I was homeschooled and the stereotypes are definitely out there but most of us are pretty normal. I didn't grow up on a farm or get taught that scientists are evil or go through high school friendless. Heck it was fun, I'd finish at like noon and then draw or write until my friends got out of school. I was able to develop my art a lot more because of it.
Exactly.
I hate it when people make the social arguement, it's not always a problem. I have a lot of friends, around my age and not so much, and all of us are close, and not all of my friends are homeschooled. In fact, I would almost say homeschooling done properly results in a more socially-able child, but it really depends on the parent.
most of the homeschooled kids I know are weird and clueless when it comes to social interaction.
I don't think I'd say most, but some certainly are incapable. And how are you sure being in school provides a better social expreience? I get most of my learning from classes with a lot of kids. I'm in a shakespeare class the I'm performing in, and there are 20something kids in the class. I take a lot of intellectual classes as well, which make the best IMHO out of a class experience.
Getting exposed to many different people and different moral standings is healthy no matter how smart your parents are.
Right. For sure, I totally agree. And I do get exposed a lot. I got lucky, my parents aren't religious and chose to let me decide if I want to be or not. I think religion is something that makes one sheltered. One of my homeschooled friends is religious, and he is
extremely sheltered, he barely knows what the internet is, and his parents are probably deciding what profession he's going into. I get exposed lots; especially this year, because of the MUN conference, which should be interesting.
Two days a week I go to a homeschool in a... school. But all the kids there are homeschooled. I take a Spanish class in one, a Dance class in the other, as well as a Music history class and the MUN class. In these I meet a lot of different approaches and people, some religious, some not, and all of the classes allow kids of all ages to mingle and they do.
One thing that bugs me about public school is that you can't really mingle with people not exactly your age. I think that's one of the most inportant forms of exposure.
But, as I've said, it depends. I know amazing people can come out of both Homeschooling and Public schooling, and it depends heavily on the child and teacher. (I don't know much about private schools, and I don't think they do much for one either, but please enlighten me if anyone can. I really don't know.)
EDIT:
Oh and in school you'll also get to be with people you don't like.
I meet PLENTY of people who I don't like, some more than others. But either way I usually have to cooperate with them, which is an important lesson.
Later
Shrike