I don't have to watch the show to commit, I've lived this one first hand.
I went to school for K & 1st grade, then my younger sister was diagnosed with diabetes, after returning to school my mother felt that the school wasn't taking proper care of my sister and removed us from the school system and started teaching us at home. Understanding her thinking and the fact she went to college and received a degree in teaching I don't blame her for anything. After completing 2nd-6th grade in 3 years I decided I wanted to return to the public school system. After arguing and my father succeeding to get my mother to allow me to return I went through a numerous amount of testing and was then enrolled into the 7th grade. 1 year ahead of where I "should" have been. I knew no one, didn't know how to act, what to expect. Thankfully, I went to a small rural school and the kids remembered me from before. Still it was difficult, I didn't understand the joking and kidding that went on, my parents had always taken' everything so seriously. I started playing basketball and the cheerleading squad etc. Gradually, I adjusted.
But, my younger sister did not return and my brother never entered a public school. My sister and brother both enrolled into a GED class and received their GED's instead of a diploma. My sister then enrolled in a community college and my brother followed. However the first year that my brother was in the community college they would not allow him to on take a full load of classes stating that he was to young to handle it. My sister will graduate from college next April and my brother next December. My sister is planning on continuing to a grad school located 2 states away. Yes, they're smart but I do feel that they have been socially stunted, they do not understand how to interact with their peers. They interact just fine with people 40-50 years of age but cannot interact with a classmate of the same age. I do feel they missed out on a lot and instead of adjusting to society they remained the same old sticks in the mudd.
However- I feel that if you properly socialize your child such as play groups and encourage them to make friends with children their own age in the neighborhood and encourage them to join in on summer ball teams and join the YMCA. There socialization will not be stunted. That is something that my parents did not do. We lived in the country so it wasn't like we had people 10 ft. away to go play with. Kids have to learn how to deal with their own problems and conflicts with children their age, if their not exposed to it they'll never get it. If their children come to them and say they want to enroll in public school go with it.
You're children are not you're property their are little individuals and if they feel they want to go to public school, let them.
(Original Airdate: 10/18/05) Would you rather be right or would you rather be happy? Stacey says she and her husband, Eddie, made a plan when they got married -- and it didn't have anything to do with Eddie's current goal of becoming an ultimate fighting champion. Now she's giving him an ultimatum: "Give up the dream or give up me!“ Then, an entire family faces off against a mother in a debate about the weight of her 8-year-old daughter. Plus, a 30-year-old virgin saving himself for his soul mate wonders if he made the right decision. And, Jylana is determined to home school her son, but her husband, Mike, says he'll miss opportunities and become socially stunted. What does Dr. Phil think? Talk about the show here.
