First, I would like to say that I have nothing against homeschooling. I would like to say, however, that having attended a private high school where a large percentage of the student body was homeschooled until eighth grade and then sent to a school for grades nine through twelve, I have met a good number of families who do shelter their children, not just from drugs, sex, and alcohol, from which they should be, but also from things as harmless as going to mass at a church where the celebrant faces the congregation. Even as a devout, conservative Catholic from a good Christian family, I've had friends whose parents wouldn't let them come to my house or to my church. Their parents didn't even feel comfortable with the fact that their children were spending time with friends whose parents weren't in the same prayer groups, or from the same parish. A decent amount of these kids who entered my high school in ninth grade were overly shy, and consequently went right back to being homeschooled at the end of the semester, or their parents felt that my school, which was as conservative and traditional of a Catholic school as it gets, wasn't a safe enough environment for their children. On the other hand, I have known some homeschoolers who did great, but most of them spent first through eighth grade in school, and were homeschooled for high school. In conclusion, I am cautious of homeschooling in younger grades, and the problem of over-sheltering is a real problem, since it isn't just from drugs, sex, and alcohol.
What about the non-home schooled kids you went to high school with? What were they like? If you're going to group the home schooled kids as one, how would you describe the others? As a parent I have found that many (not all) non-home schooled kids are overly pop-culturized, overly materialistic, overly technology absorbed, overly concerned about how others view them, under concerned about God's plan for their lives, under concerned about growing in virtue and faith and generally not trying to live authentic Catholic lives. Perhaps that is what the parents were "sheltering" your fellow students from? For me, it is about a completely different world view and an emphasis on the eternal. God bless you.
Once upon a time, committed Christians, by deciding to live as strictly according to their faith as they upon honest reflection thought necessary, drew from the society which in so many ways was incompatible with that lifestyle, at best social and professional ostracism, at worst, the death penalty.
If my childrens' being considered "shy" and "sheltered" for not being satisfied with "as Catholic as it gets" is the worst they have to fear, I think I can live with that.
Their parents chose a Latin-mass parish; I guess they're too sheltered to ever have a chance to succeed. Did you ask the kids whether they were happy they had been home-schooled? Whether they felt over-sheltered? I don't plan on home-schooling, but having taught in a boy's Catholic high school where the headmaster was flaming, pro-abortion politicians were routinely feted, Christian values were entirely absent, and the nearby girls' Catholic high school kids were routinely knocked up, I'm a little sympathetic to parents who don't trust Catholic schools. Maybe they should've trusted yours.
I have to agree with tiatgmbg. I was home schooled for grade school and I now go to public. Some parents do overprotect there kids and when the time comes for the kids to leave home and they get a taste of the real world they usually panic and end up right back with their parents. One of my friends has an older sister who was home schooled all twelve years and when she went away to college she couldn't handle it and had to come home. You can still succeed in life if you are not overly sheltered. I do believe that you should shelter your kids from things like drugs and non marital sex. The problem is if you don't expose your children to the real world they will have a hard time living in it and there struggles could lead them to exactly what you were sheltering them from.
First, I would like to say that I have nothing against homeschooling. I would like to say, however, that having attended a private high school where a large percentage of the student body was homeschooled until eighth grade and then sent to a school for grades nine through twelve, I have met a good number of families who do shelter their children, not just from drugs, sex, and alcohol, from which they should be, but also from things as harmless as going to mass at a church where the celebrant faces the congregation. Even as a devout, conservative Catholic from a good Christian family, I've had friends whose parents wouldn't let them come to my house or to my church. Their parents didn't even feel comfortable with the fact that their children were spending time with friends whose parents weren't in the same prayer groups, or from the same parish. A decent amount of these kids who entered my high school in ninth grade were overly shy, and consequently went right back to being homeschooled at the end of the semester, or their parents felt that my school, which was as conservative and traditional of a Catholic school as it gets, wasn't a safe enough environment for their children. On the other hand, I have known some homeschoolers who did great, but most of them spent first through eighth grade in school, and were homeschooled for high school. In conclusion, I am cautious of homeschooling in younger grades, and the problem of over-sheltering is a real problem, since it isn't just from drugs, sex, and alcohol.
ReplyDeleteI could find 100 families of homeschoolers that are not as you speak of to every 1 you know like that.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the non-home schooled kids you went to high school with? What were they like? If you're going to group the home schooled kids as one, how would you describe the others? As a parent I have found that many (not all) non-home schooled kids are overly pop-culturized, overly materialistic, overly technology absorbed, overly concerned about how others view them, under concerned about God's plan for their lives, under concerned about growing in virtue and faith and generally not trying to live authentic Catholic lives. Perhaps that is what the parents were "sheltering" your fellow students from? For me, it is about a completely different world view and an emphasis on the eternal. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time, committed Christians, by deciding to live as strictly according to their faith as they upon honest reflection thought necessary, drew from the society which in so many ways was incompatible with that lifestyle, at best social and professional ostracism, at worst, the death penalty.
ReplyDeleteIf my childrens' being considered "shy" and "sheltered" for not being satisfied with "as Catholic as it gets" is the worst they have to fear, I think I can live with that.
Marcel. Exactly right. This, from one who knows, if not hundreds of h-s families, certainly scores of them, over nearly 30 years.
ReplyDeleteWow, tiatgmbg!
ReplyDeleteTheir parents chose a Latin-mass parish; I guess they're too sheltered to ever have a chance to succeed. Did you ask the kids whether they were happy they had been home-schooled? Whether they felt over-sheltered? I don't plan on home-schooling, but having taught in a boy's Catholic high school where the headmaster was flaming, pro-abortion politicians were routinely feted, Christian values were entirely absent, and the nearby girls' Catholic high school kids were routinely knocked up, I'm a little sympathetic to parents who don't trust Catholic schools. Maybe they should've trusted yours.
This was great. It might have convinced me to homeschool my daughter...
ReplyDeleteI only counted six lies, did I miss one?
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with tiatgmbg. I was home schooled for grade school and I now go to public. Some parents do overprotect there kids and when the time comes for the kids to leave home and they get a taste of the real world they usually panic and end up right back with their parents. One of my friends has an older sister who was home schooled all twelve years and when she went away to college she couldn't handle it and had to come home. You can still succeed in life if you are not overly sheltered. I do believe that you should shelter your kids from things like drugs and non marital sex. The problem is if you don't expose your children to the real world they will have a hard time living in it and there struggles could lead them to exactly what you were sheltering them from.
ReplyDelete