Back to public school after 5 yrs homeschooling ...

[ebayfool]

I thought it might provide some small reassurance to others to post @ our (so far!) experiences, now that my grandson has returned to the public school system.

I have been homeschooling my grandson for the last 5 years (I've raised him since he was a baby - legal guardian), & some of my worries has always been whether he would have 'gaps' in his knowledge or the infamous 'socialization' thing.

I'm a working grandma (housekeeper for them that can't clean their own McMansions ... LOL!) so funds were very limited for the usual answers to 'socialization' like private classes for sports, trips, etc. The fact that he's being raised by a 'grand' anything also puts him another step removed from the common ground w/his peers around here, so this has been a very real concern.

He decided that he wanted, very much, to attend public high school this year - & since I've always tried to give his voice weight in decisions affecting himself ... he's doing it.

I'm so pleased to tell you that homeschooling this boy has left him miles ahead in all the classes they had open to him (he's in college prep), & the teachers are ALL in awe! The staff are in love w/the manners & maturity, the computer club drafted him the 1st week, the art club saw his sketches in art class & have co-opted his talents for their projects. The spanish, science & english teachers have him tutoring other students in class, but so far the other kids haven't held it against him - they seem to have accepted that he's smart & have decided that's why he's able to be funny (one girl told him that he had an 'intelligent' sense of humor ... that she liked that he was 'wry' - uh-oh! LOL).

I have left the option open for homeschooling & early college enrollment if he decides he wants it, but I really am relieved to see that he's able to traverse both worlds. All the state tests that he's taken over the last 5 years couldn't truly alleviate the small voice in the back of my head like seeing this. Pudding=proof? I wanted others that might have that 'little voice' to hear that all the hard work seems to pay off in ways unexpected & expected. I'm so happy we have homeschooled 'till now, & if he wants to go back to it later - I will be so much more confident (& rested - homeschooling is more work than anyone NOT doing it knows!).

BTW - 2 of the high school teachers have their primary-age kids in homeschool ... that in itself speaks volumes!

[youthere]

1. That is terrific!

I hope you posted this in GD so some positive info about homeschooling can be shared.

[mzmolly]

2. WONDERFUL!

You and your grandson are an inspiration.

:toast:

[ray of light]

3. The "socialization" rhetoric

nonhomeschool people throw out is a big crock!

Heck YES. I don't want my kids socialized to be the mean, cynical, coldhearted, teasing, obnoxious kids that they are.

AND when they converse with people later, they are better able to handle the crap out there because they haven't had their self-esteem shredded for 18 years.

AND they almost always perform better academically. All it takes is actually schooling them. Sure..if I let them watch bugs bunny all day, they wouldn't know anything. But the fact is, anyone who wants to homeschool to is doing a great job. Sure...there are a few people who should not be doing it...but then again, there are always a few who are outside the mainstream.

[kostya]

4. Hey! I'm a huge fan of Bugs!! :) Despite the violence, most of

those are much more clever than the usual glop on commerical stations they pass off for cartoons these days (more like glorified commericials). Of course, my kid wouldn't get most of the cultural references in the old WB cartoons.

Anyway, great to hear the success of the grandson's return to public school and I wish him the greatest success. It's not a surprising result to me having been through public school personally and seeing the difference as we homeschool our youngest.

- K

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. I'm a member of a local homeschooler's network

Today my son participated in his weekly "Music and Art" class with 4 other homeschooled boys. It was so beautiful to watch how well these boys work with each other...it made me misty-eyed. None of the boys was excluded. They all observed each other's artwork and learned from the different ideas they had.

The people in the networking group come from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures. I think working in small groups like this makes it easier to be sensitive to the differences.