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Giving a Better Education or Sheltering?

Comment a comment by Mark Davison (jmarkdavison), published on 04 October 2005
Navigate to the top level to view all replies to the article The Benefits of Homeschooling
other nerds have left 18 comments below

A colleague made the point that a lot of home schooling parents’ primary objective may not be a better education, but sheltering their children from the outside world. I am inclined to agree with him, but I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing.
I learned the "F" word in kindergarten in 1981; the twelve years after that I learned very little. I probably fit into the category of smart kids bored with being taught to the mean, although laziness also played a big part in my graduating high school with a 2.4.
With a six month-old son, my wife and I are considering our options for educating him. The plan right now is public school through whatever age kids start using drugs and having sex (I think it’s currently about 11 or 12?), then Catholic school until he graduates. But we are also considering homeschooling.
I’d be interested to hear what Mikeforbes’ and Catherine’s (and any other homeschooling veterans) experiences were as they left the homeschooling environment and discovered some not-so-nice things about the world.

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RE: Giving a Better Education or Sheltering? by catherine :: NR3

Truthfully? I can’t remember anything traumatic about the transition at all. I’ll admit that I’m naive for my age but it’s something I thank my stars for. Most of the things I don’t "get" are the sorts of topics and words I’m happier not understanding. I think many people have a timeline about when little kiddos are supposed to encounter those "not-so-nice" things about the world. I for one, am glad that I learned about them after I had a secure knowledge of self, and right and wrong. I was homeschooled for the first 14 years of my life. I think the other 70+ years the world gets me are more than enough. Call it sheltered, call it a bubble, call it what you will. In reality, when it was time to go out into the "real world", I was prepared.

Posted 04 October 2005, Hide, Parent, Reply
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RE: Giving a Better Education or Sheltering? by mikeforbes :: NR6

a lot of home schooling parents’ primary objective may not be a better education, but sheltering their children from the outside world.

This may be true for some. But if this is, in fact, a parent’s motivation for homeschooling, they will be sorely disappointed. Nothing short of locking a kid in the hall closet for 18 years will effectively "shelter" them from anything.

I honestly don’t understand why this misconception is so common. Why is public school seen as the ONLY source of socialization or exposure to the "real world" (a laughably ridiculous concept in itself)? Were you completely unsocialized and sheltered during your summer vacations, and only re-exposed to the "real world" when you started school again each fall? Of course not.

left the homeschooling environment and discovered some not-so-nice things about the world.

You know, I’m glad Catherine wrote this article so we could have this discussion and dispel stereotypes like this one. I’m sure you don’t seriously think that it took me (or any other homeschool ‘vet’) 17 years to figure out that the world was not a nice place. But I don’t even think this discovery was delayed at all. Kids start to learn about the world around them the moment they’re let outside to play with their friends. You can’t hide it, and any parent that tries to do so does their child a tremendous disservice. "Sheltering" is a myth, and all attempts to effect it (including Catholic school – sorry) will quickly prove futile.

Posted 04 October 2005, Hide, Parent, Reply

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