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That's a good idea! But where did you get the idea that I'm a "consultant?" Also, a big blocker to families choosing alternative education is fear that their ch

That's a good idea! But where did you get the idea that I'm a "consultant?" Also, a big blocker to families choosing alternative education is fear that their children won't have positive social experiences, so it's helpful to get social proof that other parents in their situation are having positive social experiences.

molyss 5y ago
I think the parent was talking about themselves being a "paid consultant", not the OP
throwaway10203 5y ago
I described you as a consultant because your business involves consulting families who are looking for schooling options. "I run a company that helps families interested in designing their child's education as a replacement or supplement to traditional school."
phil21 5y ago
You said you were a consultant in your initial introduction, at least that's what I concluded as well. As someone who had a very diverse primary education including 6 years of homeschooling, I can tell you OP here is very on the money. Without going anonymous I won't go into much further anecdote, but I can tell they actually experienced the lifestyle. Maybe there are some "well adjusted and normal" home school groups out there, but I never encountered one. When you talk to these parents you will only get the social proof they want to hear - the parents are absolutely having positive social experiences. Perhaps delusionally so. Especially the types of folks drawn to home schooling to begin with. I'm not saying it can't be done - but that blocker should be big because it's often simply talked around and the parents saying their kids were well-socialized often are saying it only from their perspective. I too, have seen much more estrangement from parents from my home schooled vs. other friends and it's not remotely close. I think it's primarily a form of self-selection. Perhaps the pool of parents selecting to homeschool after COVID has changed considerably since prior to it, but I'm skeptical. It takes an exceedingly exceptional and dedicated parent (and probably child) for this to work out in the end. There are anecdotes out there, but they typically to be of the "very upper class" kind where a kid is exposed to university level educators at a very young age.

molyss 5y ago

I think the parent was talking about themselves being a "paid consultant", not the OP

throwaway10203 5y ago

I described you as a consultant because your business involves consulting families who are looking for schooling options. "I run a company that helps families interested in designing their child's education as a replacement or supplement to traditional school."

phil21 5y ago

You said you were a consultant in your initial introduction, at least that's what I concluded as well. As someone who had a very diverse primary education including 6 years of homeschooling, I can tell you OP here is very on the money. Without going anonymous I won't go into much further anecdote, but I can tell they actually experienced the lifestyle. Maybe there are some "well adjusted and normal" home school groups out there, but I never encountered one. When you talk to these parents you will only get the social proof they want to hear - the parents are absolutely having positive social experiences. Perhaps delusionally so. Especially the types of folks drawn to home schooling to begin with. I'm not saying it can't be done - but that blocker should be big because it's often simply talked around and the parents saying their kids were well-socialized often are saying it only from their perspective. I too, have seen much more estrangement from parents from my home schooled vs. other friends and it's not remotely close. I think it's primarily a form of self-selection. Perhaps the pool of parents selecting to homeschool after COVID has changed considerably since prior to it, but I'm skeptical. It takes an exceedingly exceptional and dedicated parent (and probably child) for this to work out in the end. There are anecdotes out there, but they typically to be of the "very upper class" kind where a kid is exposed to university level educators at a very young age.