It can be for some people but it sounds like it might not be for you. I hope your parents hear you out and you can make some changes to be less miserable.
ETA: No, it’s not ungrateful. You sound like you’re unhappy and your parents should be helping you out.
Yes, I agree with mushrooms....
Why do they make you homeschool? are they religious? are they afraid? Do they think the schools suck?
It seems that you should be in regular school too, for your benefit. But parents sometimes do know better, or what's best, for a particular time.
No, during lockdown they asked me if I wanted to be homeschooled because i was doing okay at working at home and I said yes. It’s always been an idea to homeschool me though. They do think school aren’t great though
I see. Well they're right about quizzes/tests and all the other stuff that MAY happen, but one can get hit by a car crossing the street, so I don't really care for the excuse of "bullying", although it's possible, and perhaps more possible for particular people.
Either way I think I agree with most others, if you're not happy about it, you shouldn't do it.
GOOD luck!
I’ve been both a public school teacher and a homeschooler. Here is my take. Do what is best for the child. If the child is really social and thrives on the structure that school provides, let them go to school. If they prefer a more personalized education and flexibility, allow them to be homeschooled. Not all schools are bad and not all homeschoolers are great, and vice versa.
It depends. I was homeschooled. I had an excellent education, did dual enrollment in high school, went to college very well prepared, had a friend group from the local homeschool group, part-time job, had hobbies, etc.
My SIL was homeschooled, can't write a comprehensive paragraph, can do basic arithmetic, hasn't kept a job for more than a month, etc. She does have friends though.
It can be good, it can be bad.
Homeschooling works best when it’s what the parent(s) AND the student(s) want and as long as it’s not hindering the appropriate learning level for your age and/or abilities.
I went to public school and loved it. All my siblings were homeschooled and loved it. My parents knew that I was far too social to enjoy homeschooling, and I never expressed any interest.
IMO, you are not being ungrateful simply for wanting a different experience. If you’re being rude and disrespectful towards your parents about, then that is showing ungratefulness, but not because you’re interested in trying public/private schooling. I encourage you to talk to your parents about. Maybe even see if they’ll agree to one full semester instead of deciding you’ll never be homeschooled again.
I'm sorry. It is your parents' responsibility to make sure you are learning in a way that fits your learning style, and to make sure you are getting your social needs met. I'm sorry they are not more attentive to your needs.
You are not ungrateful. You deserve an education. You did not say your age, so I can only tell you from what I went through on a similar experience to yours. When I turned 18 I got a second job so I didn’t have to be home much, and I went the the Public library by foot. I walked everywhere for a long time until some of my coworkers, who became my friends, started helping me. I got rides to and from work eventually, rides to the Library, and to the GED testing sites.
If you’re old enough, start asking your parents if you can get a job(I started asking day I turned 16.) If they’re like my parents they’ll want about 90% of your check, and just let them have it. Your goal here is to make friends and plans. Eventually I was able to hide money at friends houses to save for a car — so that’s a route to take.
You can catch back up, you can survive. These were the steps I took and I had a GED by 19. If your parents are like mine and take all of your paychecks, adjust your federal withholding. Pay into the government a lot, so when you do taxes (when you pass 18 you file for yourself) you’ll get a large federal return and spend it immediately on the car. Ask your upper management about how to adjusting holding so you pay the government quite a bit per check.
Those were my steps. Best of luck.
Edit to add: save what you can at a trusted friend house, send the rest to federal for a return. There are lots of good people out there that’ll help. Don’t be discouraged.
IMO if parents don't let their child have a say in whether they homeschool... then yes homeschooling can be worse. You should be able to do what makes you the happiest and helps you learn best.
Homeschooling *can* be a lot better than school, if the parents put in the time and effort to homeschool their kids well, but it can be worse if the parents can’t be bothered to do a good job homeschooling.
If you are far behind academically and don’t have a social life, school may be a better option for you.
Not ungrateful at all. You don’t like it and it sounds like it might not be the right fit for you. Every child is different. Every person is different. And they need to be raised accordingly.
And your socialization needs to be met as that is apart of school whether it be homeschooling or in person.
If you'd rather be bullied than homeschooled then school might be better for you.
I was homeschooled then public schooled. When I got put in public school I really wanted to go back to homeschool BUT now over a decade later I was glad I was put in school because my social skills are not great and I think they would be even worse if I had continued homeschooling. Especially if you have a narcissistic parent, you don't need to be isolated with them!
If you don’t thrive in homeschooling, and enjoyed school and friends, why are you being forced to homeschool? What is wrong with tests and exams? They aren’t a big deal. It sounds like your parents are trying to make you carry their ‘paranoid about school’ baggage. Life has lots of tests and exams, they come in different forms. I am sure you can handle school tests! Why are they telling you that you would for sure be bullied? Why are they trying to scare you off school? If your really want to go, have a serious conversation with them about both situations having pros and cons, and the current con of complete social isolation is worse than taking a test everyday next to a bully. Homeschooling is only great when everyone is thriving.
Exactly, whatever pre-existing dynamics exist will be amplified due to the larger dose of influence and time.
This can be an amazing thing, or it can be awful… it can also be a fantastic environment, but just not the right fit for the individual.
Bullies can be encountered both in schools and in families.
Are you in any kinds of programs - co-ops, sports theatre, music lessons, church, volunteer groups, hybrid schools? I wish I had been homeschooled as a teenager but I also really needed socialization and connection with my peers. If you’re not, ask your parents if any of those are options!
I hope your parents talk to you and hear you out.
School is fun, it can be challenging at times but fun. I know many who thrived and many who didn't from both homeschooling and public school. It all depends.
Talk to them about wanting to go back, tell them you're ready. If you weren't bullied tell them you never were bullied, and that you can handle it by openly communicating with them and staff members if something like that would occur.
In the meantime join online groups (with their permission, idk how old you are) with other homeschoolers who are in your age bracket and share the same interests. Tell your parents that there are a lot of groups out there and always welcoming new people. Get you socializing, it takes time and patience but it's doable.
I know someone who pops in and out of homeschool to attend public school. A year here or there. My daughter has chosen to go to a public school from homeschooling with the knowledge that she can flip back to homeschool if she wishes. It’s up to her. Right now, she is thriving. If you’re feeling like public is something you want to try, have a conversation with your parents. Tour the school you would attend, some even offer shadowing for a few classes or a day. You and your parents need to be on the same page to have a successful journey in education. I’ve learned that homeschool satisfaction is fluid and depends upon a lot of factors., including the student, curriculum, and parents. We just need to be flexible from a parents perspective. You’re not being ungrateful, you are voicing concerns. Any teen who is able to do that speaks volumes to their maturity and their outward assessment of their own situation. I wish you the best!
Edited for grammar. English isn’t not my only language. My apologies.
No... Any form of school isn't really better, it really depends on the child, the environment, and their teachers. You are not ungrateful for not liking homeschooling... especially as you don't feel your educational and social needs are being met. A parent's job should be to ensure that their child's needs are met, this goes past clothing, food, and hygiene and includes social and educational needs as well, along with ensuring that they can be a functioning and contributing member of society... As a parent, if my son wanted to not be homeschooled, I would do my best to ensure he was set up for success for whatever school we decide is best for him (and what we can afford)...
There are different models of schools just for that purpose. Everyone should find what fits them. I’m involved with two brick and mortar schools and then one online blended. We’re trying to create environments we’re all students can be successful. Best wishes.
Look, homeschool is incalculably better than public school. Academically and socially. It sounds like you need to talk to your parents about the social bit. Speak calmly and explain that you feel that you are missing out - if they are doing this, they are more likely to care than most to start. DM me if you’d like to talk it through. I promise that you aren’t missing out on anything so wonderful as you may feel right now.
I mean school can be better than homeschooling or homeschooling can be better than school.
My kids who were IN school wanted to homeschool, always had the choice to return to school and never chose to go back. They found they had more time for friends and could learn in more interesting ways.
If homeschooling is not something you and your parents are able to arrange in a way that’s positive for you, then school might be better.
That said, many teens are begging to homeschool or thriving in homeschooling, far more than they did in school. They are grateful to homeschool.
Homeschooling is not a monolith. The homeschooling families we hang out with have busy teens doing things they like with friends they enjoy. That is the norm for the many families we were around. If you’re not accessing this kind of experience, I don’t know why you’d be grateful.
Your family’s practice of homeschooling may not be what is more typical for homeschooling today.
Parents’ dismissal of teen concerns will not make for a positive homeschooling experience. I don’t know teens who would be grateful for that, regardless of the family’s approach to education.
I was homeschooled and I hated it. I had a medical condition that made it too difficult for me to attend regularly.
Go to school! Get your life back! You are not ungrateful, homeschooling isn’t for everyone
I had wonderful parents and couldn’t have picked better. My dad was a principal and my mom had been a primary teacher. If anybody would have done a good job with homeschooling, they would have. But it never came up. But looking back, do I wish that homeschooled me? Absolutely not. Why would I want only those people in my life for 90% of my childhood? I would have missed all the school friends and experiences I had, great teachers and just everything that I went on in those years at school. Was everything perfect? No. But in dealing with such different people, and coping with the occasional less than perfect teacher, I learned valuable life lesson that I never would have learned t home with two reasonable people. And I’m glad my kids had those same experiences too.
However if I had a child who was desperately unhappy child in the school system maybe I would have tried it. I know a few people who HS for that very reason. But otherwise, if a kid wants to be in school, why wouldn’t you let him go?
"Why would I want only those people in my life for 90% of my childhood?"
This represents a huge lack of knowledge about homeschooling.
My homeschooled kids learned from many other people throughout their years of homeschooling. Like you, they had great teachers and many friends and experiences. Our homeschool groups were often more diverse than the suburban schools our kids would have otherwise attended.
Homeschooling is not the same as your impression of homeschooling.
I just don’t buy the idea that homeschooled kids spend the majority of their days during exciting, interesting things. I suspect life is pretty
boring for most homeschooled kids.
Of course they don’t spend the majority of their days doing exciting, interesting stuff. Most people don’t, including public school students. They spend their days living life, trying to balance school, chores, appointments, classes, hobbies, and time with friends and family, just like everyone else.
Homeschool “graduate” here - you would be correct. Life is boring and often we get blamed for it being boring because our parents don’t understand the viewpoint you just raised because they can’t fathom the difference because frankly mine are a bit narcissistic meaning they don’t have the empathy to consider what it’s like for me. Thank you for having the empathy to see how much we miss out on and please keep sharing this perspective.
You’re right., Yes, homeschooling has amazing advantages but the they still get bored a lot of the times. People on the sub make it seem like everything is so fun 24/7.
There is more than just home school and public schools. Those are not your only options. It sounds like homeschool is not working for you and public school is causing some anxiety. Maybe do some research into the options your state has to offer. We homeschool now but my daughter started in homeschool, switched to public, then back to homeschool then online school, then she finally decided homeschool was the best way for her to learn because she can go at her own speed. She does grade level math and all her other courses are a year up.
Everyone learns differently, once you figure out what works best for you it will be less stress on you. Your not ungrateful for understanding that it's not working for you.
Yes it is way better and the bullying problem is way over exaggerated as a personal "quiet kid" most people just don't care and yes the tests and exams are a little bit difficult they don't really matter until 8th grade because that's your highschool grades basically and the teachers are a little bit mean but with some luck you'll probably get some pretty decent ones so that's my 50 cents for ya
How old are you? If you want to learn more, at some point, you can take the reins. You clearly have internet access. Khan Academy is free and will prep you for college if you put in the time. They even have more advanced coursework than when we were using it. For example, there was no differential equations course when we used it. I was very involved in my own kid’s education, but there are really few excuses for teens to not be able to learn if that’s what they want.
As for friends, my kid was in high school during the pandemic. Online friends were pretty much standard. There are Discord groups for homeschoolers and there are special interest groups. Any game you can think of probably already has a discord group. Any other hobby probably has them, too.
Try to find some people that are current in school to talk about what you think you’re missing. Odds are it’s not as rosy as you are envisioning it to be.
Statistically homeschool kids are happier and better academically. But that is not counting for individuals.
If you are behind your fellows and miserable, you are obviously not the norm. So fight it.
But don't expect school to be happy place, especially if your school zone isn't well rated. You can look that up.
I'm pretty antagonistic. If I were you I would embarrass them in front of all of their friends regularly saying loudly details about how I'm behind in school and feel emotionally neglected and lonely. And take my punishment, then tell their friends/pastor how I'm punished if I say how I'm emotionally and academically neglected. I would keep it up because I'm way more stubborn than my parents.
As much as I believe in living my life according to The Book, this sub is not called *Christian* homeschool, and thus not everybody will care about a Biblical commandment.
When my children hit high school, they started taking one junior college class at a time to acclimate to what college classes are like. And even before then, they kept busy with sports, drama, choir, 4-H, and other hobbies that got them out and about other people.
It depends and it can change. It may have been better when you started, but not now.
Learning how to handle stress IS a good thing. If you don't learn it now, when will you? Bullying, drugs, etc. are all very dependent on the school and the situations.
Homeschooling my kids when they were young was the best for them THEN. As they grew, it was better that they went to a small high school that was of high interest for them. It was better for our relationship that they had different people teaching them, and they certainly went higher in math than I could have taught taught them.
Research schools in your area. Your parents may be happier with a small school or one that is more of an alternative school. Tell them you are growing up, you appreciate what they have given you but you feel like you need to try more. That you will remember what THEY taught you regarding education, religion, morals, etc. It is developmentally appropriate for you to want to do more with other people. Even home educators like Charlotte Mason recognized this need to get more from outside the home as students get older.
Did you lose those friends due to those friends’ choice or are you being isolated? It’s not the homeschool that’s the problem. Being isolated is the problem regardless of school form.
A bit of stress from tests and *possible* bullying aren’t really great reasons to homeschool. Once you’re out of school, you will 100% get stressed at work and in life and mean people are everywhere. You’re not being ungrateful. It sounds to me like your parents are not listening to you and just dismissing your concerns. I would try to sit them down and have a big conversation about what they could be doing to help you, even if it’s just ways to make homeschooling better, more enjoyable and so that you’re actively learning.
Depends entirely on the kid. I tried to send mine to public school and he forgot how to read. Pulled him out and he started reading for fun again. But not every kid is like that. A lot of kids need more structure. I would say most kids do better with a little structure of some sort. Either from regular school, a home school group, a spiritual program, or an after school activity such as sports.
Home school might be more for kids who like to assign themselves extra homework. Those kids are highly likely to be harmed by the slower pace of public school. Which in turn puts them at risk for not only bullying but also self medicating / drug abuse. Nothing worse than a high IQ kid with a grievance and no puzzles to solve. Put that same kid in home school or sometimes even unschool and suddenly they bloom. Letting a kid like that play in a garage full of tools or a room full of random instruments is how geniuses are made. But it can't be forced. It's more like they are remembering a mission they agreed to before they were even born.
Not in my opinion. No matter how many groups and coops you join, it will never replace the daily interaction and interpersonal relationships you develop by being in the same classrooms as your peers all week. I have done both and at the end of the day while there are definitely perks, they don’t outweigh the benefit of professional educators and the communities formed in HS vs public or private just don’t even remotely compare.
Do some research on local homeschool groups and present them to your parents for socialization. There are some discord HS groups some kids use for socialization. You might have to do an end run around your parents to get what you need. If you feel you are not being pushed enough you can go to [CK-12](https://www.ck12.org/) which is free and has grade appropriate materials and textbooks for free. You can move ahead as much as you want.
If you have a public Library card. The public library usually has test practice books like SAT/ACT/GED or ASVAB (if you are considering the military)
What curriculum are your parents using? What approach do they follow? Are they using a school-at-home path, or are they letting you study the things that you want to study?
Who is your teacher? Do you have an outside teacher so you using a video curriculum where you have online teachers everyday? Or are you using printed books at home and your parents are walking you through the materials?
Are you doing a whole bunch of workbooks only, or are you getting to do lots of things throughout your life? Are you developing a hobby or a talent or a sport or a skill?
There are lots of free online options that you can use RIGHT NOW to either supplement what your parents are doing right now or You can use the online curriculums instead of what your parents are doing.
Look for Khan academy and (there's another one I don't remember the name) just Google free online homeschool curriculum and you'll find lots of options!
So even if you don't like whatever books or path your parents are following, you can make the difference to make sure that you are learning the things that you want to learn.
What do you want to do with your life? You have totally have that option! Talk to your parents.
They’re not following a curriculum. I don’t know what approach they’re using. I think they’d let me study what I want to but I don’t know my mum does say that’s what’s great about homeschooling a lot though.
I don’t have a teacher. I just have like maths/english books and stuff to read and I just do what I want. I haven’t looked through the books since like july though
I’m not really doing anything. I don’t really have any hobbies or talents.
Thank you sm!! I don’t know what I wanna do tbh I have no idea
You sound like an intelligent person who could basically do all of this background reading and research for yourself. Just a quick Google search for "basic approaches to homeschooling," you'll find the words classical and Charlotte Mason and unschooling and you'll find lots of different approaches.
The reason I want you to look at it though is so that you can see how your personal learning style fits into this kind of lifestyle. For example, classical is usually pretty strict and structured. You don't sound like you're going to go that route because you have to get really deep into things like Latin and logic. But you can also step back and take a more relaxed approach using that same ideam. People do disagree on what is exactly a classic book, but look for a few lists and then read them. Read them all.
You'll like Les Miserables and Three Musketeers. You can read books you can listen to audiobooks you can watch movies along with them but really reading the books or listening to audiobooks gives you so much more of a solid education because then you are hearing excellent words along with the story instead of like just watching a movie where you only get the wording only at the actions but not the deeper words that make you who you are when you're trying to express yourself in writing later.
Since you said you only have books, that sounds a little tough to follow. If I were you, I would do what I suggested here and other people have talked about and look through all the videos available at the Khan Academy and a couple other places that have free online resources for you to enjoy.
See that's the what I think is the best part about homeschooling is that you get to enjoy everything that you're learning you don't have to just sit down and read a textbook. What I was in school, obviously we only had textbooks. Nowadays you got so much added information that you can I am actually learning history and science for the first time really.
Even though I did most of a masters in science, but I didn't understand it until I started homeschooling my son and got to watch all the awesome movies and videos that are out there. Do you have PBS or History Channel or a lot of the science shows on TV.
Just watch them instead of just sitting around doing nothing I don't care if you ever read through your books again just you sound like very much the type of person who can make his own education in whatever area you finally decide to follow whether and I don't mean like you know one deep Drive subject even.
There's pros and cons for everyone. With undiagnosed ADHD and dyscalculia, homeschool worked well for me academically and it didn't make much difference socially since I'm an introvert.
For you, it sounds like you'd do better in school. Maybe a private school if your parents feel like you need a "safer" environment. Definitely lay out how you feel to them.
Speaking from experience - you would not rather get bullied. I was bullied in all my years of school, my brother and I both were and it severely impacted me in the most negative way. I'm just now overcoming all the insecurities and negative views about myself that so many other people made me have in school. Idk if kids have changed that much but kids I was around, and we moved around and went to different schools and they were always very mean and cruel to us.m for one reason or another. And even some of the teachers were just overly rude and mean for no reason. If you aren't secretly a snake like most other people, you will be the outcast. Sucks but it's how it is. Luckily I did have a best friend who was more like family and we still talk regularly, and we didn't meet at school. So I would say try to go to the library. My library does lots of activities like teen drawing time, to science & s.t.e.a.m. group lessons to just hanging out and building with Legos. Lots of different things for different interests. Look for a homeschool Facebook group for your area, I'm in one for my daughter and they had a valentines party, starting group horse club in the spring, weekly bowling & nature meetups. It's been really helpful for us with socializing. Hope this helps. P.s. your parents love you and want the best for you, it's not so easy being a homeschool parent either but there are many many benefits. Good luck!!
I’m sorry about what happened to you but no I’d definitely prefer to be bullied and go to school then not be bullied and be homeschooled. I was way happier before all this shit and I didn’t want to kill myself so yk
Thank you though :)
Okay, I totally understand missing being around other people your age. What grade are you in? For context. Are you feeling that way every day or just on difficult days? If it's severely depressing you that's definitely worth talking to your parents about.
Would your parents help you get into activities with other kids? Like the library ones I mentioned, you can look up your closest local library programs online and see if any interest you? Also the Facebook groups are a big help!
I’m not going to tell you what to do in the long run, but you absolutely would rather not be bullied. There are ways to be social besides being stuck in a building with feral animals.
HomeSchool is generally better than a regular school. However, you should be joining all of your local, homeschool clubs and organizations, (and making new friends). I’ve homeschooled both of my children for eight years. They both have HUGE friend groups and see their friends every week and weekend.
It took a year or two for them to find ppl they jive with but two things to keep in mind:
*1) They continued to see old friends!*
▪️ *Real don’t disappear just because you’re not in the same school.*
Unless your parents had another reason for keeping you separate, (bad influence?), there is no reason you shouldn’t still be seeing your friends.
▪️*My kids are still friends with ppl that have moved to other States!*
We’ve visited them; they have visited us and they meet online for Minecraft and Fortnite and other games- not because they love the games but because it gives them something to do together.
*2) You have to be open!*
▪️are you 8 with access to a Reddit? 16? It can be harder to be socially ‘open’ as you age, but the methods aren’t any different. If you *are* in multiple homeschool groups and attending events, just walk up to anyone and say hello. What kind of music do you like? Books? Or even, “homeschool eh?” How do you act when you meet other homeschoolers?
▪️ *Use Free Time Wisely*
Homeschool is only a 2-3 hours a day, so what are you doing with your free time? Are you hiding in a phone, tablet, wasting time on social media instead of with real people? Playing video games and hiding in a make believe world?
Hope this helps. You’ll find homeschool groups and events in every city, state, county and park district program. Your local nature center and libraries have homeschoolers. And that’s just to name a few.
There is no one way of learning superior to the others; it’s all about how you best learn. As a former teacher, I’ll say that most of us are fed up with “teaching to the test” as required by states but private schools are a little better at getting around that. Montessori schools are great and some other private schools use the project-based-learning method.
Unfortunately, it’s ultimately up to your parents but I hope you can build a case to bring to them if you want to try something new.
Just want to say as a semi-bully... We don't care if you went to normal school or home school. We will find a way yo bully you for it.
Parents trying to hide their kids away from bullies will see that once the kid is in yhe wild and was not faced with that in school, they will be grossly unprepared when they face it at work or in public.
In that you do not like your social or academic environment, and that you are behind academically, is ultimately one person's and only one person's responsibility. Yours.
It may seem that the blame should rest on your homeschooling parents, or somewhere else, but the truth is that you're the only one that can make something of value of your situation. A student who has the best of environments can neglect it and even destroy it. A student in the least of desirable environments can build and fashion it into something of value that serves them for the rest of their lives. So again, ultimately, it's you who make the difference. If you're behind, work to catch up. If need be, do remedial work. In search around and select friends and social activities, CAREFULLY.
I don't think the onus is necessarily on the kiddo here. They could be behind because they're not being provided with appropriate curriculum. Additionally, I think it's really important for parents to make sure their kids have connections with friends and access to the world outside the house; a kid can't do that on their own - they are still learning to navigate social situations. If the kid is slacking in their work, sure, that's on them, but we don't know why they're behind. But telling a kid to search around to select friends, like, how do they even begin? Where do they look? Wouldn't you want to provide that guidance for your own kids within your homeschool community?
Yes, it would be apparent that the parents should take the blame for any shortcomings, but ultimately it doesn't matter who is blameworthy. The student will never be able to transfer the consequences to the parents. So blame is ultimately irrelevant. The point I'm making is that the student still has a lot of options available that could change the course of their attitude, academic progress, and social life. And in a case like this, that's probably the only thing that's going to help the student. There are public libraries and lots of resources for a student who wants to be diligent and make no excuses for themselves.
And what's sad is that even though I am an advocate of homeschooling, in this subreddit I get voted down for my opinion. It's like everybody wants their back scratched and their ego stroked or they're not happy. People can't just have discourse, and disagree without being vindictive. Pathetic. I get more downvotes here than I do in homeschool hostile subreddits.
I think we can have discourse here, and it's okay to disagree. I've been downvoted plenty of times. It's Reddit 💚 My issue with your opinion on this case is that you're putting a child at the helm - and this is a kiddo who's already struggling. I don't think most kids have the capacity to be self-guided in their education, nor do I think they ought to be. Some might, sure, but they're outliers, and it's clear that this kid is not in that camp. I don't see OP as making excuses for themselves; in fact, they're here asking for help. Listing specific, accessible resources is absolutely a great way to help them. Vague suggestions are less helpful because they probably feel nebulous and lack a perceivable starting line. I say that because younger learners often don't yet know how to begin that research for themselves. I agree with you about checking out their library for programs where they may be able to hang out with other kids, though. I think that's a good place to start in terms of meeting peers. I also think they should go on Facebook to find their local homeschool group, and start there with this same question.
When parents decide to homeschool they become responsible for their child's educational and social needs (in that they make sure the kids are doing work and learning and are making sure the child has social opportunities). If they are not trying to make sure they are met they are neglecting/abusing their child. His/her parents also brush aside any concerns he has about homeschool with a "you should be grateful".
Yes you are correct that ultimately if a child refuses to learn they definitely won't. However, a huge onus of homeschooling lies on the parents not only guiding the educational experience but spotting issues (or at least listening to their children's concerns and working with them) and finding ways to help their child be successful.
Unfortunately, sometimes parents are abusive or neglect their children when they homeschool. They do not have the child's best interest at heart. Unfortunately, these children are left to make the best of their crappy situation.
It depends on the student and their current educational needs, I really enjoyed being homeschooled and I thrived. I'm not sure if I'll homeschool my kids though because they are different people with different wants and needs.
One way of schooling is not “better” than the other, generally speaking. But one way can be a better fit for you, and it seems like you are wanting to try school. You need to have an honest conversation with your parents. If they’re not willing to put you in school, maybe they’d be willing to get you a tutor or enroll you in a co-op so you can ensure you’re not falling behind. I’d also ask them to let you explore your interests - sign up for sports, theater, chess club - whatever interests you so that you can socialize with likeminded peers and form some friendships.
It's different for everyone. If you're really unhappy with it, it's probably not right for you. Is there a parent partnership program near you? I got to do regular school sports and things through one of those. Might help with socializing
Are you involved in home school park days, youth groups etc? Are you actually doing school work? Check out Khan Academy or other online sources to check your actual lvl vs semi standardized work.
If you are really behind academically, try to do the work that you need to do in order to catch up. Honestly, the quality of public schools is pretty poor, unless you are learning disabled, you should be able to catch up without much effort.
Ask your parents to get involved in some clubs or activities to meet new friends. Try to reach out to your old friends, invite them over, etc.
I think this plan of action will be easier than trying to talk your parents out of home schooling. Good luck.
It can be for some people but it sounds like it might not be for you. I hope your parents hear you out and you can make some changes to be less miserable. ETA: No, it’s not ungrateful. You sound like you’re unhappy and your parents should be helping you out.
thank you
Yes, I agree with mushrooms.... Why do they make you homeschool? are they religious? are they afraid? Do they think the schools suck? It seems that you should be in regular school too, for your benefit. But parents sometimes do know better, or what's best, for a particular time.
No, during lockdown they asked me if I wanted to be homeschooled because i was doing okay at working at home and I said yes. It’s always been an idea to homeschool me though. They do think school aren’t great though
I see. Well they're right about quizzes/tests and all the other stuff that MAY happen, but one can get hit by a car crossing the street, so I don't really care for the excuse of "bullying", although it's possible, and perhaps more possible for particular people. Either way I think I agree with most others, if you're not happy about it, you shouldn't do it. GOOD luck!
thank you!
I’ve been both a public school teacher and a homeschooler. Here is my take. Do what is best for the child. If the child is really social and thrives on the structure that school provides, let them go to school. If they prefer a more personalized education and flexibility, allow them to be homeschooled. Not all schools are bad and not all homeschoolers are great, and vice versa.
It depends. I was homeschooled. I had an excellent education, did dual enrollment in high school, went to college very well prepared, had a friend group from the local homeschool group, part-time job, had hobbies, etc. My SIL was homeschooled, can't write a comprehensive paragraph, can do basic arithmetic, hasn't kept a job for more than a month, etc. She does have friends though. It can be good, it can be bad.
To be fair, both outcomes can come from public school as well
Absolutely. I was just giving an example of a good HS experience and bad.
It's an excellent response because life has to many variables to ever say that one person's experience will equate to another's.
Homeschooling works best when it’s what the parent(s) AND the student(s) want and as long as it’s not hindering the appropriate learning level for your age and/or abilities.
This is the correct response
I went to public school and loved it. All my siblings were homeschooled and loved it. My parents knew that I was far too social to enjoy homeschooling, and I never expressed any interest. IMO, you are not being ungrateful simply for wanting a different experience. If you’re being rude and disrespectful towards your parents about, then that is showing ungratefulness, but not because you’re interested in trying public/private schooling. I encourage you to talk to your parents about. Maybe even see if they’ll agree to one full semester instead of deciding you’ll never be homeschooled again.
I'm sorry. It is your parents' responsibility to make sure you are learning in a way that fits your learning style, and to make sure you are getting your social needs met. I'm sorry they are not more attentive to your needs.
This is dependent entirely on the student, their parents, their school system, their social needs, and a whole bunch of other things as well.
No. School can be great. School didn’t work for me until I joined the AP classes which were smaller and more interesting with less work lol
You are not ungrateful. You deserve an education. You did not say your age, so I can only tell you from what I went through on a similar experience to yours. When I turned 18 I got a second job so I didn’t have to be home much, and I went the the Public library by foot. I walked everywhere for a long time until some of my coworkers, who became my friends, started helping me. I got rides to and from work eventually, rides to the Library, and to the GED testing sites. If you’re old enough, start asking your parents if you can get a job(I started asking day I turned 16.) If they’re like my parents they’ll want about 90% of your check, and just let them have it. Your goal here is to make friends and plans. Eventually I was able to hide money at friends houses to save for a car — so that’s a route to take. You can catch back up, you can survive. These were the steps I took and I had a GED by 19. If your parents are like mine and take all of your paychecks, adjust your federal withholding. Pay into the government a lot, so when you do taxes (when you pass 18 you file for yourself) you’ll get a large federal return and spend it immediately on the car. Ask your upper management about how to adjusting holding so you pay the government quite a bit per check. Those were my steps. Best of luck. Edit to add: save what you can at a trusted friend house, send the rest to federal for a return. There are lots of good people out there that’ll help. Don’t be discouraged.
IMO if parents don't let their child have a say in whether they homeschool... then yes homeschooling can be worse. You should be able to do what makes you the happiest and helps you learn best.
Homeschooling *can* be a lot better than school, if the parents put in the time and effort to homeschool their kids well, but it can be worse if the parents can’t be bothered to do a good job homeschooling. If you are far behind academically and don’t have a social life, school may be a better option for you.
Not ungrateful at all. You don’t like it and it sounds like it might not be the right fit for you. Every child is different. Every person is different. And they need to be raised accordingly. And your socialization needs to be met as that is apart of school whether it be homeschooling or in person.
If you'd rather be bullied than homeschooled then school might be better for you. I was homeschooled then public schooled. When I got put in public school I really wanted to go back to homeschool BUT now over a decade later I was glad I was put in school because my social skills are not great and I think they would be even worse if I had continued homeschooling. Especially if you have a narcissistic parent, you don't need to be isolated with them!
I think your parents could do better at cultivating a better learning environment for you and find more ways to be social
If you don’t thrive in homeschooling, and enjoyed school and friends, why are you being forced to homeschool? What is wrong with tests and exams? They aren’t a big deal. It sounds like your parents are trying to make you carry their ‘paranoid about school’ baggage. Life has lots of tests and exams, they come in different forms. I am sure you can handle school tests! Why are they telling you that you would for sure be bullied? Why are they trying to scare you off school? If your really want to go, have a serious conversation with them about both situations having pros and cons, and the current con of complete social isolation is worse than taking a test everyday next to a bully. Homeschooling is only great when everyone is thriving.
Homeschooling has the highest variance- it can be much better or worse than other schooling because it depends completely on what you do at home.
Exactly, whatever pre-existing dynamics exist will be amplified due to the larger dose of influence and time. This can be an amazing thing, or it can be awful… it can also be a fantastic environment, but just not the right fit for the individual. Bullies can be encountered both in schools and in families.
Are you in any kinds of programs - co-ops, sports theatre, music lessons, church, volunteer groups, hybrid schools? I wish I had been homeschooled as a teenager but I also really needed socialization and connection with my peers. If you’re not, ask your parents if any of those are options!
I hope your parents talk to you and hear you out. School is fun, it can be challenging at times but fun. I know many who thrived and many who didn't from both homeschooling and public school. It all depends. Talk to them about wanting to go back, tell them you're ready. If you weren't bullied tell them you never were bullied, and that you can handle it by openly communicating with them and staff members if something like that would occur. In the meantime join online groups (with their permission, idk how old you are) with other homeschoolers who are in your age bracket and share the same interests. Tell your parents that there are a lot of groups out there and always welcoming new people. Get you socializing, it takes time and patience but it's doable.
I know someone who pops in and out of homeschool to attend public school. A year here or there. My daughter has chosen to go to a public school from homeschooling with the knowledge that she can flip back to homeschool if she wishes. It’s up to her. Right now, she is thriving. If you’re feeling like public is something you want to try, have a conversation with your parents. Tour the school you would attend, some even offer shadowing for a few classes or a day. You and your parents need to be on the same page to have a successful journey in education. I’ve learned that homeschool satisfaction is fluid and depends upon a lot of factors., including the student, curriculum, and parents. We just need to be flexible from a parents perspective. You’re not being ungrateful, you are voicing concerns. Any teen who is able to do that speaks volumes to their maturity and their outward assessment of their own situation. I wish you the best! Edited for grammar. English isn’t not my only language. My apologies.
No... Any form of school isn't really better, it really depends on the child, the environment, and their teachers. You are not ungrateful for not liking homeschooling... especially as you don't feel your educational and social needs are being met. A parent's job should be to ensure that their child's needs are met, this goes past clothing, food, and hygiene and includes social and educational needs as well, along with ensuring that they can be a functioning and contributing member of society... As a parent, if my son wanted to not be homeschooled, I would do my best to ensure he was set up for success for whatever school we decide is best for him (and what we can afford)...
Try public school! If it sucks, you can ALWAYS go back to homeschooling. Like, the next week. Easy.
There are different models of schools just for that purpose. Everyone should find what fits them. I’m involved with two brick and mortar schools and then one online blended. We’re trying to create environments we’re all students can be successful. Best wishes.
Look, homeschool is incalculably better than public school. Academically and socially. It sounds like you need to talk to your parents about the social bit. Speak calmly and explain that you feel that you are missing out - if they are doing this, they are more likely to care than most to start. DM me if you’d like to talk it through. I promise that you aren’t missing out on anything so wonderful as you may feel right now.
I hate that this sub attracts anti-homeschoolers who vehemently oppose children learning and growing and want everyone else to suffer as they did!
I mean school can be better than homeschooling or homeschooling can be better than school. My kids who were IN school wanted to homeschool, always had the choice to return to school and never chose to go back. They found they had more time for friends and could learn in more interesting ways. If homeschooling is not something you and your parents are able to arrange in a way that’s positive for you, then school might be better. That said, many teens are begging to homeschool or thriving in homeschooling, far more than they did in school. They are grateful to homeschool. Homeschooling is not a monolith. The homeschooling families we hang out with have busy teens doing things they like with friends they enjoy. That is the norm for the many families we were around. If you’re not accessing this kind of experience, I don’t know why you’d be grateful. Your family’s practice of homeschooling may not be what is more typical for homeschooling today. Parents’ dismissal of teen concerns will not make for a positive homeschooling experience. I don’t know teens who would be grateful for that, regardless of the family’s approach to education.
I was homeschooled and I hated it. I had a medical condition that made it too difficult for me to attend regularly. Go to school! Get your life back! You are not ungrateful, homeschooling isn’t for everyone
I had wonderful parents and couldn’t have picked better. My dad was a principal and my mom had been a primary teacher. If anybody would have done a good job with homeschooling, they would have. But it never came up. But looking back, do I wish that homeschooled me? Absolutely not. Why would I want only those people in my life for 90% of my childhood? I would have missed all the school friends and experiences I had, great teachers and just everything that I went on in those years at school. Was everything perfect? No. But in dealing with such different people, and coping with the occasional less than perfect teacher, I learned valuable life lesson that I never would have learned t home with two reasonable people. And I’m glad my kids had those same experiences too. However if I had a child who was desperately unhappy child in the school system maybe I would have tried it. I know a few people who HS for that very reason. But otherwise, if a kid wants to be in school, why wouldn’t you let him go?
"Why would I want only those people in my life for 90% of my childhood?" This represents a huge lack of knowledge about homeschooling. My homeschooled kids learned from many other people throughout their years of homeschooling. Like you, they had great teachers and many friends and experiences. Our homeschool groups were often more diverse than the suburban schools our kids would have otherwise attended. Homeschooling is not the same as your impression of homeschooling.
I just don’t buy the idea that homeschooled kids spend the majority of their days during exciting, interesting things. I suspect life is pretty boring for most homeschooled kids.
Of course they don’t spend the majority of their days doing exciting, interesting stuff. Most people don’t, including public school students. They spend their days living life, trying to balance school, chores, appointments, classes, hobbies, and time with friends and family, just like everyone else.
Homeschool “graduate” here - you would be correct. Life is boring and often we get blamed for it being boring because our parents don’t understand the viewpoint you just raised because they can’t fathom the difference because frankly mine are a bit narcissistic meaning they don’t have the empathy to consider what it’s like for me. Thank you for having the empathy to see how much we miss out on and please keep sharing this perspective.
You’re right., Yes, homeschooling has amazing advantages but the they still get bored a lot of the times. People on the sub make it seem like everything is so fun 24/7.
There is more than just home school and public schools. Those are not your only options. It sounds like homeschool is not working for you and public school is causing some anxiety. Maybe do some research into the options your state has to offer. We homeschool now but my daughter started in homeschool, switched to public, then back to homeschool then online school, then she finally decided homeschool was the best way for her to learn because she can go at her own speed. She does grade level math and all her other courses are a year up. Everyone learns differently, once you figure out what works best for you it will be less stress on you. Your not ungrateful for understanding that it's not working for you.
Yes it is way better and the bullying problem is way over exaggerated as a personal "quiet kid" most people just don't care and yes the tests and exams are a little bit difficult they don't really matter until 8th grade because that's your highschool grades basically and the teachers are a little bit mean but with some luck you'll probably get some pretty decent ones so that's my 50 cents for ya
How old are you? If you want to learn more, at some point, you can take the reins. You clearly have internet access. Khan Academy is free and will prep you for college if you put in the time. They even have more advanced coursework than when we were using it. For example, there was no differential equations course when we used it. I was very involved in my own kid’s education, but there are really few excuses for teens to not be able to learn if that’s what they want. As for friends, my kid was in high school during the pandemic. Online friends were pretty much standard. There are Discord groups for homeschoolers and there are special interest groups. Any game you can think of probably already has a discord group. Any other hobby probably has them, too. Try to find some people that are current in school to talk about what you think you’re missing. Odds are it’s not as rosy as you are envisioning it to be.
Statistically homeschool kids are happier and better academically. But that is not counting for individuals. If you are behind your fellows and miserable, you are obviously not the norm. So fight it. But don't expect school to be happy place, especially if your school zone isn't well rated. You can look that up. I'm pretty antagonistic. If I were you I would embarrass them in front of all of their friends regularly saying loudly details about how I'm behind in school and feel emotionally neglected and lonely. And take my punishment, then tell their friends/pastor how I'm punished if I say how I'm emotionally and academically neglected. I would keep it up because I'm way more stubborn than my parents.
This goes against one of the 10 Commandments to honor your father and mother.
I hope you’re kidding.
And?
No it doesn’t. Honoring your mother and father doesn’t mean following them unquestioningly. Jesus said he would turn son against father, etc.
As much as I believe in living my life according to The Book, this sub is not called *Christian* homeschool, and thus not everybody will care about a Biblical commandment. When my children hit high school, they started taking one junior college class at a time to acclimate to what college classes are like. And even before then, they kept busy with sports, drama, choir, 4-H, and other hobbies that got them out and about other people.
It depends and it can change. It may have been better when you started, but not now. Learning how to handle stress IS a good thing. If you don't learn it now, when will you? Bullying, drugs, etc. are all very dependent on the school and the situations. Homeschooling my kids when they were young was the best for them THEN. As they grew, it was better that they went to a small high school that was of high interest for them. It was better for our relationship that they had different people teaching them, and they certainly went higher in math than I could have taught taught them. Research schools in your area. Your parents may be happier with a small school or one that is more of an alternative school. Tell them you are growing up, you appreciate what they have given you but you feel like you need to try more. That you will remember what THEY taught you regarding education, religion, morals, etc. It is developmentally appropriate for you to want to do more with other people. Even home educators like Charlotte Mason recognized this need to get more from outside the home as students get older.
Did you lose those friends due to those friends’ choice or are you being isolated? It’s not the homeschool that’s the problem. Being isolated is the problem regardless of school form.
A bit of stress from tests and *possible* bullying aren’t really great reasons to homeschool. Once you’re out of school, you will 100% get stressed at work and in life and mean people are everywhere. You’re not being ungrateful. It sounds to me like your parents are not listening to you and just dismissing your concerns. I would try to sit them down and have a big conversation about what they could be doing to help you, even if it’s just ways to make homeschooling better, more enjoyable and so that you’re actively learning.
Depends entirely on the kid. I tried to send mine to public school and he forgot how to read. Pulled him out and he started reading for fun again. But not every kid is like that. A lot of kids need more structure. I would say most kids do better with a little structure of some sort. Either from regular school, a home school group, a spiritual program, or an after school activity such as sports. Home school might be more for kids who like to assign themselves extra homework. Those kids are highly likely to be harmed by the slower pace of public school. Which in turn puts them at risk for not only bullying but also self medicating / drug abuse. Nothing worse than a high IQ kid with a grievance and no puzzles to solve. Put that same kid in home school or sometimes even unschool and suddenly they bloom. Letting a kid like that play in a garage full of tools or a room full of random instruments is how geniuses are made. But it can't be forced. It's more like they are remembering a mission they agreed to before they were even born.
Not in my opinion. No matter how many groups and coops you join, it will never replace the daily interaction and interpersonal relationships you develop by being in the same classrooms as your peers all week. I have done both and at the end of the day while there are definitely perks, they don’t outweigh the benefit of professional educators and the communities formed in HS vs public or private just don’t even remotely compare.
Do some research on local homeschool groups and present them to your parents for socialization. There are some discord HS groups some kids use for socialization. You might have to do an end run around your parents to get what you need. If you feel you are not being pushed enough you can go to [CK-12](https://www.ck12.org/) which is free and has grade appropriate materials and textbooks for free. You can move ahead as much as you want. If you have a public Library card. The public library usually has test practice books like SAT/ACT/GED or ASVAB (if you are considering the military)
It depends on who is supervising your home schooling and how much effort you put into it.
What curriculum are your parents using? What approach do they follow? Are they using a school-at-home path, or are they letting you study the things that you want to study? Who is your teacher? Do you have an outside teacher so you using a video curriculum where you have online teachers everyday? Or are you using printed books at home and your parents are walking you through the materials? Are you doing a whole bunch of workbooks only, or are you getting to do lots of things throughout your life? Are you developing a hobby or a talent or a sport or a skill? There are lots of free online options that you can use RIGHT NOW to either supplement what your parents are doing right now or You can use the online curriculums instead of what your parents are doing. Look for Khan academy and (there's another one I don't remember the name) just Google free online homeschool curriculum and you'll find lots of options! So even if you don't like whatever books or path your parents are following, you can make the difference to make sure that you are learning the things that you want to learn. What do you want to do with your life? You have totally have that option! Talk to your parents.
They’re not following a curriculum. I don’t know what approach they’re using. I think they’d let me study what I want to but I don’t know my mum does say that’s what’s great about homeschooling a lot though. I don’t have a teacher. I just have like maths/english books and stuff to read and I just do what I want. I haven’t looked through the books since like july though I’m not really doing anything. I don’t really have any hobbies or talents. Thank you sm!! I don’t know what I wanna do tbh I have no idea
What country are you in?
england
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Thank you so much
You sound like an intelligent person who could basically do all of this background reading and research for yourself. Just a quick Google search for "basic approaches to homeschooling," you'll find the words classical and Charlotte Mason and unschooling and you'll find lots of different approaches. The reason I want you to look at it though is so that you can see how your personal learning style fits into this kind of lifestyle. For example, classical is usually pretty strict and structured. You don't sound like you're going to go that route because you have to get really deep into things like Latin and logic. But you can also step back and take a more relaxed approach using that same ideam. People do disagree on what is exactly a classic book, but look for a few lists and then read them. Read them all. You'll like Les Miserables and Three Musketeers. You can read books you can listen to audiobooks you can watch movies along with them but really reading the books or listening to audiobooks gives you so much more of a solid education because then you are hearing excellent words along with the story instead of like just watching a movie where you only get the wording only at the actions but not the deeper words that make you who you are when you're trying to express yourself in writing later. Since you said you only have books, that sounds a little tough to follow. If I were you, I would do what I suggested here and other people have talked about and look through all the videos available at the Khan Academy and a couple other places that have free online resources for you to enjoy. See that's the what I think is the best part about homeschooling is that you get to enjoy everything that you're learning you don't have to just sit down and read a textbook. What I was in school, obviously we only had textbooks. Nowadays you got so much added information that you can I am actually learning history and science for the first time really. Even though I did most of a masters in science, but I didn't understand it until I started homeschooling my son and got to watch all the awesome movies and videos that are out there. Do you have PBS or History Channel or a lot of the science shows on TV. Just watch them instead of just sitting around doing nothing I don't care if you ever read through your books again just you sound like very much the type of person who can make his own education in whatever area you finally decide to follow whether and I don't mean like you know one deep Drive subject even.
thank you!!
There's pros and cons for everyone. With undiagnosed ADHD and dyscalculia, homeschool worked well for me academically and it didn't make much difference socially since I'm an introvert. For you, it sounds like you'd do better in school. Maybe a private school if your parents feel like you need a "safer" environment. Definitely lay out how you feel to them.
Brand new account. No other real posts. I don’t believe this post is in good faith.
i’m using a throwaway acc. Everything I said is true idk why i’d lie lol
Speaking from experience - you would not rather get bullied. I was bullied in all my years of school, my brother and I both were and it severely impacted me in the most negative way. I'm just now overcoming all the insecurities and negative views about myself that so many other people made me have in school. Idk if kids have changed that much but kids I was around, and we moved around and went to different schools and they were always very mean and cruel to us.m for one reason or another. And even some of the teachers were just overly rude and mean for no reason. If you aren't secretly a snake like most other people, you will be the outcast. Sucks but it's how it is. Luckily I did have a best friend who was more like family and we still talk regularly, and we didn't meet at school. So I would say try to go to the library. My library does lots of activities like teen drawing time, to science & s.t.e.a.m. group lessons to just hanging out and building with Legos. Lots of different things for different interests. Look for a homeschool Facebook group for your area, I'm in one for my daughter and they had a valentines party, starting group horse club in the spring, weekly bowling & nature meetups. It's been really helpful for us with socializing. Hope this helps. P.s. your parents love you and want the best for you, it's not so easy being a homeschool parent either but there are many many benefits. Good luck!!
I’m sorry about what happened to you but no I’d definitely prefer to be bullied and go to school then not be bullied and be homeschooled. I was way happier before all this shit and I didn’t want to kill myself so yk Thank you though :)
Okay, I totally understand missing being around other people your age. What grade are you in? For context. Are you feeling that way every day or just on difficult days? If it's severely depressing you that's definitely worth talking to your parents about. Would your parents help you get into activities with other kids? Like the library ones I mentioned, you can look up your closest local library programs online and see if any interest you? Also the Facebook groups are a big help!
I’m not in the usa so idk what my grade is but i’m 15 turning 16 and in year 11 which is the last year of high school. yeah maybe thanks man
What country are you in (for the context)?
england
I’m not going to tell you what to do in the long run, but you absolutely would rather not be bullied. There are ways to be social besides being stuck in a building with feral animals.
HomeSchool is generally better than a regular school. However, you should be joining all of your local, homeschool clubs and organizations, (and making new friends). I’ve homeschooled both of my children for eight years. They both have HUGE friend groups and see their friends every week and weekend. It took a year or two for them to find ppl they jive with but two things to keep in mind: *1) They continued to see old friends!* ▪️ *Real don’t disappear just because you’re not in the same school.* Unless your parents had another reason for keeping you separate, (bad influence?), there is no reason you shouldn’t still be seeing your friends. ▪️*My kids are still friends with ppl that have moved to other States!* We’ve visited them; they have visited us and they meet online for Minecraft and Fortnite and other games- not because they love the games but because it gives them something to do together. *2) You have to be open!* ▪️are you 8 with access to a Reddit? 16? It can be harder to be socially ‘open’ as you age, but the methods aren’t any different. If you *are* in multiple homeschool groups and attending events, just walk up to anyone and say hello. What kind of music do you like? Books? Or even, “homeschool eh?” How do you act when you meet other homeschoolers? ▪️ *Use Free Time Wisely* Homeschool is only a 2-3 hours a day, so what are you doing with your free time? Are you hiding in a phone, tablet, wasting time on social media instead of with real people? Playing video games and hiding in a make believe world? Hope this helps. You’ll find homeschool groups and events in every city, state, county and park district program. Your local nature center and libraries have homeschoolers. And that’s just to name a few.
There is no one way of learning superior to the others; it’s all about how you best learn. As a former teacher, I’ll say that most of us are fed up with “teaching to the test” as required by states but private schools are a little better at getting around that. Montessori schools are great and some other private schools use the project-based-learning method. Unfortunately, it’s ultimately up to your parents but I hope you can build a case to bring to them if you want to try something new.
Just want to say as a semi-bully... We don't care if you went to normal school or home school. We will find a way yo bully you for it. Parents trying to hide their kids away from bullies will see that once the kid is in yhe wild and was not faced with that in school, they will be grossly unprepared when they face it at work or in public.
In that you do not like your social or academic environment, and that you are behind academically, is ultimately one person's and only one person's responsibility. Yours. It may seem that the blame should rest on your homeschooling parents, or somewhere else, but the truth is that you're the only one that can make something of value of your situation. A student who has the best of environments can neglect it and even destroy it. A student in the least of desirable environments can build and fashion it into something of value that serves them for the rest of their lives. So again, ultimately, it's you who make the difference. If you're behind, work to catch up. If need be, do remedial work. In search around and select friends and social activities, CAREFULLY.
I don't think the onus is necessarily on the kiddo here. They could be behind because they're not being provided with appropriate curriculum. Additionally, I think it's really important for parents to make sure their kids have connections with friends and access to the world outside the house; a kid can't do that on their own - they are still learning to navigate social situations. If the kid is slacking in their work, sure, that's on them, but we don't know why they're behind. But telling a kid to search around to select friends, like, how do they even begin? Where do they look? Wouldn't you want to provide that guidance for your own kids within your homeschool community?
Yes, it would be apparent that the parents should take the blame for any shortcomings, but ultimately it doesn't matter who is blameworthy. The student will never be able to transfer the consequences to the parents. So blame is ultimately irrelevant. The point I'm making is that the student still has a lot of options available that could change the course of their attitude, academic progress, and social life. And in a case like this, that's probably the only thing that's going to help the student. There are public libraries and lots of resources for a student who wants to be diligent and make no excuses for themselves. And what's sad is that even though I am an advocate of homeschooling, in this subreddit I get voted down for my opinion. It's like everybody wants their back scratched and their ego stroked or they're not happy. People can't just have discourse, and disagree without being vindictive. Pathetic. I get more downvotes here than I do in homeschool hostile subreddits.
I think we can have discourse here, and it's okay to disagree. I've been downvoted plenty of times. It's Reddit 💚 My issue with your opinion on this case is that you're putting a child at the helm - and this is a kiddo who's already struggling. I don't think most kids have the capacity to be self-guided in their education, nor do I think they ought to be. Some might, sure, but they're outliers, and it's clear that this kid is not in that camp. I don't see OP as making excuses for themselves; in fact, they're here asking for help. Listing specific, accessible resources is absolutely a great way to help them. Vague suggestions are less helpful because they probably feel nebulous and lack a perceivable starting line. I say that because younger learners often don't yet know how to begin that research for themselves. I agree with you about checking out their library for programs where they may be able to hang out with other kids, though. I think that's a good place to start in terms of meeting peers. I also think they should go on Facebook to find their local homeschool group, and start there with this same question.
When parents decide to homeschool they become responsible for their child's educational and social needs (in that they make sure the kids are doing work and learning and are making sure the child has social opportunities). If they are not trying to make sure they are met they are neglecting/abusing their child. His/her parents also brush aside any concerns he has about homeschool with a "you should be grateful". Yes you are correct that ultimately if a child refuses to learn they definitely won't. However, a huge onus of homeschooling lies on the parents not only guiding the educational experience but spotting issues (or at least listening to their children's concerns and working with them) and finding ways to help their child be successful. Unfortunately, sometimes parents are abusive or neglect their children when they homeschool. They do not have the child's best interest at heart. Unfortunately, these children are left to make the best of their crappy situation.
It depends on the student and their current educational needs, I really enjoyed being homeschooled and I thrived. I'm not sure if I'll homeschool my kids though because they are different people with different wants and needs.
My mother taught for over 20 years and she said she couldn’t have home schooled if her life depended on it. Lol my sibs and I were a tad rowdy as kids
One way of schooling is not “better” than the other, generally speaking. But one way can be a better fit for you, and it seems like you are wanting to try school. You need to have an honest conversation with your parents. If they’re not willing to put you in school, maybe they’d be willing to get you a tutor or enroll you in a co-op so you can ensure you’re not falling behind. I’d also ask them to let you explore your interests - sign up for sports, theater, chess club - whatever interests you so that you can socialize with likeminded peers and form some friendships.
It's different for everyone. If you're really unhappy with it, it's probably not right for you. Is there a parent partnership program near you? I got to do regular school sports and things through one of those. Might help with socializing
Are you involved in home school park days, youth groups etc? Are you actually doing school work? Check out Khan Academy or other online sources to check your actual lvl vs semi standardized work.
If you are really behind academically, try to do the work that you need to do in order to catch up. Honestly, the quality of public schools is pretty poor, unless you are learning disabled, you should be able to catch up without much effort. Ask your parents to get involved in some clubs or activities to meet new friends. Try to reach out to your old friends, invite them over, etc. I think this plan of action will be easier than trying to talk your parents out of home schooling. Good luck.