for the three boys, while paying college tuition for my daughter. I am learning to ignore family who don’t understand our choices. They thought it was a bit much for us to even have four kids. I wouldn’t apologize or even excuse your choices. Just say “This is what is best for our family.” I will look for you on Facebook.
Jackie

 

[purplesunshine]

I get your point. Looking back at some of the negative remarks we received for homeschooling, I could have avoided many of them. For a long time, I felt compelled to discuss, explain and justify our educational choices. Thinking the subject was open for discussion and debate, the conversation continued. They defended their viewpoint, then I defended mine, so on and so forth. I took the negative comments too personal. Frankly, it isn’t their decision, and I don’t need to discuss my children’s education with extended family members who don’t support our decision to homeschool. It took me years to learn that!

my point exactly. I know there are huge fights over virtually nothing in the end. I think that the excitement to homeschool often leaves extended families scratching their heads. I lived it. When people start talking about “homeschooling” when the kid is three it is very expected that will bring criticism. The only thing that I saw worked was talking less showing more.

Not a homeschooling parent, but as a high schooler, all the people I know who were homeschooled are just better people in general. They are stronger Catholics, have all sorts of fun hobbies, and are exceedingly more intelligent (above the level of the teachers!), and more motivated to learn. Seeing this has inspired me to homeschool one day. Don’t let anybody talk you out of it, in a few years they will see the difference between your son and other children, and then perhaps they will understand

I’m DYING LAUGHING right now. SPOKEN like a true-blue homeschooler. Talk to us after college. (and I’m not talking Ave Maria, Mag or Steub)

 

[choose_to_love]

PurpleS: Talk to us after college - - what do you mean?

 

[AmberDale]

Probably assuming that once you “release” one of those “unsocialized” homeschool kids into the “real world” they won’t seem so great anymore. They will question their faith in college, do all sort of things they shouldn’t because they never had the chance as a younger teen.

I see no problem with kids going to Ave Maria or a good Catholic college.

 

[purplesunshine]

PurpleS: Talk to us after college - - what do you mean?

Like many hs’d students the poster believes himself elite and made many statements that are just plain immature…

all the people I know who were homeschooled are just better people in general.

uhhh ok…I don’t know how to respond to that one

They are stronger Catholics,

there are plenty of strong catholics in private and even public school. To make such a statement, though it tends towards truth is silly.

have all sorts of fun hobbies,

And what exactly does poster think public and private school students do?

and are exceedingly more intelligent (above the level of the teachers!),

THIS is what I take issue with. There are incredibly bright students…MOST students wh get into ivy legue aren’t homeschooled…HS is still the minority. All of the intellegence isn’t reserved for HS circles. The HS student who believes them self more intelligent than a TEACHER who’s gone through atleast 4, if not 6 years of college. And it is a predominant and engraned mentality in many hs circles. It’s just laughable.

and more motivated to learn.

This was probably the only truth in the statement

Probably assuming that once you “release” one of those “unsocialized” homeschool kids into the “real world” they won’t seem so great anymore. They will question their faith in college, do all sort of things they shouldn’t because they never had the chance as a younger teen.

I see no problem with kids going to Ave Maria or a good Catholic college.

No, I think many homeschoolers do well in socialization. But many students carry the opinions of the poster of elitism. When attending a homeschool dominated campus this elietism can be even further perpetuated. I’m not saying that anyone shouldn’t go to a Catholic college but that they won’t have room to judge until they enter a more mainstream population and realize that they are no more or less intellegent than anyone else among other things.

 

[ChangeWorkPeace]

I wanted to mention a point to the family considering homeschooling.

We, even as children, are called to share our faith with the world, including to those not of our faith. If you choose the path of homeschooling, please consider finding ways for your children to share their faith with others who are not Catholic nor Christian.

I know that this is certainly not true of all homeschoolers, but some choose to homeschool in order to keep their children in a world that is entirely of one mind and one faith, or protect them from the secular world. We are an apostolic faith. We are called to go into the world and evangelize. This is not simply by proselytizing, but by showing our faith to others through our everyday works. If others cannot see us, especially those who we might choose to avoid, how will they ever know of the joy we have to offer?

I worry how our world might be if all Catholics chose to separate themselves from society, rather than work to change our society. Once again, this is not to say that the goal of homeschooling is to accomplish a cloistered mentality. I understand that. I just hope that those considering homeschooling also consider ways in which their children can actively engage with the secular, and even pagan, worlds. I know this is possible to do while homeschooling. I hope that you consider how this can be done as a part of your discernment.

 

[AmberDale]

No, I think many homeschoolers do well in socialization. But many students carry the opinions of the poster of elitism. When attending a homeschool dominated campus this elietism can be even further perpetuated. I’m not saying that anyone shouldn’t go to a Catholic college but that they won’t have room to judge until they enter a more mainstream population and realize that they are no more or less intellegent than anyone else among other things.

Thank you for explaining. I’m confidant that my kids won’t have this attitude, mostly because I don’t have that attitude. I believe each family can choose what is best, whether that be home, public, or private schools.

We have MANY friends who are not Catholic. Heck, we barely have any who are I would love to have more Catholic friends, but I love my non-Catholic friends and wouldn’t just abandon them to those of the same faith.

 

[SonCatcher]

to the original poster: My wife and I are planning on homeschooling our children (almost 5 and 2). We’re actually doing it as a trial run. We applied to a Catholic school for our son to enter kindergarten and they suggested he wait a year. We will take that year to teach him at home with homeschool curriculum to see how we fare. This is not “out of the blue” as we have been considering homeschool as a viable alternative for years. We just weren’t sufficiently comfortable to commit without the “rejection.”

Your family, close friends and neighbors will need to know and have the most reassurance. Make sure they know you are not “alone” in this, as you will be using materials that rival the quality of those used in traditional schools and have support from many friends and acquaintances (if the program you choose has regular tutors or advisers available, be sure to mention this). We are blessed in that most of our family, neighbors and even fellow parishioners are supportive. Brian Ray at nheri.org/ produces some excellent materials that can help you defend your choice.

Casual friends might be the real difficulty as they would be more likely to stereotype you based on your announcement. I often just tell them our kids are privately educated (hey, it’s the ultimate private school). In the last couple years someone introduced the phrase Private school Satellite Program (PSP) as an alternative to Independent Study Program (ISP) as the latter has a legal inference the child is enrolled in a public school program. In many jurisdictions, it is the literal truth that your children are enrolled in a private school (California, for example, requires that children be enrolled in a registered school so several curriculum providers register themselves as school and parents who do not enroll through those providers actually register themselves as schools). Just explain they do their work at the kitchen table with all kinds of personal attention instead of at some remote, impersonal location.

You probably have all kinds of advice for curriculum. I seem hear about 3 new Catholic sources each time I turn. One person advised us to start with Seton at least to get used to it as they have a complete lesson plan and comprehensive record keeping. I haven’t found anyone who actually conducted a comprehensive review of multiple curricula (though one blogger did a fairly good review of 3 where MODG fared very well for middle- and high-school age. She barely mentioned Seton, however - I wish I had the link)

To the high school-age respondent: You seem to be doing very well in making life-choices consistent with Catholic teaching. Please continue to do so. Don’t mind the others who don’t “get it”

 

[mishawetterling]

Wow, ok I’ve come for help and support from a catholic website and people are still fighting.

not cool.

But thanks for your opinions

 

[AnotherChance]

Wow, ok I’ve come for help and support from a catholic website and people are still fighting.

not cool.

But thanks for your opinions

There is a fair amount of fighting in this forum. I was surprised too when I first came. But when a line is crossed, the moderators do step in. It is a great forum, but not everyone is coming from a traditional Catholic perspective.

I hope that you did find some help and support anyway! You might also like the “St. Monica, Pray For Us” thread. I received a lot of support there as a wife and mother when I was struggling. It’s a little less contentious than some of the other threads.

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