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Yes. - We have a smart son who is neuratypical. The combination of him being bored and sensorially overstimulated resulted in some really bad behavior. School

Yes. - We have a smart son who is neuratypical. The combination of him being bored and sensorially overstimulated resulted in some really bad behavior. School wanted to treated him like a problem rather than a kid with some special needs. Once we started hearing suggestions to have him put on medication, we decided to homeschool. He's currently thriving, reading at several grade-levels higher than his current grade and doing mental math for fun. - Our kids are well socialized. The "socialization" argument against homeschooling is mostly a joke. Kids don't learn how to behave in society from other kids, they learn how to behave from watching adults. Regardless, our kids have many friends and play sports and attend many activities. The fact that we as parents know exactly who they're spending time with every day is a huge positive factor of homeschooling. This is important to me. I was exposed to hardcore pornography and drugs before I was 10 years old, I want a better childhood than that for my children. - We don't waste time. We have a class of 3 rather than 30. That means we can pack maximum education in and still have time for other things. When we were in regular school, we'd all get home at 5:30 - 6:00 and rush through dinner so that we could get through homework before bedtime. We weren't spending much time together as a family, and much of the homework was low-value, IMO. It was exhausting. Life is so much better for us now.

shafyy 8y ago
Thanks for your comment, really helpful. It's funny when you talk to an average person (who doesn't have homeschooling experience) they will point out the socialization as their main concern. But of course, it's not.
wmboy 8y ago
Total agree with your second point, what scenario in life are we in where all the people we socialise with are our own exact age? If anything, homeschooled children become naturally better at socialising because they're forced to make friends with people of different ages (both younger and older). Note: there are definitely some weirdo homeschooling families that would be an exception to this!
throwaway123x2 8y ago
Are you or your spouse stay-at-home? Does that make homeschooling easier? Do you pair your kids with other homeschooled kids? If so, how did you find kids/parents with similar enough values that you were comfortable homeschooling your kids with them?
- potta_coffee 8y ago
  My spouse stays at home, which makes the whole thing possible. She's a champ, to be sure. She's on a number of Facebook groups for homeschoolers and we've been able to meet other families that way. We've made a number of good friends through the groups and now we're even involved in putting together our own co-op.
slow_donkey 8y ago
I'll add a personal anecdote about homeschooling and social life. My parents didn't do a great job of exposing me to other children while I was being homeschooled. When I transitioned into public, I struggled for quite some time just learning social norms (family was different culture) and felt I did not fit in for at least a year. It scarred my personality a bit because I was afraid of being made fun of for doing the wrong things. I don't know what would have happened with a normal social life, but I highly encourage people who homeschool to allow their children to socialize and play with other kids similar to public school.

shafyy 8y ago

Thanks for your comment, really helpful. It's funny when you talk to an average person (who doesn't have homeschooling experience) they will point out the socialization as their main concern. But of course, it's not.

wmboy 8y ago

Total agree with your second point, what scenario in life are we in where all the people we socialise with are our own exact age? If anything, homeschooled children become naturally better at socialising because they're forced to make friends with people of different ages (both younger and older). Note: there are definitely some weirdo homeschooling families that would be an exception to this!

throwaway123x2 8y ago

Are you or your spouse stay-at-home? Does that make homeschooling easier? Do you pair your kids with other homeschooled kids? If so, how did you find kids/parents with similar enough values that you were comfortable homeschooling your kids with them?

potta_coffee 8y ago
My spouse stays at home, which makes the whole thing possible. She's a champ, to be sure. She's on a number of Facebook groups for homeschoolers and we've been able to meet other families that way. We've made a number of good friends through the groups and now we're even involved in putting together our own co-op.

slow_donkey 8y ago

I'll add a personal anecdote about homeschooling and social life. My parents didn't do a great job of exposing me to other children while I was being homeschooled. When I transitioned into public, I struggled for quite some time just learning social norms (family was different culture) and felt I did not fit in for at least a year. It scarred my personality a bit because I was afraid of being made fun of for doing the wrong things. I don't know what would have happened with a normal social life, but I highly encourage people who homeschool to allow their children to socialize and play with other kids similar to public school.