I have often thought about it. My daughter isn't quite ready yet but I do worry about the problems that schools have. First, there are teacher issues and personalities to deal with. As a teacher myself, I have met many very fine teachers over the years, but we all know those few teachers who either dislike their job, kids or something that makes them unpleasant. There are also the teachers who think their word is gospel. Teachers like this will have me doing overtime as the helicopter parent, that's for sure. Then there are the school curriculums to deal with. Educational reform is a slow moving machine. Some of the same curriculum has been used for generations; some of it good but some of it that can go the way of the do-do. Finally there are the childhood peers to deal with. Kids can be great but they are also germ factories and can be cruel as well. Many schools are working on bullying but more as a reaction to events of the past than as something proactive. The same with the violence that finds it's way into schools. Of course, the US isn't the only place where random people off the streets go in and hurt children, as can be seen by the actions of a few people in China lately. So, the thought of schools can be a down right scary thing.

For these reasons I have considered home schooling. However, I will probably see how it goes with regular schooling before I sign on for that. I know I will be supplementing my daughter's education at home if she goes to school, especially when the poor kid starts getting taught to write essays using the five paragraph theme (ugh!). However, if I think the schools aren't meeting her needs or the curriculum isn't challenging enough (or too challenging depending on her intellectual growth), I will be more than happy to take on the responsibility myself.

As a teacher, I never really considered the problems with schooling. I just tried to do the best I could with my knowledge and resources. As a parent, I see schooling a bit differently - more like the institutional game that it is. If you play it correctly, you are rewarded; if not, there are consequences. (Well I knew this part as a teacher too.)

We already do! We find it rewarding and exciting to watch our children grow and learn. Granted it's difficult, especially financially since it drops an income from our family, but it's a sacrifice my wife and I think will pay off in a closer family in the long run.

Cheers!

In this day and age if I had children I would consider home schooling. However, there are many things that home schooling lacks. The children do not get to learn interaction with others and are exposed to a very limited environment. I believe if my children were little again I would check their personality to see if they could benefit from it. I tried it with my grandson and he did not do well. It led to complete frustration for both of us. I even hired a teacher to tutor him and she walked out!! He went back to public school and ended up with a four-year fully paid scholarship (which he did not use much of). He finally became a correctional officer and loves it!! His sister tried to do computer learning at home to finish high school and did well for awhile but then got bored and failed everything. She went to Job Corps for six months and came home. She still hasn't completed her GED. She is very very smart but supposedly has ADHD (which I don't completely believe). I hope she can get it together soon. She is working and living with her cousin in their own apartment and right now I think all they want to do is party.

The parent must be dedicated to teaching the child and set up rules. The child should also have some outside sports activities and other activities so they learn to interact with others. I agree that times right now are very dangerous in the schools with shootings, bullying, drugs, sex, etc. If the school in my area had problems and I could not afford a private school, I would definitely consider home schooling. All in all, I still think it boils down to the child's personality and the parents' dedication to teaching the child before a decision should be made.

I have homeschooled my son for two years now. It has it's ups and downs and is trying for both of us sometimes but I wouldn't change it for the world. When we started he was falling farther and farther behind at school. The teachers kept insisting I have him tested for ADHD and put him on medication. In other words he was one of those who was falling through the cracks.

Well, he has come so far and is now above his grade level. We have both learned so much about ourselves and each other.

Homeschool is no longer the social isolation everyone thinks it is. There are community homeschool organizations where you can go on field trips together and play organized sports. My son has plenty of social interaction I have 7 grandkids remember? LOL He is also on a youth bowling league and just recently signed up for a homeschool soccer team.

It's hard and it might not be for everyone but it is rewarding and sometimes I think it is best for the child. :)

No I would not take them from the social interaction which I think is very important. Also the cultural diversity. In addition if you are not a qualified teacher then you really don't know how they are developing. In adition how many Parents can teach all subjects. I could not teach them biology, chemistry and would have to really spend some time brushing up on calculus to teach it. How do they get to se the World around them when you limit them to your knowledge.

I thought of this many times as my son was growing up. However, it would not have been a good fit for our family at the time. Both my husband and I were both working and we were barely making ends meet at the time as it was. There was no way that I could have quit my job and home-schooled him.

I also don't think I would have had the patience to do home-schooling. My son was a little hard to deal with as it was and I don't think we could have done it. :-)