Weekly Poll: What is the biggest homeschooling "myth" you are confronted with?

[mjzzyzoff]

One of the reasons that I was so happy to bring my son home is that I almost never got to see him (I work evenings and he was in school during the day), so I just don't understand that sentiment. It always rubs me the wrong way too-I adore my kids, not just "tolerate" them. I mean, I value my "me" time as much as anyone, but why become a parent in the first place if you can't stand your kids? Grumble, grumble...

When I finally told me dad our homeschooling plans, this was the concern he had. "How are you going to spend all day every day with him???"

This is what got us considering homeschool in the first place! DS has over an hour bus ride and once he gets home it's 4:00, throw in another hour or two struggling through homework, (not my idea of pleasant family time) and if we are lucky we get a family meal in before bed, since he has to be up at 6:30 the next day. So frustrating.


I'll be honest, there have been times when I couldn't stand to be around him, but it's usually because I'm in an irritated mood and he's in the wrong place, wrong time!

I really can't wait to spend every day with him!

[Snoopy]

Well I guess lump me with the bad parents who shouldn't have had kids because yes, there are days when I can't stand my teens. And yes, I AM happy that they go back to school when they do and they are happy to go back, actually. And just to point out the obvious, most of us do not realize that we'd rather not spend the whole day with *some* kids (the sarcastic, sad sack, I don't want to do anything ESPECIALLY not what you asked me to do, type) until after they've become that way However, I would never send my kids to school or to a camp just to get rid of them! When I selected camps for my kids last summer (including for Noah), it wasn't for me to get time alone (because it was 1/2 a camp so I had to spend an hour commuting in the car back and forth for 3 lousy hours by myself anyway) but it was for them to experience activities that I couldn't provide (archery, for example) and for Noah to get some socialization over the summer when most of our homeschooling friends take off to go visit family up North. This summer we're not doing camps (well, Summer Swim League but I'll be there with them) but my 2 teen boys will be in mandatory band camp pretty much all summer long. They're happy about it because they love band and they'll be with their friends, and I'm happy because entertaining teens over the summer isn't easy nor cheap.

[Shoe]

Well I guess lump me with the bad parents who shouldn't have had kids because yes, there are days when I can't stand my teens. And yes, I AM happy that they go back to school when they do and they are happy to go back, actually. And just to point out the obvious, most of us do not realize that we'd rather not spend the whole day with *some* kids (the sarcastic, sad sack, I don't want to do anything ESPECIALLY not what you asked me to do, type) until after they've become that way However, I would never send my kids to school or to a camp just to get rid of them! When I selected camps for my kids last summer (including for Noah), it wasn't for me to get time alone (because it was 1/2 a camp so I had to spend an hour commuting in the car back and forth for 3 lousy hours by myself anyway) but it was for them to experience activities that I couldn't provide (archery, for example) and for Noah to get some socialization over the summer when most of our homeschooling friends take off to go visit family up North. This summer we're not doing camps (well, Summer Swim League but I'll be there with them) but my 2 teen boys will be in mandatory band camp pretty much all summer long. They're happy about it because they love band and they'll be with their friends, and I'm happy because entertaining teens over the summer isn't easy nor cheap.

There are times when I don't want my kids around too, and I bet that goes for most parents...but they're pretty rare and usually when I need some "me" time, rather than because the kids are intolerable (my kids aren't angels, don't get me wrong). I have found that my kids are less of the "sarcastic, sad sack" when they've been home for awhile (on vacations, for instance)-the school year is when my daughter is the worst about that attitude.

I'd be concerned if the times I didn't want my kids around were more common than the times that I do want them around. Of course, my kids aren't teens yet, so maybe I 'll change my opinion in a couple of years...

(And I don't think you're a bad parent )

[Marmalade]

I chose "I get all of these in some version or another" although honestly I've never received the one about religion.

I wish I had saved the email my sister sent me the day after we announced our decision. It touched on all of those points. It was so full of silly things like "You know you can't go to college with just a GED" and "They won't have any friends" and my absolute favorite "I went to school just to socialize!" which I couldnt' for the life of me figure out how that fed her argument!

(For the record-she's come around...)

[Angela Smither]

A comment that I get often when people find out that I homeschool is, "Atleast your kids will know Jesus". They don't ask, they assume that I do so for religous reasons. If they only knew, the only religion we add to our curriculum is world religous studies. Recently we explored the Muslum religion and visited a local mosque. Next we plan to explore the Budist faith and visit a local temple. The purpose of this is religous tollerence through knoledge. The second comment I get is about socialization. They assume my children sit in their rooms all day doing school work and have no friends. They seem to think that the only way children can have a social life is by going to public school. The third comment I get often is about my highschool aged daughter. They ask about school activites like sports, band, etc. that look good when applying for college. My daughter does other things that look good for scholorships. She has three years of volunteer work working with special needs children in horse therapy. Let me see, what looks better basketball or volunteer work. My rule is that when they turn 13, they have to do volunteer work with some organization atleast once a week. Lastly, they ask about prom and highschool graduation. When their highschool kid is walking across the stage for their highschool degree, mine will almost have her asociates degree in college.

[jessicalb]

I have heard them all. The one I love most is, "How can you stand to be with your kids ALL the time ?"

That one makes me so sad. I always want to ask, "So who do you suppose is responsible for raising kids even their own mother can't stand?" Jeez.

[jessicalb]

Sometimes, I think parents get used to having their kids in school and/or day-care all day and don't know how to deal with them or talk with them?

This is really true. But I guess, what I find hard to understand, is why parents are so ok with it. When Alex was in school full time and I worked all the time I knew I didn't know him very well, and I hated that I hardly ever got to see him or have any energy for him when he was home. I was so glad to bring him home, even though it did take a long time to get really comfortable with being together all day again.

[KrysWalker]

Wow it's funny how everyone gets the same thing I do..."I could never do that." Why do people assume that teachers would have more patience with your children? Especially public school (ie unionized government employees who may or may not be paid enough to care) teachers who teach higher than 1st grade. My daughter is very intelligent, very hyper, and very easily distracted - it was one of a zillion reasons why we are homeschooling. My husband was the same way and the public school system couldn't deal with him and forced his mother (who was single, worked three jobs, and could never have homeschooled) to put him on ridolin. How can I do it? How can you not?

[anywaybecause]

I hear a lot of "I could never do that" and a variation on the certified teacher. Since I used to teach high school, I hear a lot of "Oh, well it's okay for YOU to homeschool, since you used to be a teacher!" Ummmm . . . wrangling a classroom full of other people's teenagers is nothing like sitting right next to your own seven-year-olds.