I was reading a post over at Conversion Diary (formally known as ‘ET TU”) the post is about how kids use their peers instead of their parents, family and other adults to find their identity, morals, and values. This post had me thinking of the comment I have come to expect from those who wish to express their feelings about homeschool to me.
The statement I sometimes get is, “I once knew a homeschooled kid and they were weird.”
I find it strange that people have known one homeschooled kid and this child was extremely weird.
Then I ask weird in what way? Usually they can’t give me a specific weirdness, so I come to my own conclusions. Are they weird because they respect adults, children, and the elderly? Are they weird because in social situations they want to talk about things that matter and not superficial ideas that society shows our children? Are they weird because some have a deep relationship with God? Unfortunately in today’s world this is weird.
I have not had the privilege to meet that one unique, weird, unsocialized homeschooled child that so many of my acquaintances have met.
I am sure there are traditional “weird” children who are or have been homeschooled. But have you been to a public school or a private school lately? I have known many so called weird kids and I was never homeschooled or even met a homeschooled child until recently. The homeschooled kids and young adults I have met have not had a sense of weirdness to them. They seem petty normal to me.Who knows, maybe I am the weird one.
There are a lot of things that influence children in school, some good and some bad. If teaching my children that the bad parts are in no way cool will make them weird, then they are going to be weird. If loving God and having respect for themselves and for others is weird then so be it. If teaching that family is the most important influence in their life is weird then I would like you to meet my four weird children.
You can read what another Homeschooler has to say about this topic at Weird,Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
6 comments:
I have met a bit of home schooled kids and most were not weird, some were, but then that was because of their families not the home schooling. Because I believe there are several reasons to home school. 1. You want to provide a better education. (great) 2. You want to be able to spend more time with your kids (great) 3. You are worried about the bad influences from school (great). Or the extremest thtat doesn't want their kids near anything like that and needs to be around them all the time to watch them (can have some negative effets)
Everyone has their freeagency to choose how to raise their child, but I have noticed when the families are extreme, especially with their children, the children sometimes turn out a little weird, whether home schooled or not. So people should back off, but I have a huge respect for mom's who home school, because I KNOW I wouldn't have the patiencs or dedication.
Motherhood for dummies, I completely agree with you. I think that no matter how your child is educated it is up to the parents behavior how the child may turn out. I agree with the extreme issue too. I believe being extreme in anything can have negative affects. Thanks for the comment.
I agree with the extreme comment also.
All my kids are weird. I am glad to say they are. I am weird too. I let my kids know you will not be like a lot of people out there. You will have standards and a God you need to obey. And to the world today...that is weird! I also like geeks. I hope my kids are very geeky...smart..and above all holy!
Great post! You said so much of what I was trying to get across. And,nope, I don't mind at all if you link to my post...especially on the heels of such great thoughts as you shared in yours. ;-)
My husband and I are weird. Well, really I am weird and he has become weird after being married to me for all these years. So we also have weird kids. I like weird, and my kids would probably be weird whether I homeschooled them or not.
I have one of those "weird" kids too!! Oh thank goodness!! LOL
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