You know, it just doesn't seem to occur to people that one of the reasons folks decide to homeschool their children is because they realize that their kids are just different from the other kids in school. Doesn't make them wierd or misfits; they're just different.
Our daughter didn't have anything in common with the girls in her schools; she wasn't into the clothes, music, boys and hair. She had nothing to say to them, nor them to her. Why keep her in that social situation that was clearly uncomfortable for her? Her interests lay with things in which they were clearly NOT a part. She loves Japanese Anime, and has taught herself Japanese this year. She also taught herself Digital Video Editing, and two of her Anime Music Videos made it to the finals of a major east cost Anime Convention. Looking at the competition in the finals, I was astounded at the quality of her work after having done it for so short a time.
You hear about the 'strange' kids being picked on all the time in high school. The 'cool' kids make life difficult for them, and their school experiences leave a lot to be desired. Why make them have to endure all the "Lord of the Flies" crap when there is an alternative? Some of the 'different' kids have talents of which most are not aware because they can't look past their shyness. Folks assume these kids don't have any social skills, but maybe the kids just don't feel like making nice to others who do nothing but put them down.
Folks always say, "Well, they have to learn to get along with others because they'll have to work with different types of folks someday". The difference is that, at school, you're forced to be with others who are all the same age and have the same teenage hormonal angst going on. In the world of work, people can CHOOSE where they want to work, and if they don't like the folks, can just ignore them or change jobs. They are not FORCED by law to be there.
Just some food for thought...
Well said Suzi, having experienced the "Lord of the Flies" stuff. Folks, face it, when you have a college prof admit in a class of mine that public high schools are nothing more than "state sponsored dating". Uh, fine, but then if that is the case, my tax dollars nor my future children should not have to endure that mess.
Excellent point.
Yeah, "have to"... in the freako slave society of human resources. Note that their worldview IS predicated on forced labor. To think outside their robotosphere utopia is blasphemy to these plantation-dwellers. Homeschoolers are the equivalent of runaway slaves.