Quote From: teachsmilesI believe parents who choose to homeschool their children are selfish and lack confidence in their parenting skills. The parents who decide to unschool are just plain uneducated, as most of us agree. I too would love to homeschool my youngest child, 8 years old, but it is absolutely for selfish reasons. I would enjoy spending more time with her and protecting her from life's difficulties.
That being said, I am a teacher with over 10 years experience, half of which was in public school and half in alternative school. I know that PS does not provide "everything" and even hurts greatly in soooo many ways, BUT if a parent does their job to its fullest then PS works perfectly! If a parent has nurtured, involved themselves actively, encouraged, and just plain parented, then public school works. However if a parent is afraid for their child's pain & choices, then they are saying they are afraid of the job they have done as parents. The parent is choosing to control their children for the purpose of self satisfaction and the fear of the unknown. Small minded people such as these should not educate!
I believe parents who choose to homeschool their children are selfish and lack confidence in their parenting skills.
If someone lacks confidence in their parenting skills, wouldn't the natural choice be to let someone else do it? Not keep them home. If selfishness was the motivation, wouldn't the obvious choice be to send your child off and have time free for yourself? I do not see homeschooling as selfish. I see it as self LESS. I am working many, many jobs, by choice, as a stay at home, homeschooling mother. I cook, clean, make lesson plans, teach my older children and preschool child, and and take care of our two year old. I change diapers, feed meals, potty train, etc. etc. All while teaching. And my children are learning. And they love being at home. We have considered PS. In our area, we have good schools, and as I mentioned before, have many friends in PS. When we took our children's opinions into consideration, they prefer to be home. They have said so.
I do agree that public school can work. I've seen it work. Usually in situations where the parents are very involved. But, then, I've also seen situations when the parents are very involved be total disasters. A good friend of mine, last year, had a horrible experience. Her daughter's teacher, for some reason singled out her daughter, and demeaned her the entire year. When my friend sought help, she was ignored. My friend is very active, president of PTA, also friends with several other teachers and staff.
I am not afraid to expose my children to hurt and pain. They are a part of life. They are protected to a greater degree, yes. But they are children!! It is our responsibility to protect and teach our children. Does that mean my children will be ill equipped to face the world? No, in fact, I think they will be better prepared than most. Their natural curiosity and love for learning will have been encouraged. They will know how to read and study independently. They will have confidence in themselves and the love of their parents.
Parents want the best for their children, but what’s the best way to educate them? Dr. Phil’s guests face off in a debate about whether to school, homeschool or unschool. Dana and her husband, Joe, call themselves radical unschoolers. They say education happens as a side effect of life, and they don’t believe in tests, curriculums or grades. Are their three kids learning what they need to know? Then, RaeAnn says public schools are death traps and wants to homeschool her children. Her husband, Steve, says their kids are safer at school than they are at home. Can this couple reach a compromise? Plus, Nicole feels like an outcast at 26. She says she hated being homeschooled, and couldn’t relate to other kids. Share your thoughts here.
