All of this talk about being too sheltered I also think is definitely true. There are many homeschool family's that "over shelter" there kids to the point that they don't have any idea about the bad things that go on. They are kept away from those things without even being told why.

I also want to say how much I love this forum because of the friendly debate! Never have I been to a forum where something like homeschooling was discussed and people have graciously and kindly presented their views on the particular subject and on why they don't believe someone elses views. It has been a pleasure reading all the posts and different views on the subject that everybody has. Thank you guys for such a wonderful forum!

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I would agree with cpstudent that homeschoolers can suffer from the "greenhouse syndrome". Thanks for sharing your opnion soltran!

Farmerboy

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Quote:
Originally Posted by annegirl
It is great to hear about you being best buds with your sister! I consider my sisters my best friends, my parents my top advisers and my brothers my personal body guards!! Yeah, my sister's my best friend, and my cousins are more like brothers than anything. We sit around the table after a meal as a family and talk about politics and world happenings! We have a huge map right next to our dinner table where we point out different countries as we talk. My 3 year old sister can point out "The Rack" where her Sollie (my 22 year old brother) is serving, but her favorite country is Madacascar! (Don't ask me why!?!) Conversations with a diverse age range are great for a couple of reasons...the little ones learn that there is a whole wide world out there outside of their experience...the older ones learn how to explain something clearly and simply enough for a young child to understand. This is one of the biggest pluses I see about homeschooling. It gives us the ability to learn and discover as a family which draws us closer!

One of the best ways to learn something is to have to explain it to someone else, escpecially if they are younger.

Quote:
Originally Posted by japprend
My parents decided to homeschool me and my siblings to ensure that we received a godly upbringing and a solid foundation of Christian education, which wasn't even available in the local Christian schools.!

There are no requirements to get into most Christian private schools.
One of the most common ones where I live says that they admit students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. they do retain the right to deny admission to married students, and any student who has engaged in alcohol, tobacco, or other drug use.

Quote:
Originally Posted by japprend
Also, our family did quite a bit of traveling. Since we were homeschooled, we could just take the books along and enjoy the benefits of traveling "off-season.".!

We've always traveled in the spring and fall instead of during the summer or spring break.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cookderosa
soltran writes "I mean is they are often shielded against or have limited exposure to the worst aspects of our society. This may seem like a good thing, but it can leave one ill prepared for what life and the workplace can throw at them"

You are correct, but something to consider:
It is also true that a child who is shielded against or has limited exposure to the BEST aspects of society (and family, and education) will be ill prepared for life (and marriage, and college) and the workplace. We know this is true- sociology studies this.

Kids are not ready to be bombarded with every bad aspect of the world when they are 8 years old! I know so many young kids that know more bad words than some adults!
Another aspect of homeschooling that I don't think has been talked is the ability to be able to custimize our curriculum. My sister and I both learn in different ways. She tends to learn better visually while I learn better with a combination of visual things and hands on stuff. Because of that she rarely does the same curriculum that I did when I was her age. Homeschooling also allows us to study more in-depth on subjects that interest us. My brother is in 3rd grade and loves Egypt. He already knows more about Egypt than my mom does because he was allowed to spend extra time looking at books and watching movies about Egypt.

Other than.......... $$$

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Always be ready to release your mind and be willing to listen to the advice of others. Remain flexible. - Gichin Funakoshi

Well yeah, other than that!

all of the christian schools in our area are excellent but they cost enormious amount of money and they make us take acceptance tests.

public school system here is HORRABLE they acctually have some of the lowest test scores in new york state.

So anyways homeschooling was are only option.

I have been homeschooled for all of my short (and I am not just talking about my height) life. I believe that public schooling is good for many people. I had an oppurtunity to tutor at a local elementary school, and from my experience there, I am glad that I am homeschooled. My parents decided to homeschool me and, to my knowledge, have never regretted it. I support their decision, and I fully intend to teach my own children at home. It may not work for everyone, but it sure works for me!

I'm the 4th oldest of 12(the youngest is 6) and my mom has home schooled us (the 5 oldest) all the way through and is still home schooling the rest of my siblings. I love homeschooling and if I ever have kids I'll home school them. The only thing I didn't like about home schooling is that I couldn't play High School sports, many states allow home schoolers to play on High School teams but ours didn't. I guess there's always church softball though

Where I live, there are many homeschool teams, some competitive, that are all or mostly homeschoolers. There are entire basketball, soccer, and baseball teams that are homeschooled. I know there is also a bowling league that fills up about 30 lanes each week.

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~DixieGirl~

It's so fun to hear from others who are part of a large family! I am the oldest of 12 (the youngest is 3!) I am helping my mom homeschool my 7 year old sister and I am the "higher education director" (I am helping my brothers and sisters study for CLEP tests!) I look forward to homeschooling my children!

PS welcome to the forum Roberts!

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