RE: Is it wrong to homeschool my kids..
I was home schooled up until high school, and I turned out okay. Ended up attending an Ivy League university as well. I also have three kids, and we're homeschooling all of them. To me, public schools are prisons at their worst and glorified day cares at best. Give the book "Free to Learn" by Peter Gray a read. The whole unschooling / loose schooling is also something I'm really interested in.
As for socializing, look for local home schooling and unschooling groups in your area. Heck, you might even find some in your own neighborhood. My wife @corinnestokes isn't the most outgoing person so I sometimes I have to encourage her to get out there more. She used the Next Door app and found a bunch of home schooling families really close to us, and she's already been to several play dates.
Bottom line: do what's best for your kids and your family. It'll work out.
Man I didn't know that.. That's awesome!
I can't believe how common it actually might be..
It's good to know cool people come from that type of environment :D
"public schools are prisons at their worst and glorified day cares at best"
That's a profoundly negative comment. I realize you are trying to support this parent's decision to home school, but as a public school teacher, I am shocked by your perception. If public schools are so terrible, how is it that we manage to successfully educate so many students? There are many advantages to public school, including exposure to a diverse population full of people with differing opinions. Public school may not be perfect, but there are benefits and drawbacks to each educational experience.
In response to stealthtrader, physical aggression by a teacher is never acceptable. I can understand your desire to home school your child after that experience. I would just encourage you to realize that kind of negative experience is unusual. If, after a couple of years of home schooling, you are reconsidering public school, don't let this initial negative experience make you fearful.
Hello Susan. I was not speaking about you, personally, or your skills as a public educator. The book I mentioned above by Peter Gray talks about how humans learn through play and not, necessarily, through the education system we have now.
My personal view is that public schools were built on the Prussian model of education, designed to create obedient factory workers. I have very strong feelings about state-sponsored education because the worst atrocities in human history were carried out by those who were indoctrinated to follow authority. IMO, children are successfully educated in spite of the time they spend in school, not because of it.
I'm sorry if my views came off as a personal attack, as that was not my intention. I do think there are amazing teachers working to help others even though they are working in a system that is (IMO) fundamentally broken. I'm sorry if my perception is shocking to you, but I don't think it's without some basis (again, see Peter Gray's work).