There are also pretty strong influences on parents choosing to homeschool, which filters down the parents as well (and who the parents are has a huge impact on

There are also pretty strong influences on parents choosing to homeschool, which filters down the parents as well (and who the parents are has a huge impact on what the child's experience will be). Obviously the parents who homeschool because they want to keep extreme control of their children's lives & ideas (like hyper-religious parents who don't want their children taught evolution, or getting ideas that a woman might want to do something other than marry & have children) won't be giving their children a good experience. But the biggest thing that strikes me is that parents who themselves are succeeding in engaging the world at any kind of scale -- in making rich & fulfilling lives of their own -- will find it extremely hard to be responsible for so much of their kid's time. Whereas the parents who would find it easiest are basically those who are already at home and have lots of spare time -- but what example does that give? And worse... if the parent's way to do something meaningful in the world is to raise a child who will do something meaningful (i.e., pass the buck, really), those expectations can put a huge strain on the child.