toldailytopic: What is your chosen method for educating your children and why?

[Ktoyou]

My children did attend some public school. Where we lived, it was rural and most of the kids came from the same background, they had the same expectations, an emphasis on learning academics, not ideology. This was Texas, not known for strong union schools then. Parents had more influence than today; therefore
'social attitude skills' were not part of the curriculum.

My oldest son wanted to attend private military academy and my two daughters went to private, yet co-educational high schools. It was a mixture of the better aspects of public school not often found today and private school.

My husband and I were active in their education; our older daughter skipped 4th grade, she took most of the honours courses in high school, as did her younger sister.

My own educational past, I did not attend a public school until I went to graduate school. Times change and one needs to consider the available alternatives. Some kids are naturally more independent than others and some are more impressionable. My older daughter's daughter is determined to go all the way in college and pursue a law degree. She is also studying finance and economics; her goals are material.

It seems without valid foundation that I could look back and expect if my daughter was home schooled, my granddaughter would be less materialistic. One cannot rationally assume such things, as time changes society and one cannot avoid the idea that making it big in the USA is as realistic as it was when I went to school.

My first three children are Christians, my youngest son is not committed, as well, daughters’ kids seem to vary, conversely, my sons’ family are all committed Christians.

 

[Lighthouse]

They should see both sides of the argument...

So no public school then?

Interesting that, I went to public school but my younger siblings (3 of them) were all homeschooled. I ended up being the better socially adjusted teen and young adult and incidentally I'm the only one who stayed faithful, the other 3 are agnostic at best.

You were all raised Mormon, correct? If so it seems that they were certainly smarter as a result of their home education.

And socially adjusted means squat when the society to which "socially" refers is full of immature idiots and delinquents.

I don't have any kids, but I have two nephews. I like to ask them questions, so they'll think about the problem, rather than just giving them the answers. I know it can be frustrating sometimes when I answer half their questions with other questions, but more often than not, I can lead them to the point where they can come up with an answer by themselves. I find it rewarding, and I hope they do too.

Have you ever tried doing that with adults who have already gone through the public education system? It's a nightmare because they just get frustrated and don't trust themselves to be smart enough to put two and two together. Makes me so glad I got at least a few years in private school before being dropped into the hellhole.

I do not have the time nor inclination for homeschooling, I want my children to have exposure to what is "out there" rather than being insulated in the same environment at all times.

As in illicit drugs and illicit sex? Or just the sexual harassment and school violence [bullying, fighting, shooting...]?

Why do you think home schooling gives your kids better social skills?

Because I can teach them how to interact with people of all ages and allow them to experience interaction with various age groups, not just their own. I want them to be able to hold an intelligent and respectful conversation with the elderly as well as those younger then they. And I want them to enjoy doing so. Most kids in the public system don't want anything to do with people outside of their peer group. They think younger kids are too dumb and older people are too boring.

Why would home schooling your kids make them less likely to be sexually immoral? I guess the alternative to public school and possible temptation is home school imprisonment, but then those kids have just as much of a chance of being wild or even harmfully clueless when it comes to natural human attraction and temptation. They have to leave the nest someday, and they might just be like the kid who never got to eat candy and then got a piece one day............................:devil: each: :banana:

You are clearly one of the most ignorant people I have ever come across on this forum. A child educated by their parents has a higher chance of being educated in proper respect, for themselves and for others. They have a higher likelihood of knowing the many reasons they should wait other than just STDs and pregnancy. And a higher possibility of a proper view of sex as opposed to the casual and dismissive view public school children have.

And it isn't as if they are nerds, far from it...

There's nothing wrong with being a nerd, or a geek, though.

The biggest problem facing public school today is the perception that schools are to blame for the failings of parents.

The reason for this is because the parents expect the schools to do the things they don't do, or that they don't expect the schools to do the things they do, or, more to the point, both. And the schools have no problem with this. They also clearly don't care if the parents are involved in the manner they should be. If the schools didn't exist this wouldn't be an issue.

 

[Lighthouse]

While public school may be more dangerous than cloistering at home or in private schools, we believe it is a more realistic setting for social interaction and formation of individual personality.

Quite the opposite. It is the best setting for formation of a conformist personality.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

That is more a failure of the parents than of the schools. We have taught our daughters good social skills and all of their friends have equally good social skills. There are some kids in the school whose social skills are severely lacking. Generally, when you meet the parents of these kids you instantly understand why the kids have no social skills.

That's not true either. I know some great. loving, parents who's kids were destroyed by public schools (in fact, I am an example of that, my parents were awesome! But I fell into the wrong crowd in public school and I was an extreme jerk for most of my teenage life).

The biggest problem facing public school today is the perception that schools are to blame for the failings of parents.

I'd say the biggest problem is that people are still naive enough to assume that public school doesn't adversely affect their children.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

CabinetMaker, how old are your kids?

 

[Ktoyou]

That's not true either. I know some great. loving, parents who's kids were destroyed by public schools (in fact, I am an example of that, my parents were awesome! But I fell into the wrong crowd in public school and I was an extreme jerk for most of my teenage life).

I'd say the biggest problem is that people are still naive enough to assume that public school doesn't adversely affect their children.

You are close to my oldest sons' age, did you attend a large city public school. I wonder, because the 'wrong crowd' was nearly absent at our district school and my son was very popular and an athlete. Now the part you will probably dislike; he married a Catholic and converted to Catholicism. His kids attend a public school, again in a small town and he is the most active father I have known, has his kids doing everything and straight A students to boot.

He is on the school board, a church youth counselor, not a deacon and about the nicest man you would ever meet. :wave:

 

[Nathon Detroit]

did you attend a large city public school.

I would say my high school was medium/small.

I realize there are exceptions and people do make it out unharmed but why take the chance when you don't have to? :idunno:

 

[Alate_One]

As in illicit drugs and illicit sex? Or just the sexual harassment and school violence [bullying, fighting, shooting...]?

The temptations for those things are . . .that doesn't mean I am not going to explain to my children that they are not to engage in those things and why.

As for bullying and fighting, these are facts of life sometimes you have to deal with these things as an adult, if you haven't learned as a child, it will be much easier to get in worse trouble. I experienced both in both Christian and public school (it was far worse in the Christian school). I learned how to deal with people that were only interested in harming or insulting others. I've found it to be a useful lesson in my adult life. I had a supportive parent helping me through all aspects of my schooling. That is what is important.

Actual shootings in school are rare (despite the fact they make news) and I live in a small town anyway.

 

[Alate_One]

I would say my high school was medium/small.

I realize there are exceptions and people do make it out unharmed but why take the chance when you don't have to? :idunno:

I've seen a lot of kids harmed by homeschooling . . . why should I take THAT chance if I don't have to?

And if we want to talk private schools, I went to a Christian school from Kindergarten through 6th grade and had a far worse experience than I ever had at public school (though constructively formative in some ways). The bible classes were awesome but that's about all I could say for it.

I agree that the "wrong crowd" is probably the most dangerous thing about public school, and what I am most concerned about, since it is something that is very hard for a parent to police.

 

[Lighthouse]

The temptations for those things are . . .that doesn't mean I am not going to explain to my children that they are not to engage in those things and why.

You greatly underestimate peer pressure.

As for bullying and fighting, these are facts of life sometimes you have to deal with these things as an adult, if you haven't learned as a child, it will be much easier to get in worse trouble. I experienced both in both Christian and public school (it was far worse in the Christian school). I learned how to deal with people that were only interested in harming or insulting others. I've found it to be a useful lesson in my adult life. I had a supportive parent helping me through all aspects of my schooling. That is what is important.

You never have to deal with it from children who were educated at home. They are far too mature to be bullies, especially in adulthood. And you have just admitted that you recognize there are far too many immature adults out in the world who still bully other people. You would think they would have grown out of that at some point, but it is apparently too much to expect from those educated by government institutions.

Q: Do you know how many other places in the world share the majority of traits with public schools?

A: Prisons.

That's it. That's the only place. And there is no work place that separates people according to age, so how do schools prepare children for the business world again?

Actual shootings in school are rare (despite the fact they make news) and I live in a small town anyway.

How naive are you that you think that makes a difference. I live in a relatively small town myself. Do you want to know how many gun stores there are compared to how many high schools?

 

[Rusha]

My children attended private Christian Schools with the exception of my son and youngest daughter's last year of high school.

My son wanted to play sports which were not available at the Christian School, and I relocated out of the state when my youngest was attending high school.

My oldest daughter attending Christian school until she took her GDE at 16.

I utilized the Christian schools because I didn't care for the public schools in our district.

Also, for me, I was more familiar with Christian schooling because I attended them myself from grades 7th through 12th. There was less violence, fewer drugs, more structure and an appropriate dress code.

 

[CabinetMaker]

CabinetMaker, how old are your kids?

An 11 year old starting 6th and a 14 year old starting freshman year. Not over wild about the 4 year high school plan.

 

[Ktoyou]

I would say my high school was medium/small.

I realize there are exceptions and people do make it out unharmed but why take the chance when you don't have to? :idunno:

:idunno: The show is over for me and my children, unless if my youngest son ever starts a family?:idunno:

This will be a decision for my grandchildren to make. I would bet they choose private school, perhaps Christian, or secular; again, :idunno:

I do see clearly the point that public school is getting way out of hand and has always, since the last century, not conducted it much like the world they will most likely enter.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

An 11 year old starting 6th and a 14 year old starting freshman year. Not over wild about the 4 year high school plan.

I pray that things go well for them. I know you are a loving parent there is no doubt about that.

We have some friends with a daughter the same age as ours. Our daughters are good friends. They sent her to Christian school her entire life until high school, then they wanted to "socialize" her so they sent her to public school. It didn't take long to undue all of their hard work.

I've seen the exact same thing with several kids, it's really tragic. High school is the killer, that's when things get wacky.

I hope things go OK for you guys.

 

[Buzzword]

I love how home vs. public school threads always degenerate into condemnation of either side by the other.

When it comes down to it, no one has any right to judge how someone else chooses to educate their children, and any condemnation merely shows the condemers' lack of common sense and inability to realize where their control stops.

High school is the killer, that's when things get wacky.

Duhhhhh.
That's when they question (and have the ability to rebel against) everything they've ever been told.

Tis part of the natural process of BECOMING AN ADULT.

I say that having graduated from PUBLIC high school in 2004.

 

[Non-Excluvistic]

You are clearly one of the most ignorant people I have ever come across on this forum. A child educated by their parents has a higher chance of being educated in proper respect, for themselves and for others. They have a higher likelihood of knowing the many reasons they should wait other than just STDs and pregnancy. And a higher possibility of a proper view of sex as opposed to the casual and dismissive view public school children have.

Ignorant (I guess two other people who positive repped my post may have been ignorant too)? So what is the difference between teaching your kids about sexual education yourself even though they go to public school vs home schooling them and teaching them? You can't teach them anymore about sexual education if you home school them vs if you didn't. What are you going to do, have 8hrs of sex ed per day?

What you mean to say is you wish to shelter them more, because if you aren't able to have the birds and the bee's talk with them even though they are in public schools, you're lacking as a parent.

It is a fact that sheltered kids have a tendency to act out because curiosity steaming from lack of exposure. There have been studies on that.

Home schooling is fine, but don't fool yourself into thinking it will make them any less vulnerable to teenage hormones, unless your trying to play daddy dearest, and even then they'll likely end up acting out more.

What you are talking about is sheltering and if you think that is a solution, then you replace me as the most ignorant person on this forum. Public school has nothing to do with your kids getting knocked up, it has to do with you lacking as a role model.


Explain how they will be less likely to get STD's or pregnant with you home schooling, besides you keeping them away from the opposite sex most of the day.

 

[Non-Excluvistic]

Ok, sounds reasonable... but you said...

How can they see both sides if their education is free of religious associations?

Education separate from religious persuasion except in it's rightful place. I wish not to raise zealots or fundies. I want them to be free thinkers coming to conclusions on their own about what to believe (anything else would be sheep herding). They'll get enough attempted indoctrination from our religious establishments, they don't need it in the classroom too.


Religious influence free schoolingoly:------------>:think:<--------------oly:Religious Studies

 

[CabinetMaker]

I pray that things go well for them. I know you are a loving parent there is no doubt about that.

We have some friends with a daughter the same age as ours. Our daughters are good friends. They sent her to Christian school her entire life until high school, then they wanted to "socialize" her so they sent her to public school. It didn't take long to undue all of their hard work.

I've seen the exact same thing with several kids, it's really tragic. High school is the killer, that's when things get wacky.

I hope things go OK for you guys.

None of us know what tomorrow holds so I thank you for your prayers. Prayer DO work!!

From our kids point of view, we are the worst parents they could ask for because we are involved. I always ask how things go, if they need help and we always make sure to attend the events that are important to them. Maybe a little more importantly, the kids are able to go through school with a core group of friends. It is a group that likes going to youth group and go together so they will at least start high school with good, solid, friends. Beyond that, well, don't stop praying.

 

[Prisca]

Social skills are a skill (hence the name social skills) and social skills are something that should be taught like any other skill (math, reading, etc.). Public school kids don't learn social skills (there is no course for that). Instead they pick up social habits (usually bad habits) from the other kids that they hang around all day long and sadly act extremely immature and disrespectful.

We constantly get compliments about how friendly and respectful our children are. And it isn't as if they are nerds, far from it... they are excellent athletes who have competed at the highest levels of sports, have tons of friends, they even play in a punk rock band.

That was very well said, Knight! Not sure if the boys would call it a "punk rock band" though!

 

[Nathon Detroit]

That was very well said, Knight! Not sure if the boys would call it a "punk rock band" though!

Their latest stuff is old-school punk rock! You gotta keep up with the times sista!!!