[BlueGrassGirl]

Along the lines of a "friendly" debate. . . . .

Do you really think that a home schooled child gets the same type of social interaction opportunities as kids who go to any type of school (public or private)?

After readying your examples--I can have respect for that--but the situations during sports are significantly different than what they are going to experience walking down the hallways of a school (which I immediately agree--would/could be harmful in many different scenarios).

There are a couple different kids that I am thinking of who are EXTREMELY intelligent, yet for their age, they lack nearly all of the necessary social skills to suceed in the future. (And this comes from a good family--and a family that makes a strong effort to get their kids engaged in social activities on the same level as you have previously mentioned).

I immediately agree that it works for some kids--but overall--I think that this is something that will hurt them in the long run. Especially when it comes to finishing college and getting out in the "real" world.

Children that are homeschooled will not have the exact same type of social interaction opportunities as children that are in school which is good because I dont want my child to have those types of social interaction. For the most part, many of those types of social interaction are more negative than positive.
People always bring up the socialization issue when parents say that they are going to homeschool. Well, when you go to school you are told that this is not a place for socialization. It is a place to sit down, shut up and be forced to do work for about 6 hours per day. You can't talk to your neighbor and you can only speak to each other during breaks or lunch. If you are caught "socializing" then you get into trouble. My child will not be missing out on the socialization part.
Studies have been done that show homeschooled children have higher self-concepts, are more mature, and are better socialized than children in school. Like I said before, this will depend upon the parents more than anything. Our son just turned 5 last week and he has never been in daycare. He is a very social child, makes friends easily, plays sports, and interacts well with all types of people regardless of age.

Personally, homeschooling will suit our family best for the time being. If our children have a desire to attend school as they get older then we will let them choose whether they want to go to school or not. There are several reasons why we are choosing to homeschool. I will not list all of them here but here are a few 1.) There are problems in the school systems. 2.) There are too many unqualified teachers today and with our education and nontraditional beliefs, homeschooling will work much better for us.

Overall, I know I can provide my children with a much better education and head start on life with homeschooling. I don't like all of the limitations, force, and rules put upon children in school. Children learn much better and flourish in a child -directed environment. Children are born with a natural love for learning. School takes this away.