Musings at the Gym
So I was walking on the treadmill and they have different tvs going. A news story came on about the economy really hurting people who have kids who are in private schools. Apparently many people are taking out 2nd mortgages in order keep their kids (elementary aged kids were the ones shown here) in private school. You have to be kidding?!?!?
Tell me why homeschooling isn't a better option than this? Is it really better to have to have both parents out of the home working (possibly 2 jobs)? Wouldn't your kids be better served to have a parent around every once in a while? I have known a few families where mom has worked just for the private school tuition and that was before the economy issues. They are sure that this is the better education and experience for their kids. This is the thing that angers me about anti-homeschooling parents. It is the mentality that the personal financial sacrifice is the nobler one. I wonder if it is that they don't actually value the personal position of parent. The impact you have on your child's life simply by being present. And that doesn't even account for the clear academic benifits to having the small group learning environment (which has been proven repeatedly) and the over all desirability of homeschoolers to colleges.
Ugh! This is what happens when I go to the gym at 6am;).
Tell me why homeschooling isn't a better option than this? Is it really better to have to have both parents out of the home working (possibly 2 jobs)? Wouldn't your kids be better served to have a parent around every once in a while? I have known a few families where mom has worked just for the private school tuition and that was before the economy issues. They are sure that this is the better education and experience for their kids. This is the thing that angers me about anti-homeschooling parents. It is the mentality that the personal financial sacrifice is the nobler one. I wonder if it is that they don't actually value the personal position of parent. The impact you have on your child's life simply by being present. And that doesn't even account for the clear academic benifits to having the small group learning environment (which has been proven repeatedly) and the over all desirability of homeschoolers to colleges.
Ugh! This is what happens when I go to the gym at 6am;).
Labels: child rearing, education, headlines, Homeschoooling
posted by NerdMom at
2:41 PM
8 Comments:
I don't know about homeschooling but what's wrong with a good old fashioned public school. If you are close to your children and know what they are doing at school and help them when they have problems (ie take an active role in their eductaion) then they are going to do well, even in a public school.
By
Anonymous, at 8:32 AM
Quit going to the gym at 6am w/o someone to talk to! lol
By
Heather Rodriguez, at 9:01 AM
there is nothing wrong with homeschooling but having the kids in either private or public schools also help the kids in building relationships with other people aside from their family.
By
Anonymous, at 11:54 PM
Amem! I agree with you! My children are home educated and they are around people of all ages. Not just there own! In the real world everyone isn't 35 and 36
For those of us who have problems with the public schools home schooling is a WONDERFUL opton. I think children NEED their parents around. More than all the material and private schools can provide.
By
Tracy , at 6:50 PM
I think you're being a little harsh in your judgment of non-homeschooling parents. As a former homeschooling parent and a current private school parent, I have to point out a few things. One is that many parents may not see your solution as easy as you make it sound (I couldn't count how many times people told me they could never do what I do). Two, if my children were to grow up in a school environment and had friends, no problems, and we, as a family, were very happy with the situation, I would do everything in my power to keep them there. Part of a successful education is loving learning!
I still stay at home and am a strong presence in my children's school. I believe in homeschooling and we had a very good time doing it. But I am capable of seeing that it is not for everyone. These people who are taking out second mortgages (I'm not saying I, personally, would go that far) may feel they are doing the best they can. Homeschooling may not have even occurred to them as an alternative to private school. Private schools (at least ours) also provide small group learning environments. I doubt that these parents do not value the personal position of parent, but go about a different way of parenting and accepting personal responsibility for that role.
All in all, I'd have to say that your attitude is very closed-minded, probably in the way that you think non-homeschooling, private-tuition-paying parents are.
By
Anonymous, at 4:01 PM
Also...
I do take offense at the idea that homeschooled children do not build relationships with people outside their families! They do - and someone above hit on that subject. They form relationship with people of all ages - not just those of their own age. My children learned to talk to adults, children, older students, younger students. It is quite real-world-like as opposed to being stuck in a grade of children of one age.
By
Anonymous, at 4:03 PM
I don't find any problem with homeschooling and public schools. But remember that there are things your kids can't certainly learn in homeschooling - meeting new friends.
By
Look Younger, at 11:36 PM
This is exactly the line of reasoning that led us to begin homeschooling. I looked around at the schools in our area and in order for our family to afford private school tuition or housing costs in a neighborhood with okay government-run schools I would've had to be employed full-time. We didn't feel that would be a good thing for our family at this point given that our kids are still very young.
By
Crimson Wife, at 1:47 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home