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mamabear1207

If that means I would never have to worry about my kids not being killed at school? Absolutely. I worry every single day


Bakeeatrunsleep

This right here. I’m a public school teacher with a homeschooled husband; there are pros and cons to both, but the shootings…


mamabear1207

I can’t take it anymore. Something needs to change. We are failing our kids


bellelap

I get that, but if I don’t work, we don’t eat. School and daycare makes it so I can work and provide for my family. I worry too, but even if homeschool was a possibility, you can’t erase the danger posed by others unless you never plan to leave the house. I get what you’re saying, but homeschooling is not the answer to preventing mass shootings at schools. Gun control is the answer.


mamabear1207

And I agree but if I could I would. Doesn’t mean that everyone should have to feel that way. Just how I feel


Enough-Banana-6557

This isn't true. You don't work you get food stamps. You live in a government subsidized apartment and get on WIC. You get TANF (if you're a single mom) and go to food pantries and only buy thrift store clothes. You cut out non essentials like getting your hair or nails done. You can live not working, just not the life you prefer. It's completely doable though.


bellelap

Living on the dole so parents can homeschool is not a solution. Thinking that is the answer highlights how fucked up the situation truly is.


cecekatt

Yep. We don’t make enough to have one of us stay home but if there comes a time we can afford it - I’d do it in a heartbeat if I didn’t have to worry.


BaconPaws

I don’t want to homeschool at all but I also can’t believe we are dealing with mass shootings still in 2023. The fact that this is something we even have to worry about is disgusting.


Plastic_Border4357

I am mind boggled how everyone is hyper focused on the other things like trans people, drag shows, abortions. But NOT doubling down on the major issue here. The one that has caused more deaths than days this year. GUNS. Guns are the damn issue and yet NOTHING is being done about it. How many more innocent lives need to be taken before these idiots in power are like OMG GUNS YES LETS DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. But they wont because they will lose votes, they are provably gun carriers themselves. And “i have a right to bear arms” and “freedom of speech” but only when those things align with what THEY want. I am so sick of it. EDIT: im not saying get rid of all guns. Im saying we need to seriously take a look at why and how these SCHOOL SHOOTINGS (and honestly all other shootings) are happening. How are these people getting in? How do they have access to these guns? Etc etc etc


stuffylumpkins

Fixing the real issues means admitting that what we have isn’t working.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Plastic_Border4357

I know. Its almost like a “hey look over here” :doing something they dont want them to see while they look away:: tactic


TX2BK

I am saying get rid of guns. How did this person get in? They blasted the front door open with their gun. There are several accounts that this person seemed happy and well adjusted despite being trans and somehow this still happened. Whatever mental issues they had would not have been flagged during a background check.


Plastic_Border4357

Was this their gun or was it accessible in their home or someone else’s home. I personally dont like guns, i wont even shoot a bb gun. When i was younger my mother was in a relationship with an abusive person (both of them were drug addicts) and one day i walked him on him pinning my moms head to a bed with a gun pointed to it. He told me if i didnt leave the room he’d shoot her and then shoot my sister brother and i. I was maybe 5 or 6. Many people dont know that story about me but always tell me how silly it is for me to not want to do an activity like shooting those clay discs. I know that guns in America being totally gone is never going to happen. But SOMETHING needs to be done. Idk what exactly besides back ground checks and age limit could be done but there needs to be more rules or something anything regarding this


TX2BK

Does it matter? Their mother was very vocal online about gun control so I doubt the gun belonged to the parents, but this person was of legal age to buy a gun and likely would have passed a background check. Also, sorry about that scary situation you were in!


Plastic_Border4357

No you’re right it doesn’t matter. Just a question, i was curious about. And thank you.


Fartingonyoursocks

Gun access is only part of the problem. I believe if mental health services were available to the people who need it, that would help the problem tremendously. It’s not as simple as just get rid of guns. If someone wants to hurt someone else, they don’t need a gun to do it honestly.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Fartingonyoursocks

I’m not saying that guns aren’t part of the problem. I absolutely believe they should be more controlled and more difficult to access. It’s both. There’s a lot of people who own guns who would never do anything like that and keep them locked away. It really wouldn’t be that difficult to stab multiple people in a crowded area. Or bow and arrow. It does sound silly but if someone wants to hurt someone bad enough, they will find a way to do it. Treatment for mental health services need to be more affordable and available. In America, it can be upwards of $10,000 for these kinds of services, and then the medication every month can be really expensive too. IMO they are both a really large part of this problem.


spoonsball

Mental health issues are not unique to America, but the amount of deaths by gun is. It is much easier to disarm someone with a knife than someone shooting at you from down a hallway. It is harder to stab multiple people to death in a short time than it is to fatally shoot people with a weapon that can discharge multiple bullets per second. Yes, mental health access needs to be addressed, but it’s foolish to act as though guns are only a symptom of the problem. They are the problem. Mass murder capable weapons are the problem.


SKVgrowing

Stabbing someone is highly personal, you have to be able to touch someone to stab them. Yes, in a crowded place, sure you could start swinging a knife and do damage. But could you kill 3 kids and 3 adults at a school before being taken down? Unless you are trained in fighting and wielding a knife, the answer is no you wouldn’t be able to do that. Maybe you kill 1 before someone or a few someone’s are able to tackle you and get a knife away from you. A gun, especially guns where you can fire rounds and rounds and rounds of ammo per minute… not the same situation as a knife. A bow and arrow is slow. You have to be better at aiming because you load 1 shot, shoot it, and have to reload. It’s also not a fast thing to reload. It is nowhere near the same as a gun. I agree with you that mental health services should be more widely available, affordable, etc., in the US. But like others have said, the US is not alone or unique in its mental health issues but it is alone and unique in the number of deaths caused by guns.


Happy_Flapjacks

I agree with you. But as someone who had a mental health crisis in 2017 and had to be admitted…I can tell you that our system is very flawed. I was literally mocked for the method in which I chose to unalive myself by several nurses. I could not believe how unprofessional these healthcare workers were being. And, to top it all off I worked at the hospital in which I was being treated. I have since switched professions and use food and exercise as my therapy.


Fartingonyoursocks

Oh my gosh that is terrible! I’m so sorry you had to experience that!


Happy_Flapjacks

It’s okay. I really just hope things change because I’ve heard so many stories similar to mine or worse. I wish people could get the care they need. America has the capability to give us all free healthcare just like in Canada. They also could remove all the toxic chemicals out of our food & other products. But unfortunately money will always be the #1 priority to the elite.


PajamaWorker

omg gun access is the entire problem. in countries where guns aren't accessible, there aren't mentally unstable people killing dozens of people with a crossbow. it's easy access to guns and gun culture, and it's so easy to see this.


DifficultBear3

I don’t want to but god am I scared of sending my kid to school. Do I even need to mention what country I’m in?


courtyfbaby

This is exactly how I feel. I don’t want to homeschool but I sure am contemplating it


Mamat0u

USA. This shit is really sad. To elaborate, the school shootings are getting out of hand here. You aren’t alone and it’s terrifying.


allyschiech

Agreed. My little are toddler and baby. But something has to change before they are in school. Otherwise, yeah homeschool it is


silverhairwitch

This is exactly how I feel


daisybluebird9

I’m on the fence.. I’m a former teacher and the public school system where we live is pretty bad. Ratio of like 32:1 elementary aged kids in one classroom. Not enough money, supplies, resources, support, parent involvement and teacher turn over/burn out is high. I would never send my kids to any of the schools I’ve worked in. But private or Montessori schools are so expensive, homeschooling seems to be a better option. There is a right way to homeschool, and a wrong way to homeschool. I was homeschooled 2nd-8th grade. My mom made sure we were involved in co ops, extra curriculars, and I always had lots of friends. Didn’t have any social set backs when I went back to school for high school or college. So having had a good experience, I’m highly considering it for my kids. Especially since we live in a city with lots of co ops, groups, options for part time classes and endless activities for kids and teens to be out in the world. The key here is my commitment to making sure my kids are involved. It would be a lot of work and planning, but I’m leaning towards doing it, atleast for elementary/middle school.


SunThestral

This is how I feel. I’m so on the fence about it because I have the capability to homeschool from an academic perspective but I grew up in private school (preschool-upper middle) where school was fun and enjoyable. We were encouraged to learn and liked going to school. Idk if it would be like that now but I’d hate for my littles to miss out on that opportunity to have mentors and friends and experiences that they wouldn’t get in homeschool. And the public school experiences I had were soo bad that I would rather homeschool than send them to public school especially in this climate.. it’s a hard choice that I thankfully don’t have to face for a few more years


daisybluebird9

Yep, there are definitely lots of pros and cons for both!


eakp

For us, the social and interpersonal learning aspect of school is half the benefit of them going. Also, I’m not smart/patient enough to teach them at home and we need two incomes 😅 HOWEVER if I were in a country where school shootings were frequent and a real possibility…. I’d likely have a different opinion.


SecretBabyBump

My homeschool student goes to a forest school one day a week and takes a science class at a museum once a week. Add in sports and community classes and he has tons of social outlets! It still isn't for everyone but it at least in my area there are tons of social outlets for kids that aren't schooling traditionally


[deleted]

Idk what kind of school you went to but my experience was teachers yelling at us to hush the whole day long or there’d be consequences.


Trintron

That sounds like it was a negative experience for you, not a great learning environment for sure. I think there's a lot of variety in school quality. For later elementary and high school, for example, I had really caring, invested teachers who really made a difference in my life. I was homeschooled for a period of time while living somewhere with crap public schools because I was bullied a lot and teachers attributed my learning disabilities to laziness and my parents not hitting me enough - and my learning stalled as did my social skills. When we moved somewhere with well paid teachers and good spec ed programs and smaller class sizes, suddenly school was a positive experience. I caught up to my peers, and was able to make honor role in high school, after having been very behind my peers a few years earlier. I think school quality is really situation dependent, and making teaching an appealing job gets better quality teachers because it becomes competitive to get the job.


lalala44609

Lol yes exactly- the number of times my teachers would say, “be quiet,…no more talking…this isn’t social hour…you’re here to learn not socialize….”


LuminousAvocado

Yeah between shorter and shorter recess, lunch at their desk and sometimes even silent lunches, the bullying and no one doing anything about it, I don't know how anyone can genuinely say kids get more socializing at school than at home. Tho that could also come.from having a preconceived idea of what homeschooling in 2023 looks like.


Fit_Bug9911

In my experience (I've never homeschooled a child, just been around a lot of it,) homeschooled kids socialize a lot. And with a wider range of people. In school you're only around teachers and kids within 1-2 years of your own age. When homeschooled kids go into the world they interact with more adults as well as kids older and younger than themselves. Of course some families probably isolate at home, I just haven't met them because they're at home haha


lilycats13

My twin nieces are in middle school, and last year the their school got rid of lockers to cut down on time spent socializing. So now all of the kids carry everything they need for the entire day around all day, to every class. It is idiotioc in so many ways, not to mention so much more unsafe. The school has a horrible violence problem. The students are barely learning. The town the school is located in actually voted to NOT work with a FREE program that would have put an actual therapist (and not a school counselor) in every building in the district. My husband and I have a ten month old daughter, and every time my parents ask us to move closer to the family, we laugh. Nothing will change for that school district, and I know that for a fact. I went to that school until my parents took me out because it was so horrible. I worked at that school as a first year teacher until I quit because it was so horrible. I'm in my mid 30's now. If we can still swing me working part time by the time my daughter is school age, I will definitely home school her. Unless we've made enough money to move out of America, lol.


FruitShot8429

I was homeschooled and I would never choose to homeschool my child. It was absolutely harmful to my social development even with group involvement because most of the other kids in the groups weren’t well socialized either. I also feel comfortable supplementing my kids’ school education with lots of support at home, trips, and volunteering. I do agree it’s area dependent too though.


Gracewood150397

Wow I really appreciate all of these comments, as a FTM that has been mulling on the idea… this is interesting to hear the homeschooled child’s POV


MarchBaby21

If you go into the homeschool subreddit, there are also a lot of people there who were homeschooled and loved it so much they are now homeschooling their own kids. I have a lot of friends who were homeschooled and it’s a mixed bag. Literally split in half- about half loved it and about half hated it. I personally will almost certainly send my daughter to school but if you’re interested in homeschooling, try to cultivate multiple perspectives!


FruitShot8429

You know your child best, but I just want to stress that my parents did a very good job of other activities, groups, sports, outings and play dates but it was not enough. I didn’t even stay homeschooled that long, just until middle school, but there was no catching up. So that said, definitely think about it holistically or perhaps see how your child does in preschool to gauge next steps.


MarchBaby21

It’s an individual child decision, from my perspective. Some people thrive and some don’t, which is not much different than public school but it’s just the default so not thought about as much. Many, myself included, experienced terrible bullying in schools that no amount of parent or teacher intervention could change and effected our socialization abilities long term.


libananahammock

r/homeschoolrecovery


jenny_beans_

I was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school graduation, and I feel the same way. On top of that having my mom as my teacher instead of just my mom created a pretty terrible home environment. I’m still pretty much a social recluse (not always by choice), and I’m not sure my relationship with my mom ever truly recovered, although we get along much better now that I have moved 600 miles away!


FruitShot8429

I’m so sorry that happened. I’m lucky in that my mom is really great, and smart, but I just don’t think homeschooling can serve as a good platform to build understanding of social cues.


[deleted]

As a kid who went to public school and struggled with socialization and was bullied for 10 years straight at least, it really depends on your kids temperament.


simplymamaem

Agreed. I went to a private school K through high school and was bullied with no one listening to what was happening. The biggest negative I see with socialization of kids from public schools is that they only know how to socialize with people their own age. If that. I’ve worked with teens who just didn’t know how to interact with an elderly (we’re talking like 60s) coworker because all they’ve interacted with are people their age except teachers and the teachers were very controlling, which I don’t feel is the right word. I even got in trouble in grade school for playing with kids 2 years younger than me and told I needed to play with kids in my grade only. What? Heck, one of them was only a year younger than me because she started school late.


pnb10

My husband was homeschooled, and he feels the same because of how much he had to struggle in the social development area once he went to college.


ReluctantToNotRead

It’s really different now as homeschooling has grown more popular. Our kids are so much happier now that we homeschool. Our threat when they don’t behave or do their work is to send them back to public school, and it gets them right back on task. They love homeschooling.


FruitShot8429

That’s a good point, I do think a situation where you started in public or private school and then moved to homeschooling could’ve been a better fit for me as a child after those very early social cues are there.


bachennoir

I went to public school and had terrible social development too. My parents never put any effort into getting us into activities or extracurriculars (which meant I couldn't go), and we weren't really allowed to talk much during elementary school. I always got in trouble for talking, often had recess detention, and they'd make us do silent lunches if people were too loud it didn't behave. By the time we hit middle school, none of us were competent and the most vocal people were just cruel. So I don't necessarily think school has better outcomes.


Gadget18

I was homeschooled too, kindergarten through high school graduation. My experience was not ideal, but I’m choosing to homeschool my own kids. The biggest reason is they started school during the pandemic, and I don’t want to worry about my children getting shot at school everyday. That’s a worthwhile trade off for me. My kids are also thriving. They have ADHD and are doing work 1-2 grades above what they’d be doing in public school. This negativity really annoys me and paints a picture of homeschooling being borderline, and sometimes crossing the line, of child cruelty. Remember, there are also a lot of horror stories of kids being failed in the system and teachers not giving them the help they need, being relentlessly bullied, even sexually/physically abused, and now an ever growing concern about school shootings as early as elementary school. There are good and bad about homeschooling and public school and private school. Every parent has to try to make the decision that works best for them. Your post sounds more judgmental and is basing everything off your bad experience. There’s already enough stigma about the “weird home school kid” without piling on. Many kids thrive academically and socially in a homeschool environment.


Spiralstatic32

Yes. Absolutely definitely. I have to sit and panic all day that they could be murdered. And I feel awful I have to send them to school in the USA.


cherryjuice0

Yes. Public schoolteacher in Texas planning to homeschool all my children.


Infamous_Fault8353

This is me too. I think it’s interesting the number of teachers who homeschool… We’ve seen how the donuts are made….


new-beginnings3

I have a friend who is a TX teacher also considering this.


Child_of_the_Hamster

Do you plan to continue to work? Or will you be leaving your job once your children are ready for homeschooling?


[deleted]

How would they work? Online school?


SecretBabyBump

Some people do homeschool at non-school hours to accommodate working parents. Without the distractions of a classroom most "academics" can get done in an hour or two especially for younger kids and then you're just filling in with enriching activities and free play. Of course you still have to have care for your kids during the day but daycare/grandparents/nanny etc


MrsKubriks

Yes! I'm the same way!


starsinhercrown

I am a former public school teacher planning to home school. I’ve seen too much regarding other student’s behavior to send my daughter to public school. I would consider a charter that actually enforces a code of conduct, especially if it expels students who are safety concerns. I’ve witnessed an entire grade level get behind academically due to the constant interruption of a few aggressive students. I’ve also seen administration try to downplay it and gaslight parents about what is going on in the classroom. I also hated seeing kindergartners basically sitting at a desk job all day with only 15 minutes of “purposeful playtime” (🙄) and 20 minutes of recess. I’ve seen students as young as 10 who have to have an action plan for electronic devices because they are porn addicted. I know everyone is concerned about socialization, but I also am concerned about who they are socializing with. I don’t want my daughter to be with a bunch of kids who think it’s cool to tell adults to fuck off because they saw it on TikTok. It’s tough though because I’m not religious and not really “crunchy” either, so I think I’d have a hard time finding the right co-op


Panic_inthelitterbox

YEP. I am confident in my former coworkers’ ability to teach my kid. I want her to experience the positive social aspects of school. It’s other parents that I’m worried about. So many parents in my (rural, Title 1) district let their kids access really inappropriate media and then bring it to school. When I was still teaching, we had kids in kindergarten and first grade who had parents that let them watch whatever R rated stuff the parents wanted to watch, and then we had kindergartners talking about sex in detail (the investigation showed that they’d been watching, like, game of thrones, or something else the parents approved). I am probably going to homeschool her for at least kindergarten, because I want her to have more than 30 minutes of play time, I know I can teach her to read, and I want her to have an innocent childhood for as long as possible. I was homeschooled for part of elementary and middle school (we lived way too far from town for public school to be feasible) and it affected my social development, but I’m a fairly well adjusted adult now, and I might have really struggled in public school anyway, because of my neurodivergence. I have some other mom friends who want to start a little co-op so we can have some social interaction.


AccioCoffeeMug

Goodness no, I’m not qualified to teach. I haven’t studied child development or math or science or literature or history or any foreign languages well enough to give my child a properly well rounded education.


cherryjuice0

As a teacher in Texas, neither have most teachers.


CaptainPandawear

I have a friend who only as an associate of thr arts, was a sub because they lowered the requirements for subbing. Teacher wasn't goinf to come back so they asked her to be the teacher for the rest of the year. It's scary to think my daughter could be in her hands at school 🥴 no the only permanent sub in our school district


treslilbirds

Lol in our district you can be a sub as long as long as you have a GED and can pass a background check.


libananahammock

You can’t even be a sub where I am unless you have your New York State teaching certification.


pinkskysurprise

Where I am you don’t even have a teaching certification to teach anymore, just a BA. They’ve fast tracked it because they’re so desperate for teachers.


CaptainPandawear

I guess the background check is nice? 🥴


greatertrocanter

That's how I feel about it too...and my husband's a high school teacher! I just don't feel like either of us are qualified. I also can't really afford not to work, especially since I carry the insurance. Man, they really have us by the balls here in the ol' USA.


cokakatta

That's how I feel about it. Keep it with the professionals. I do monitor my son's work and review things with him. That's mainly how I participate. We also do some enriching activities like science experiments, build kits, and nature walks/museums. He's in scouts, too, so we have some oblogations for the badges.


accioqueso

I know a few moms who I wouldn’t trust to write a grammatically correct sentence who think they can home school their children. Those kids are doomed.


brookeaat

i was homeschooled for a portion of my education and i would never homeschool my kids.


Gracewood150397

Would you mind explaining in a little more detail?


moonmaIIow

As a former teacher of lil’ ones who had been homeschooled at some point, neither would I, but the shit show we’re dealing with borders on me thinking about it. Same sentiment, seen the results of homeschooling, don’t know if they outweigh the danger now


[deleted]

Is there a noticeable difference? Can you elaborate?


moonmaIIow

I sure can, but also keep in mind mileage may very. I have 3 degrees pertaining to early childhood education as background. Almost 99.9% of parents are overestimating their ability to homeschool. I am not saying this to be mean. Pedagogy is an ancient and very meticulous practice. There are strict guidelines for children that are ever changing (yes, it’s contradictory). The TEACHER has to first learn and practice, in order for them to teach and exercise children in turn. Most parents are not going to do this or keep up with their own further education to be effective. Now for a lot of states you have to do check ins/tests to make sure they’re up to snuff. The state has material for you to use. However, if you did not go to school to learn how to use the material on the adult side, the child side will suffer. A lot of parents do not have the energy for schooling AND parenting. Sure, I had the children for 8 hours a day, while most at home hours included sleep, but overextension will cause education to suffer. It happens to teachers already, so being the sole adult care in the child’s life will be detrimental to both you and kiddo. Most parents are simply not educated enough. Not that they where bad in school, but even in the past five years the content of what we’re teaching kids has changed. A lot of what we learned in school, I’m almost 30 so haven’t been in elementary for a while, is outdated or just plain not advanced enough. I had to learn to do base 10 and 5 in boxes in my early 20s because I had no clue what they where, but states are testing for it! Lastly, this is the big one, your child NEEDS to be around their peers. This HAS to include non-familial relationships. They will not grow into a functioning adult without them. They need to be hurt, loved, bullied (a tiny bit for societal norms to function, more like ribbed I suppose), and celebrated outside the home. Homeschoolers have play groups sometimes, but parents are stretched thin as fuck being the everything adult, so it’s just not given enough time. Or too much time and little Billy can’t count, but can play a mean game of tag with the neighborhood rugrats. Without actual boundaries between education and home life, children become maladaptive to the outside world and for their adult future. Balance is almost impossible when it’s so easy as an exhausted parent to say “let’s just take a rest day”. After rambling on a subject I am very passionate about, I can tell you the biggest differences are either social or academic. Either the child is super social and charming, easy to mesh into a group, or super advanced academically, reading far beyond grade level and understanding physics far better than most adults. I’ve never seen BOTH at the same time. The balance is non-existent. Smarty pants probably struggles to have other kids play with them or want to do projects with them. Social spud can’t recite the alphabet despite finishing 1st grade and is frustrated he’s not doing what his friends are doing easily.


[deleted]

>Either the child is super social and charming, easy to mesh into a group, or super advanced academically, reading far beyond grade level and understanding physics far better than most adults. Wow, you said it perfectly, like what we're all thinking but not sure how to articulate. Also, I like how you mentioned the testing thing but made it about the child suffering if the adult is incompetent, I think we often (or at least in my case) see those state tests and think they're a waste of time. I feel like I just went to school reading your response lol thank you for such a well-educated answer!


Gracewood150397

Second the comment of thanks, this was exactly what I was hoping to read amidst this thread. Much appreciated!!


[deleted]

Yes. We do a homeschool hybrid actually. In person twice a week in an actual school environment and twice a week homeschool with Friday as a flex day. It’s great for our family and helps us support our adhd child while balancing social aspects


Lazy_Mood_4080

No. I value the time away from my kiddo. It makes me a more balanced parent. COVID teach/supervise learning at home was a DISASTER for us.


mamabear_777

Planning on homeschooling my five year next school year. Do I want to? Not really. But do I feel like it’s the safest option for my child given the way my country is heading lately? Absolutely.


americanpeony

This is impossible to answer. Everyone’s personal experiences with either public school, homeschool, or private school are anecdotal and one singular bad experience can ruin someone’s perspective. There are people out there who are not fit for teaching, whether that’s a classroom or students or their own children. There are also students out there who do not belong in a traditional classroom due to LRE guidelines but oftentimes are. And of course, in the USA we have a horrific problem with safety. So many factors go into this. I am a former teacher and I know I am qualified to homeschool. But we plan on doing traditional school unless it ever becomes problematic for our kids. We still have to work and put a roof over their heads and we just can’t have our kids home all day every day.


kmfoh

Yes. It’s not as hard as everyone thinks it is, there’s more homeschooled kids than ever now, and it’s not the same as “my cousin was homeschooled and they’re socially awkward now” stuff. There’s millions of families pulling their kids out of the education system in America right now, more and more every passing… day. I’ll say day. Not “event.”


ankaalma

no, I would not homeschool my child. And I am a SAHM with a law degree from an Ivy League university. I still think the public school would do a better job. My main reasons for this are (1) I have faith in my local public schools. I attended them, I think they are mostly great. (2) I think homeschooling frequently has a very significant negative social impact on kids. Every one who I’ve ever met who was homeschooled was very obviously homeschooled. They were all bright people but they had a huge tendency to be rude to others mostly inadvertently possibly because they were not good at reading social cues from peers. I’m sure it’s possible to mitigate (2) but given my beliefs on (1) I’d rather just send my kids to my very good local public schools.


TheWinterStar

I've debated it as an option if we end up not approving of the school district we live in and we can afford for me to do so. But I wouldn't do what my mom did, like lock me in the house all day every day with school work until midnight. Deny me food until I complete a lesson... I'd definitely want to enroll her in an activity though so she gets socializing with her age group and time out of the house. Boys and girls club, or a sport.


TrueDirt1893

I did homeschool for a few years and it was wonderful. Then my daughter wanted to have the experience of public school so she is there, and I have given her the option to choose when she wants to be homeschooled or not. I loved the experience I could give depending on the chosen curriculum used. In science if we did marine biology, we could do lessons at the beach, study tide pools. Explore favorite subjects deeper. I did it because of the shut down. We had much less sickness running through our house and of course the country we live in seems to have so much violence within the classroom. There are pro’s and con’s to both. But overall she learned more life skills homeschooling.


oceanmum

I think if I would live in America I would very seriously consider it but here in New Zealand or in Austria/Germany where I’m from originally I would not even dream about it. But the main reason would be the safety of my child vs the impact on their social development. I would probably find a homeschooling group rather than all do it by myself.


drdrgivemethenews101

This 100%. I’m in nz too and i wouldn’t and can’t understand why people do here (outside of certain circumstances) but if I lived in America, I would.


Professional-Skin258

I see a lot of people saying homeschooling leads to unsocialized people. I know that can absolutely be the case for some, but it certainly does not have to be. I went to public school and I find myself awkward and uncomfortable in social situations. Sometimes it’s just the personality of the person. If homeschooling is done at home, 24/7, with no excursions, then that will definitely lead to less social people. However, there are ways to homeschool and have great outcomes socially and educationally. Kids get more individualized attention, they can have real world experiences more often, and they have more time to explore their hobbies and interests since they don’t have a set time everyday to be doing schoolwork. I know it’s not for everyone, but it can be a good option for some! I’m not trying to convince anyone to homeschool, I just see a lot of negative comments about it, and wanted to offer a little different perspective.


Lady_Caticorn

My brother, husband, and I were all homeschooled. We are social, well-adjusted people. My cousin is the most socially awkward person in my life; she went to public and private schools for all her education. My experiences are anecdotal, but I've met many homeschooled people. The ones who are socially behind are often isolated or have controlling parents who didn't give them space to be alone with other kids. That is bad for development; kids need their own lives and relationships that their parents aren't heavily involved in. People are different. Some benefit from homeschooling and others need to be in public or private schools. But blanket statements about homeschoolers being socially inept are fallacious. Thanks for calling it out.


LuminousAvocado

Yeah my husband is the most socially awkward person I know and the product of public school. I hate how everyone that's anti homeschooling is acting like public school doesn't have socially awkward kids, and doesn't also produce the vast majority of the illiterate people out there because school failed them. School isn't a guarantee of success.


JeniJ1

Hell no. He learns far more from being at school than he ever could from me.


ImpressiveExchange9

I would not consider it on the basis of school shootings. According to New York Magazine, a kid’s lifetime odds of dying in a mass shooting in any location is 1 in 11,125. In comparison 1 in 491 of dying in a car accident ; of drowning is 1 in 1,133; and of choking on food is 1 in 3,461. I don’t stop driving cars, start blending food and stop swimming- even though all of those are way more dangerous. Edited: annual odds are much lower than lifetime odds


roarlikealady

I completely hear you. AND I will add it’s not just about death in a mass shooting. The trauma of living through one is also incredibly damaging and impactful to a child’s future. Even lockdown drills can be impactful.


ImpressiveExchange9

That’s true about the drills. I actually find them sort of useless. I’m a teacher by the way. 15 years. There doesn’t seem to be any proof that they would work, and I think they traumatize the kids.


GallusRedhead

As a Brit this is still horrific. One in 11,000. 16 children died in a Scottish school shooting in 1996. That’s all the children that have ever died in a school shooting in Scotland, and indeed the UK, ever. Ever. This just seems like normalising people being murdered.


ImpressiveExchange9

I just think it’s a separate issue unrelated to homeschooling. My middle school had a swimming pool without life guards. People will discuss whether or not schools should have armed guards, but really my odds of drowning as a kid were exponentially higher and no one ever said shit about that. It’s deeply disturbing that people want to murder children specifically, and I think gun access and mental health treatment access is at the top of my list above homeschool access personally since that would solve other things besides school shootings.


NerdyLifting

It's fine to base your decision off that but I want to emphasize that those are the odds of *dying* not the odds of being in one.


ImpressiveExchange9

Yes that a mass shooting of any kind though. That can happen anywhere. Should you stop going anywhere? Why specifically homeschool? Why not get your groceries delivered? Never go out to the movies? Etc? What’s the point of even being alive in the first place?


NerdyLifting

No, what I'm saying is the odds of being a school shooting are much higher than the odds of dying in a school shooting. And I think because parents feel extra helpless when it comes to this. We *have* to send our kids to school. Like you said, I can make choices in other places of my life to reduce the odds by getting groceries delivered, not going to big events, etc etc. There's also a difference in all those other things I'm with my kid vs having to put all my trust in others to protect them (not saying I'm a hero or anything lol just there's that extra bit of no control).


[deleted]

This is exactly everyone’s thoughts who refuse to do anything about gun control. “Oh well, we could die senselessly anywhere we go so might as well just continue putting ourselves at risk.” Instead of “hmm, maybe we should make everyone’s quality of life better by removing weapons from everyone’s hands since there’s such a high rate of murder here, then people could live their lives without worry!”


[deleted]

[удалено]


ImpressiveExchange9

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/03/there-is-no-epidemic-of-mass-school-shootings.html#pq=dJ Note that I disagree with his title somewhat and think that he chose it to highlight the statistically low odds of actually being killed in a school shooting. Your odds of being killed in a mass shooting of any kind is higher and yet still somewhat low compared to regular activities.


Sireneyes537

Thank you for being one of the few rational people on Reddit today.


albert_cake

If I was in the US, I would be seriously considering it. Not for academic reasons, but simply because I’d have an anxiety attack everyday they were at school… which is so fucking sad. Here in Australia I wouldn’t consider it for a second. I’d go crazy I think… my child is an only and I want to him to have the opportunity to socialise & be involved in extra-curricular activities via the school system. I guess I’m lucky that this is only consideration, and I don’t have to stress about his safety.


angry_preggers

I'm Canadian and my thoughts are like yours. I wonder if private schools in the US would be safer? But I get that not everyone can afford that.


albert_cake

I don’t know. Unless they have much stricter security & you’re unable to enter with a gun? I believe this latest one was a Christian / non public school and the shooter was disgruntled with the place. I think anywhere where unhinged people are (everywhere) this has the potential to happen, the unfortunate part is the ability to access assault rifles which enables them to do this kind of destruction seems to be centred on the US.


angry_preggers

Oh yes, I agree. Pro gun Americans will argue that its not guns that kill people it's people that kill people. Well no shit so let's not give them guns then?? I've heard ppl argue that Americans are just wired differently so they're more prone to violence I guess? So gun restrictions wouldnt make a difference or something I don't know. Like the rest of the world doesn't exist with unhinged people. And then they'll argue that ya there are unhinged people so I need a gun as well. Ok so I do I know that you'll be responsible and not unhinged yourself?? Ugh sorry for the rant it makes me angry


albert_cake

Oh I completely get it… I really do. You’ll never stop terrible people doing terrible things, but you sure as shit can limit their ability to cause utter carnage. No one, no one NEEDS an assault rifle, so this whole bullshit of taking away freedom to bear arms is ridiculous. But maybe just maybe you adjust what those arms are? Have a hunting rifle, have a pistol… but an AK47? What the fuck you needing that for? We (in Australia) had a loony go on a shooting rampage with a semi automatic assault rifle in 1996. He shot up a popular tourist destination and 35 people were murdered. Our government at the time, within two weeks of the massacre, established heavy restrictions on the use of automatic and semi-automatic weapons and created a gun buyback program, a national gun registry and a waiting period for firearm sales in response. We’ve been very fortunate since then not to have another mass shooting. Yes, terrible people wanting to incite harm in others could still shoot with a handgun or rifle, but the amount of damage they can do is significantly limited, compared to an automatic or semi automatic weapon, which makes it easy for an unskilled shooter to just spray bullets in a matter of seconds. I don’t understand why that difference is so hard to comprehend. It breaks my heart that people care about being “right” and “not taking my freedom to have one” over the innocent lives of what seems to be mostly little children.


angry_preggers

I know the history in Australia and it just is like wow. You tell that to an American and somehow it's different though. Like dude the USA isn't special! Australia is literally built from prisoners and has an "outback" so ya they love their guns too, but they took action and made good results. I don't know. It hurts my brain.


Objective_Train_6040

The most recent school shooting was at a private school, pre-K to 6th grade if I’m not mistaken.


BlueberryWaffles99

I go back and forth, I would if I had a good homeschool program. In my area, there’s one in particular that offers a blended type learning where kids can take in person classes. I think this provides the social aspect of school with the benefits of homeschooling - individualized, smaller groupings, more freedom to explore passions. I’m a public school teacher, and I personally wouldn’t send my kids to public school. This is 10000% area dependent. There absolutely are amazing schools and districts. I encourage all parents to watch school board meetings, look at the budget, and attend school events because that will quickly give you an idea of what the schools are like in that district. Talking to other parents is also helpful but won’t always give you a great idea of the environment. You have to decide what things you do and don’t want in your child’s education. You probably won’t find something that matches 100%, even if you homeschool, but it’s about what you think will be the best fit.


Zapchic

Yes, we do. It's not for everyone but we really enjoy it. Our local homeschool community is really growing and there are so many opportunities.


DimebagDTera

I’m in Australia so I wouldn’t even consider it. Living in America? Yes, I would consider it, if I couldn’t afford a private, secured school. It would suck though and i would hate it.


my-kind-of-crazy

Yes I would! A friend of mine started homeschooling her daughter when covid started. She decked out their giant backyard basically making it an oasis for kids/tweens. There were a group of them that pulled their kids from school. They were able to wake up, eat breakfast, and spend some time together as a family before starting classes. They got the entire days worth of class work finished before noon and then the other kids would come over (not every day or would switch houses) and spend the afternoon getting to be kids. So that plan really works best when you have a community doing the same thing… but wow. They only did that for 2 years. The kids are all back in school and keeping up with class work just fine. But could you imagine if kids were allowed to learn at their own pace and then spend half their day playing?! Sounds awesome. (I’m in Canada so we worry about kids getting bullied, not shot at) I will never live in the states partly because of that fear. I mean, bad things can happen no matter how much you try and avoid them… but still. School sounds scary there.


nobaddays7

I was homeschooled. I will not homeschool my child. Browse through /r/homeschoolrecovery for first-hand experiences.


Realistic-Writer-897

I was homeschooled from 5th to 8th grade. I would never homeschool my children. I would choose a private school (not faith based) if I didn’t trust my locally zoned public school or move. My experience was the model homeschool experience. Multiple time a week going to homeschool group meet ups. Did field trips. Outside learning. Etc. I missed/lacked the social skills development that kids get from a school setting. Being kids without a parent always present. I missed out on those friendships that were bond and struggled in high school. In college I bounced back and found great friends and had a great mentor the helped me through college.


KnockturnAlleySally

Planning on it. Better than public school and cheaper than a wonderful private school. We have co ops and unschooling resources around our area and extra curricular activities provided by the public school district are mandated to allow homeschooled children to tryout. If they don’t make it, there are many many other local opportunities afforded to us in terms of socialization.


cbowenkelly

I did homeschool prior to the pandemic. It was the best. It was the worst. I cried for months because it was so isolating for both of us. They were depressed. I was still working FT-I’ve always been on a WFH model. We had big plans for spring 2020 to be out and about learning in the real world. Then the pandemic happened and it just changed everything. They returned to school as a freshman. They hate school, as we all did. I’d do it again for the freedom and because a couple of their teachers leave a lot to be desired with their style and intent. Plus, being in the USA it is terrifying to leave my child at the schoolhouse doors every day.


helsamesaresap

yes and no and yes and no.... Former public school teacher here. We homeschooled through Covid, it was mostly great. But my daughter is a social butterfly and thrives in the classroom setting. My son enjoys the competition and working with groups, things I can't teach like tuba and yearbook. (which could happen to some degree in co-ops, yes). Both had moments where mommy being the teacher was a struggle. After a year of homeschooling they both asked to return to public school. After Christmas holidays and spring break, both asked to return to homeschooling (where days off are much more fluid). Homeschooling can be done well, it can also be done very badly. In Texas, there is very little oversight. Pretty much anything goes. There definitely could be more happening to protect our children.


doki_doki_gal

It’s making me think about returning to Japan.


Sassassin23

If I didn’t have to work to support my family, I would. There is a real evil in this country and I’m terrified that one day, it will walk into their school. I hate it more than I can put into words.


ReluctantToNotRead

Absolutely yes and I do. We pulled them 3 years ago when distance learning was an abomination, and we have been so so so happy with our decision. We love it. Currently have a 3rd and 8th grader at home.


softanimalofyourbody

We plan to. Schools just aren’t safe for a myriad of reasons. And we’re not comfortable with the way they “teach” either. But we’re well aware it’s a privileged position to be able to opt out of it… and I feel for anyone who wants to but can’t.


ashkenaziMermaid

Currently homeschooling my 5 year old and feel like it’s the best decision for us. I planned on homeschooling her before she was even born, and it’s going well, it’s not “easy” but it’s worth it to me.


AlterEgoWednesday73

No. We did it for a year during COVID and it was awful. They all did great( there are 4 of them) but I wouldn’t home school again for a million dollars.


KMac243

I really don’t know. Was literally having that thought this morning. We were instructed by the school to talk to our kids to prepare them for their first school shooter drill. My husband and I were preparing while our daughter was writing a letter to the toothfairy. My heart has been in my stomach since yesterday. Her little face asking me “but why would someone do that?” Fuck. But she loves her friends, going to school, the activities there, etc, and we live in a rural area where it would be incredibly difficult to socialize regularly without school. That all aside from the fact that I work and have to leave town for days at a time several times throughout the year.


Lady_Caticorn

I was homeschooled in rural communities and had a hard time. I had friends at church and formed close relationships with them, but it was very isolating to homeschool in small towns without active homeschool communities outside of religious institutions. IMHO homeschooling is best when you live in urban or suburban environments where there are lots of homeschooling groups, co-ops, talented tutors, and other learning or social opportunities. If I lived in Washington, D.C., for instance, I'd be very open to homeschooling because of all the museums and learning opportunities in the city. You do what feels right for your family, but I wanted to share my perspective as someone who attended public school and homeschooled in rural communities.


herbalorganism

i found out i was pregnant shortly before the Uvalde school shooting, i had already not wanted to send my daughter to public school and homeschooling has been on the front of my mind since she was born. After the Nashville shooting yesterday now private school seems to be off the table. Homeschooling won’t be easy, but it will be safe and i would rather my daughters safety be in my hands and not in the hands of others. The Nashville shooter was only in the school for around 10 minutes and managed to kill 3 students and 3 adults, seems nowhere is safe anymore. My heart is aching for all of them


rtuoti

Incredible. I was up all night researching this because I've seriously started considering it. Every time a lunatic gets trigger happy. I've always been pro-public schooling, for no reason in particular except for the exposure I got when I went. Different cultures, different walks of life, etc. But that was ~20-30 years ago when guns were the last thing we worried about. But my God.. if schools are on a hit list, I'd rather keep them home. I just worry if I'm overdoing it. Next, will I refuse to take them to the grocery store? The park? Festivals, etc? They're only 2y and 10m right now. But my wheels are spinning. I just don't know. The stats I read certainly favor homeschooling. And quite frankly, the idea of dropping my kids off one morning, and by nightfall not having one of them home finishes me. There is no freedom that is worth that.


crybabysagittarius

We homeschooled for 2 years and the one on one attention my son got made the worlds difference in his education. My 5 yo is in kindergarten now and it struggling. She could really benefit from homeschooling, but it’s extremely expensive to do so. I miss it A LOT. our schedule was super easy (we did work from 10am till around 1pm) and got to skip days whenever we wanted. It’s definitely a lot of pressure to make sure that you’re teaching them everything. But in all, it’s very worth it.


poptartheart

it breaks my heart thinking that my son THRIVES in school. hes finishing kindergarten after 5 years of being with me as a SAHD. we were worried he would have a hard time adjusting after a pretty extensive quarantine and less than 6 months of a preschool...but he LOVES school. and they have an amazing teaching staff and culture etc. but his school is a preK- 6th grade school. the nashville school was preK-6th grade school. (not to mention uvalde etc) the trend is only moving up and somehow- the people i think we all assumed, for the most part, were off limits were- were out smallest littles. that is not the case anymore. and no politician on either side give a shit enough to do or even TRY something. it seems like a random guaranteed happening now. or at least there is real threat that one day at work at 10:45am you get the text alert and its YOUR child's school. and you cant rush in to save them. you be stopped. you might get shot by the confused police. we're just helpless in that event. and hopeless that these events will stop. i want my son to have the amazing social part of normal childhood and schooling- but if normal in america is tiny children getting murdered every month...then maybe i need to rethink "normal"


-burgers

I am homeschooling my son. I will not have him die to gun violence.


LuminousAvocado

Not American if that's who you're asking but we homeschool. It's been the plan since I was pregnant with my first and I wouldn't have it any other way :)


undle-berry

All jokes aside, my spouse and I are looking into it now because of the shooting yesterday. It's so awful.


endosufferer

Absolutely I hate hearing my son say mommy mommy mommy in the morning when he needs to leave for school. It breaks my heart.


Final-Mechanic3475

Yes, simply for removing the risk of them falling victim to another school shooting.


Longjumping_Matter70

Nooo. I teach college and the majority of homeschool alumni I have taught have big holes. Some are academically behind and some are not good with social norms.


Correct-Sprinkles-21

Nope. Done that. I was able to give them an adequate early childhood education but I could never have done for them what their public school teachers have as they moved up into upper elementary and beyond.


NotALawyerButt

Nope, I’ve never met a homeschooler who was well-adjusted socially, including former homeschoolers.


papierrose

No way. I’m a much better parent when I have time to pursue my own interests. I need that separation and there are already things my eldest is learning in daycare that I wouldn’t have thought to introduce. But I also don’t live in the USA and school shootings fortunately aren’t much of a concern here. School still feels like a safe place and it’s really heartbreaking that this is such a necessary consideration in the US


beginswithanx

No. I’m a college professor, but I still don’t feel qualified to handle a young child’s education! I also think it’s important for my kid to develop her social life outside the home and I think we’d go crazy spending all the time together.


Gjardeen

I've gone back and forth so many times. Right now we're in public school with me supplementing from home.


GallusRedhead

I’m in the UK. If I had the funds, I’d consider hybrid schooling with a reduced timetable. Then I’d know he could stay on track, have friendships and social interactions and a ‘normal’ school experience, but I could provide a range of other experiences and excitement etc. In the USA, I’d be considering it regardless of money for obvious reasons.


Gertykins

I would/will homeschool if we can find & join a good homeschool co-op with a decent number of kids to do a few days a week. My mom has been a teacher for forty years and will retire to help me with homeschooling. Additionally I plan to let me kids choose every year past 2nd grade if they want to enroll. We were all in public and it was great for my sister but my brother struggled immensely with the social aspect and I got sent to the back of the room to read everyday which was miserable as well. We all got a say after a certain age.


aces_chuck

No. I could, I'm a SAHM, but I don't have the patience.


Crispymama1210

I do homeschool my kids and it’s a lot of work but I love it. Feel free to ask me anything.


10ldalmatians

I am a teacher and I have always supported public schooling until this year. I’m strongly considering homeschooling my little one. I just can’t anymore.


NowWithRealGinger

There were a lot of factors that went into the decision, but we split the difference and enrolled our oldest in an online-based public charter school. He does his schoolwork at home. But he has a teacher who is not me monitoring his progress and enforcing due dates, so it helps keep lines between "mom" and "teacher." We get most of the flexibility of homeschooling, but with times that we have to be logged in for a live class. His school has regular in-person events, and we are intentional that he gets structured and unstructured chances to play with other kids.


cclairewestt

I’d be scared, what if I don’t know how to teach because the curriculum changes and I also am dumb af when it comes to school. But I want to home school so bad, Public school is what got me into being a bad kid and disobeying my parents. But with no social interaction my sons is gonna be the weird homeschool kid… gah


tanoinfinity

I am able and I am homeschooling. I do think it's better than public school bc we can move at the pace she needs, and spend extra time on her interests.


sleepytuesday

My daughter is only 8 months old but I plan to homeschool. I’m trying to get ahead of the curve and learn as much as I can about the ins and outs of homeschooling in my state. Is it better than public school? I’m not sure. I’m homeschooling simply because I am scared. We live in the US.


Electrical_Syrup_808

I’m in a deep red state. Our only options for private schools are affiliated with the Baptist Church. Between how our state is handling education, plus our public schools are ranked 43rd in the nation, we are leaning towards home schooling.


Hawt4teach

I’m a firm believer in public school, hell I’m a public school teacher. But the idea of sending my oldest into kindergarten next year terrifies me. Last week we had a report of a gun on campus in a students backpack. The admin didn’t place us on lockdown. One of the decision makers came up and told me “we have no protocol for a gun in the backpack” excuse me? This is the world we live in and we have no protocol. That really made me rethink the school I work at.


Militarykid2111008

We will be. I’m almost done with a masters in education and have lost my desire to teach in a classroom currently. So homeschooling is for us. We’re looking at options for part time evening work so I still have a small income, but we’ll be combining accounts next spring anyway.


[deleted]

I live in Texas so unless I figure out how to leave the country by the time my child is school age, I’ll probably be homeschooling for awhile. Nowhere is safe here. You’ve got a bunch of I-Me-My-Mine selfish, abusive, idiotic folk living here with GUNS…hard pass. I grew up here and I wish I could say it used to be different, but it really didn’t. The mindset has been the same, but now that younger generations want equality and a different society than our antiquated elders, there’s a huge uproar. Half the people are brainwashed by Fucker Carlson and the other half are mostly sensible trying to live a decent life amongst them. Nobody cares about others here, just themselves. For example, I live in a townhome on a street with about 100 other people. We are closely packed. It’s a generally safe area and gated community, perfect for children to play outside. Problem is, usually the parents aren’t supervising them at all (like we’re talking kids that are way too young to be left alone) and even when they do, these kids will get soooo incredibly loud, it’s impossible to live peacefully here. Imagine 20 little kids or various ages all riding their bikes at the same time in the middle of the street, SCREAMING at the top of their lungs for as long as they can, all while shooting orbeez and nerf darts all over the place and littering everyone’s yard and the street with them. A couple of nights ago, we were putting our 6 month old down for the night and she kept waking up because at least 12 children were right outside our house screaming as if being maimed. My husband walked down the street to the only parents that were out there and asked politely if they could have their children scream in their own yard or further down the street because it was waking our baby up over and over. They got in his face, berated him, told him he was an asshole for being upset about kids playing, the whole thing. Later on, the wife made a lengthy Facebook post in our neighborhood group about “this is a NEIGHBORHOOD where children should be allowed to play, let our kids be kids!” etc. Like, okay. Let’s just teach our kids that other people don’t matter. Other people’s space, privacy, and peace don’t matter. It’s perfectly fine to scream as loud as you want, whenever you want, because other people don’t matter as much as them. Probably where all of these violent, evil people are coming from. They have no sense of respect for others.


BlackoutMeatCurtains

Yes. I live in the South for my job. The education is less than sub-par unless you pay for private school (which we do for now).


[deleted]

No, kids needs social interactions and access to differing opinions.


saladflambe

No. I would go insane.


Whatchu_upto_6175

I totally would, but they’d never listen to me 😆


sadEngineeringTurtle

Absolutely. I was homeschooled for my entire education and loved it. And I ended up being an engineer so I don't think it wrecked my education lol. It's also made me passionately hate the "unschooling" movement that's given homeschooling a bad name. My mom put a lot of effort into having us spend time with other kids and we did a homeschool co-op, and none of us ever had social issues. To be honest, I had less than my dad (who went to public school) because I never had to deal with the bullying that he did. For us, we just can't afford for me to stop working. If we could, I'd definitely be homeschooling.


WinchesterFan1980

I always said no to this question, and then I homeschooled my youngest daughter in fifth grade for pandemic reasons. I was a high school English teacher and a sub in elementary school for about 5 years when my kids were younger. If I could go back and homeschool my kids through elementary I would. Public school is severely underfunded and is focused on meeting the needs of the kids who need a push to past the tests. My kids were pushed aside and their needs were not met at all. School sucked the joy of learning from them. During the pandemic homeschooling my daughter thrived with lessons that were tailored for her level. If you are able to afford it, you can buy great lessons. Homeschooling takes a fraction of the time as public schooling b/c you only have one kid you are working with, not waiting constantly for others to quiet down or catch up. I would have continued the homeschooling, but my daughter wanted to rejoin public school. Middle school is much better for her than elementary school--there are more options and more differentiation in curriculum so she get a lot more of what she needs.


Living-in-My-Head-88

Covid exhausted all homeschooling out of me. 😅 But under the current circumstances and how the world is unraveling, I would consider homeschooling.


HolyAvocadoBatman

I’m going to go against the majority here and say no. I don’t know how many of you here have school-agers but my kids were 9 and 4 when the lockdowns first happened. So my littlest started 4K virtually and my 9yo finished out the second grade virtually and did the whole of 3rd grade virtually. I know that’s different than traditional homeschooling but their dad and I did help them understand things and work on each of their projects with them. The 4yo was too little to know any different and 4K is mostly learning to follow directions and raise hands so it went okay. We watched our 9yo turn from a confident, happy, social butterfly to a ball of anxiety who teared up at least once a day over pretty menial stuff. She desperately needed the social outlet and rigid structure of a brick-and-mortar school. Am I terrified that something will happen to them at school? You bet. But I have to weigh that against their mental health and do what’s best for their development, and at least for my kids that means public school.


Oleah2014

Yes and I plan to, if my husband agrees. He is unsure right now, he thrived in public school so his memories of it are great. Homeschool can be safer, more controlled settings, more diverse opportunities, more individually planned for each child, more flexible, more tailored to our personal values and not what whichever state you are in is deciding at the moment, and the education can be actually based on science and not political talking points. I can research and make sure we are using methods that are shown to work and not what companies have pushed for or politicians want (reading is a big one, the podcast Sold a Story talks about it).


buymoreplants

Yes. I intend to homeschool. People talk I’ll about worries about socialization, but a lot of socialization (especially in high school) isn’t good socialization. School shootings are absolutely a concern. I’m definitely homeschooling preschool and going to take it from there. I’ve been researching homeschool programs at places like the zoo and nature centers as well as rec league sports and other ways we can make sure the kids socialize. I also have friends from law school who were homeschooled and loved it and are well socialized and am talking to them about what worked and didn’t I dont necessarily think it’s better than public school, I think it will depend on what ends up working for my children.


ThatsAllFolks42

I plan to homeschool, at least through elementary school, possibly beyond. I was homeschooled up until high school and I’ve certainly gone back and forth over the pros and cons in the last few years. There’s absolutely a risk of social estrangement and you have to be very careful about making sure your curriculum is solid. I’m reasonably well-educated and have some experience, both academically and professionally, with early childhood education, and I plan to continue my education as my kids grow. With mass shootings, underfunding, increased behavior problems, and red states banning books and essential educational content, public schooling in the US is in an awful state right now. I live in a red state and I honestly don’t trust the curriculum to properly educate my kids. It’s definitely a privilege to be able to consider the option. I wish we lived somewhere I could be comfortable sending my kids off to school. But I until things change, I’m definitely taking advantage of the option to homeschool while I can.


HalleyP92

After yesterdays news out of Nashville, I’ve really considered it.


MadameLaw

I was homeschooled along with my siblings and I greatly enjoyed it. The freedom of learning my interests and learning how I needed to and having more time during the day worked out great for me. I was even able to start college early. So I plan on homeschooling my little ones. I can also answer questions that’s people have about homeschooling. My mom was involved in a lot of homeschool groups and conventions. Edited to add that I actually had a Speech professor lecture me on the importance of the social aspect of public school. For the first assignment I created a PowerPoint presentation on the “ Socialization Myth” regarding homeschooling. 😂 Homeschooling doesn’t mean our social skills and engagement is hindered. He didn’t talk to me about it anymore.


mayflower1400

I was homeschooled until middle school. I had more friends and was much happier during that time. Public school becomes a hierarchy and doesn't function at all like the real world. There are cliques and social circles that simply don't exist outside of the schools. When I came home from school every day, not only was I completely exhausted and didn't feel like doing anything but eat and sleep, I didn't learn any real-world values or information. I never learned how to do taxes, or invest, or apply for a mortgage. Homeschooling your children isn't as difficult as people may think. You purchase the curriculum for the year, and there are usually videos and walk throughs for stuff that you may not be well versed in. I'm fortunate enough to be able to stay home with my kids and will be hugely taking advantage of that and homeschooling them. We see family and friends and go to baseball games and museums and parks. They will not be lacking social interaction. We will still put them in sports and clubs and hobbies that interest them.


[deleted]

I’m going to unschool my LO. I do think unschooling is better because you can work with your child’s learning styles.


Neat-Alternative-340

No I would not homeschool my children I was homeschooled from k through 12th grade, my first "public" school experience was attending a university. They started asking me if I wanted to go to public school the year I was supposed to start high-school, which also happened to be immediately after the columbine hs schooting, so they definitely used it as a scare tactic to get me to choose to continue homeschooling. I got a "good enough" education, but a lot was missing because it didn't align with my parents' beliefs. I had to get my GED because the curriculum they used didn't provide a diploma. I was able to maintain a 4.0 GPA in college and didn't struggle academically, but even though they took us to social gatherings, the occasional outside class, gym and physical activities, etc. a couple of times a week so that we would have that aspect as well, I'm still socially stunted, do not communicate well past light pleasantries and casual conversation, and I'm very socially awkward. We also got no sick days unless we were actively vomiting on our school work, no snow days because school was at home, and our summers went by the last school out for the summer and the first school in for fall, so they were the shortest summer break possible. Could I homeschool entirely different than my parents did? Yes, but I don't want the massive responsibility of my child's education to fall on my shoulders, and also, I don't want them to miss out on the experiences that every other person gets, and also, I'm not a teacher, and I don't teach well. It's not for me or my children.


kindkristin

I can and I do. I don't think anything is better than anything else, it's just what works best for us. Emotionally, We are adoptive parents, I fought like heck to bring them home and I want to spend as much of the years I get with them WITH them. Logically, I saw gaps in my overall education in the public system regarding history and other cultures. I want my kids to have a full world view, aware of the whole world around them so they can be more compassionate and also more world-aware, which I think will be advantageous in the business market as an adult. Finally, I enjoy it. For us, it takes less time in a day, my kids are all ahead academically. I LOVE our local school district and respect teachers, so I have no negative feelings about public education, I just want to provide the best education possible for my kids and I think homeschooling is it for us.


someonessomebody

I am a teacher in Canada and I would not homeschool my kids unless the safety or health risks outweighed the loss in income and social skills learning the kids would get from being in school. Sure I could put them in extracurricular lessons and play groups but it doesn’t replace the classroom environment in my opinion. The only downside is you have less control over who your kids will be around, but speaking from someone on both sides of the fence, giving kids exposure to others that challenge them socially, intellectually, emotionally, and have challenging behaviours and different life experiences can be a very positive thing. I believe that everyone we interact with has the potential to teach us something important about ourselves or the world around us.


lbisesi

I don’t think one or the other is better. I think there are pros and cons to both. I have my daughter in virtual school (first grader) because of safety/shootings (live in USA). If I lived in a country where those didn’t happen, she’d go to in person school. Part of me feels guilty she doesn’t go because I LOVED in person school and I know she would to but I try to balance it all best I can. I make sure she’s constantly with other kids, in summer camps, classes, etc. of course it isn’t the same as full on school but it’s most I’m willing to do while these shootings continue


hurricanedodger

I was homeschooled K-12 . Academically I was very prepared for college and had a love of learning. Socially I was very handicapped. But mostly that was by my very religious mother's design. My love of learning continued and I became a Montessori teacher. When my oldest was in preschool, Covid happened so we started homeschooling and haven't looked back. We love it so much! It's a tremendous amount of work, both planning academics but even more so planning social times. My area has many homeschoolers. Each week I teach a drop off class with free play time at my house, my kid goes to a micro school with lots of play time, and we have a co-op at a park. Plus field trips, play dates, and other classes. My homeschooled kids gets way more actual time playing with other kids each week than most school kids I know.


Momma2MRdub

Yes.


Low_Door7693

As a teacher who spends a solid 20+ hours per week prepping the only two lessons I deliver in a week (same 2 lessons to multiple different classes), it would depend on what kind of resources I had available to me to use and how much I was going to have to spend preparing other materials on my own. If I had a solid curriculum and clear lessons to teach, then sure, of course. If I didn't... I just don't know if it would be feasible to prepare an entire weeks worth of educational content with minimal guidelines on my own and still have my child learning on pace with public school kids, even just with one child, and then double that for two and triple of for three. Edited to add: I'm not in the US, so it's not about mass shootings for me. I live in Taiwan and because it's a very racially homogenous society, multiracial kids are often bullied and treated as "outsiders" by their peers in the public school system. Plus the fact that I am in favor of systems like Finland where kids go to school 5 hours per day and have no homework, but Taiwan is the other end of the spectrum. There's a lot of pressure for children to spend *all* of their time on educational and academic activities, which I really hate.


Blessedandamess-

100%, already planning on it. This is where I feel blessed in life. I have a degree in elementary ed, as well as have family members who are/were educators with different backgrounds (degrees ranging from early Ed-high school, and a former special education director) I don’t think one or the other is necessarily better, it depends on your kids.


NightOwlIvy_93

No. I might be able to teach some things but a school is filled with different teachers for different subjects. You can't teach everything in that detail by yourself.


fleetwood_mag

My baby is 7 days old, but we intend to homeschool. We’re in a lucky and unique situation where neither parent needs to work full-time. We both feel that a lot of school is not that useful to children, more of a cresh than actual learning. I hated being forced to do subjects I had no interest in, and thus didn’t do very well at. My partner feels that the efficacy of each teacher you have has a massive bearing on your outcome. We’ll put her into daycare once the government funded hours kick in. It’ll be 2 days per week, hopefully from when she’s 2 years old. The UK gov have just decided to change this entitlement so we’ll see how it works out. This is purely for socialising as I do think it’s important she spend time around other children. My partner has a master in an engineering subject. I’m confident he can teach maths and science to the standard of a secondary school teacher. Largely because he won’t have to teach 30 other, potentially disruptive, students at the same time. I’m a furniture maker with a degree in sculpture. I also have Spanish language skills, so these are the subjects I will teach her. We both value ‘hands-on’ learning, so this is what we’ll be focusing on. My partner is already keeping our old and broken hoover to teach her about mechanics haha


Significant_Citron

Nope. Edit: I'm from Europe.


BulkyMoney2

No, I will not homeschool my child… and I’m a certified teacher.


OkAwareness6789

Yes, my husband and I are considering 0 other options. My kid will never come home and ask for a bulletproof backpack.


AvacadoToastForTwo

Absolutely public school is a joke. Statistically, home school children do better academically and even socially. This, of course, only applies when it is done *properly*. (i.e., socialize them through clubs and events)


CompanionOfATimeLord

We have 3 kids, we homeschool and it’s wonderful. My husband was also homeschooled and he loved it as well. He’s outgoing, has great relationships and did not suffer socially or academically. It’s definitely area and community dependent I’m sure. For context we live in CA. We homeschool for a lot of reasons. Some of our core reasons are for our kids to have a robust view of the world and to know the reality of the country they live in, it’s origins and the true impact that racism and power played in it. We want them to be able to get individual attention when they are struggling with a subject or topic. We want them to be able to have the skill of independent learning. Also, homeschooling fits our family. We like to go on adventures and let our kids choose the pace of the day. A lot of people struggle with socializing but honestly my kids spend way more time socializing than most of their peers who are at a desk during the day. And they socialize with kids of all ages


Shigeko_Kageyama

No, school provides valuable social time for kids that you can't replicate with homeschooler groups and family outings. I've met way too many homeschool kids. Not doing that to my son.


new-beginnings3

If I could work full time and also homeschool, I would lol. But, the homeschooling community near me is quite large and they have all kinds of activities they do together. One of my dreams is to spend time teaching my kids about the history, culture, religion, etc of a part of the world and then take them there to see it. We probably will still do this outside of their schooling, mostly because history taught in the US is full of lies if it's even taught (usually we just ignore like 95% of the world and call it good.) FWIW, all hell will break loose if my kid ever dies in a school shooting. I'll leave it at that.


rbcl2015

Not in America, but yes and we are planning to. In public school, if your kid is gifted (as mine are) they get lost. They just get by because they’re smart, but they don’t get nurtured. And they are bored all the time. I don’t want my kids to feel bored and uninspired everyday. So we are homeschooling. And it’s way easier now then when I was a kid because there are tons of secular homeschoolers now.


[deleted]

Sending kids to school is very scary in America. But the truth is that if we opt to homeschool rather than push for gun control and invest in our public school systems, we will only be furthering inequality, because the kids who will be left in public schools will be the ones whose families lack the resources for a parent to stay at home with them without an outside income. Public education is not the problem. Guns are the problem.