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

People who aren't homeschoolers often have preconceived notions of what homeschooling is, or isn't. I'm confronted often by common "myths" that these people throw at me - - sometimes as outright judgements, and other times as honest questions.

What is the biggest myth you feel obligated to continually combat about homeschooling or homeschoolers?

You may choose more than one option on this poll.

I'd say the biggest myth that I've encountered over the years has been people's misconception that homeschooling MUST be school-at-home, complete with recess, blackboards, desks, morning pledge of allegiance and that it operates during normal school hours. Second place would definitely go to "I thought that only religious people homeschooled their kids."

The one I keep having suggested to me is that our kids will be too isolated. I seriously want to roll around laughing at that one. My problem is that we are gone too much, and too much of our time is eaten up by our various activities out of the house and with other kids, making it hard to get the "school" part done. Isolation isn't even part of the picture.

I always get "I could never do that." They seem to think that all homeschool moms are some sort of supermom rather than just regular people who have decided to step forward and do the job.

When I babysat, I had one kid who was in public school preschool who would tell us all the time that we didn't do "real" school because it was at home and not in the school building. His mom worked as a school nurse so I think it might have been coming some from that direction.

Yes, we do real school. It isn't that hard once you get a good rhythm going and figure out what you are doing.

I get tired of the assumption by public school parents that my kids will be permanantly scarred by not having the opportunity to rub elbows with others at lockers in the hallway, and (GASP!!) not be able to attend prom!!! Like it even matters to them. I've always told them that if they want a nice dance and fancy clothes to wear to it, we'll rent a hall and put on a dance. They roll their eyes back at me....

I always hear "Oh, I could never homeschool my kids, you must have all the patience in the world!" and "how do you know your kids will get a well-rounded education?" and "what about socialization?" I've also been told that "nobody can teach a child better than a school teacher."

1. I don't have patience. I'm a parent who has learned to live with my children, lol. 2. What do you consider a "well-rounded" education? 3. My daughter is in her 3rd year of dance, we have a huge family and many friends, I think that counts as socialization...and 4. I am currently working on finishing my teaching degree. My children will have the best of both worlds: a "teacher" and a mother homeschooling them

I have never gotten the religious comment, which is kind of interesting with where we live. There are a lot of nonreligious homeschoolers here.

I get, "I could never do that" and "my child is too social to homeschool".

I, too, get the "I couldn't do that." Once my dh got something akin to our kids not being smart enough to attend public school. Mostly I get "So when are you trying for the girl?" when people see our four boys.

Mine has been the myth that homeschoolers get no socialization and interestingly enough, I've gotten that concern more from beginning homeschoolers than from "civilians".

We get the religious one a lot, which I just attribute to where we live. Every time someone starts discussing a religious curriculum with me and I mention that we're secular homeschoolers it's like they just don't understand what I'm saying.