home school people are weird

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MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
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I do not believe that homeschooling causes the kid to be odd. I do think, however, that being home-schooling is an indicator that there is already something odd with the family and/or kid.

MotionMan
 

TakeNoPrisoners

Platinum Member
Jun 3, 2011
2,599
1
81
On topic I think homeschooled people may not have the same social opportunities that kids that go to traditional schools have. Therefore they may come out of homeschool with a disadvantage in that area.
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
On topic I think homeschooled people may not have the same social opportunities that kids that go to traditional schools have. Therefore they may come out of homeschool with a disadvantage in that area.

I disagree. I think they were socially disadvantaged before homeschooling. Of course, homeschooling probably did not help.

MotionMan
 

HeXen

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2009
7,828
37
91
some kids have to homeschool cause they can't behave properly in public schools.
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
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I have met some in college. One was just wow....he had no social skills and was a nerd to the nth degree. We were throwing a ball around before class 1 day. He kept cowering in fear because it was as if flying objects were not the norm with him. At one moment he almost curled up into a ball and made these weird noises. We just stopped after that because it was just awkward.

Another person I met was pretty cool. Met him at freshman orientation. He was really smart and social. He was pretty advanced too. When I got my B.S. He got his M.S.
 

Drekce

Golden Member
Sep 29, 2000
1,398
0
76
We had a home schooled guy at my high school. He family was in a weird cult. They believed that they were reincarnated dragons (they had fallen from dragon level down to humans) and the only way to become dragons again was through cannibalism. He truly believed that he would have to kill and eat somebody before he died in order to become a dragon in the next life.

He was also a furry.

Was his last name Targaryn by chance?
 

AreaCode707

Lifer
Sep 21, 2001
18,445
127
106
I was picked on horribly in private school and wasn't doing well academically, so my parents pulled me out and homeschooled me starting in 6th grade.

My grades improved considerably. I took my first community college class at 12, passed the high school equivalency exam when I was 15, and entered university as a junior when I was 18.

I spent my high school hanging out with friends from youth group and 4-H and their friends from public school. I used to go to the high school for lunches to hang out with them, and then when the bell rang they'd go to class and I'd wander back over to the college. I'm still VERY good friends with most of the people I knew back then.

I didn't socialize a lot in college but that was mostly because I didn't have a lot of cash and took as many units as I could to graduate as quickly as possible. Met my husband (on here! That does qualify me as weird for sure) when I was in college.

I've made a lot of friends as an adult, get along great with my coworkers and our house is the open-door, come for dinner and a movie type of place.

Homeschooling isn't for everyone but it was totally the best thing I could have done. My parents offered me the option of going to public high school but I didn't take it; I liked the freedom of homeschool/college and didn't feel any lack in my social life.

[edit] My younger sisters were homeschooled K-9th and went into public high school at 10th, and they're doing great socially and average academically. One is really into art, the other is really into comp sci. They are treasurer and webmaster of both the horse club and 4-H that they belong to, do a lot of volunteer work, one is the artist for the school newspaper, the other was just invited to join the robotics team, they swim and dive competitively, etc.
 
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Lalakai

Golden Member
Nov 30, 1999
1,634
0
76
we home schooled our kids mainly so we could customize their learning, to their specific learning strengths and patterns. we also gave them the choice of entering public school if they wanted. it took alot of time and energy on our parts but it worked well.
 

HeXen

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2009
7,828
37
91
we home schooled our kids mainly so we could customize their learning, to their specific learning strengths and patterns. we also gave them the choice of entering public school if they wanted. it took alot of time and energy on our parts but it worked well.

according to the OP, your kids will turn out wierd.
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
according to the OP, your kids will turn out wierd.

Their kids will turn out weird because they have weird parents.

;)

Also, I found this more than a little ironic:

we home schooled our kids mainly so we could customize their learning, to their specific learning strengths and patterns. we also gave them the choice of entering public school if they wanted. it took alot of time and energy on our parts but it worked well.

MotionMan
 

randomrogue

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2011
5,449
0
0
Given a choice between public school and homeschool I'd choose homeschool. However you gotta compliment it with lots of extracurricular social activities such as sports. I'd prefer private school though. Public school is more of a daycare type activity and I think if you're going to spend that much time in class you really should learn an enormous amount of useful material.
 

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
Given a choice between public school and homeschool I'd choose homeschool. However you gotta compliment it with lots of extracurricular social activities such as sports. I'd prefer private school though. Public school is more of a daycare type activity and I think if you're going to spend that much time in class you really should learn an enormous amount of useful material.

Most cities have academic magnet schools for jr high and high school which are actually quite excellent academically.
 
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MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
Given a choice between public school and homeschool I'd choose homeschool. However you gotta compliment it with lots of extracurricular social activities such as sports. I'd prefer private school though. Public school is more of a daycare type activity and I think if you're going to spend that much time in class you really should learn an enormous amount of useful material.

It all depends on the school. The grammar school near our house is quite good.

MotionMan
 

Elfear

Diamond Member
May 30, 2004
7,126
738
126
Most of the homeschooled kids I know turned out better than most. In one family, all the kids started college at 16 and excelled there. They all turned out to be social and were much more mature than most HS kids.

Another girl I knew in college was getting her Masters in Accounting at 19. Cute girl and didn't seem to have any social hangups.
 

jimbob200521

Diamond Member
Apr 15, 2005
4,108
29
91
Its the lack of socialization

This.

I've meant several home-schooled people, and they all seem a bit...off beat. I'm not being a jerk, I'm stating an observation. Isolation means when you do socialize, you don't know how. You can't develop a skill you can't practice.
 

AreaCode707

Lifer
Sep 21, 2001
18,445
127
106
This.

I've meant several home-schooled people, and they all seem a bit...off beat. I'm not being a jerk, I'm stating an observation. Isolation means when you do socialize, you don't know how. You can't develop a skill you can't practice.

The problem is that it's a self-selecting bias. The ones who are poorly socialized are the ones who will be really vocal about the fact they were homeschooled. You've probably met plenty of normal homeschoolers and never realized it because they have no reason to mention it.

Most homeschooling families that I knew were hugely committed to having their kids out and socializing via sports, clubs, school activities via independent study programs, etc. Those kids grow up without feeling the need to inform everyone of their grammar school experiences all the time.

Yes, there are parents who homeschool poorly; I knew one family with 9 kids who homeschooled because the mom was too lazy to get them out the door for school in the morning, so you can imagine how much effort she put into their education and socialization. Those parents should be charged with neglect.
 

jimbob200521

Diamond Member
Apr 15, 2005
4,108
29
91
The problem is that it's a self-selecting bias. The ones who are poorly socialized are the ones who will be really vocal about the fact they were homeschooled. You've probably met plenty of normal homeschoolers and never realized it because they have no reason to mention it.

Most homeschooling families that I knew were hugely committed to having their kids out and socializing via sports, clubs, school activities via independent study programs, etc. Those kids grow up without feeling the need to inform everyone of their grammar school experiences all the time.

Yes, there are parents who homeschool poorly; I knew one family with 9 kids who homeschooled because the mom was too lazy to get them out the door for school in the morning, so you can imagine how much effort she put into their education and socialization. Those parents should be charged with neglect.

Good point, I guess I never would know. I have an idea, let's make all home-schooled kids get a tattoo on there head, you know; so we can single them all out!! Mwaahahaahaa!!