What My Sister Has Taught Me About Homeschooling

When I tell people my sister home schools her kids I often get looks of concern. It’s almost as if they think she’s living in some sort of alien society. What is real, and normal, is the standard public school system and all it has to offer. Instruction. Clubs. Student variety.

Now, I’m the first to admit that I wasn’t open to the idea of homeschooling in the beginning. My biggest worry, after I heard that my sister was pulling her children out of public school, was that they wouldn’t get the social skills they needed—that somehow, they’d turn out like the neighbor’s kids I knew when I was a young mother. They looked like orphans and couldn’t carry on a conversation to save their lives. I didn’t want my sister’s children to appear like hermits; I didn’t want them to be ostracized from society because they were “different.”

What I wanted was for them to grow up healthy and happy. Interestingly enough, that’s what my sister wanted too. And that’s why she decided to home school.

Through the years, I have watched her “alien” family, and have noticed some remarkable things. My sister’s children are extremely focused on learning. My nieces and nephews learn more hands-on versus book work. Instead of discussing birds, and merely reading books on birds, for example, the family took a visit to Tracy Aviary, a bird refuge in Salt Lake City. The second to the oldest daughter earned the money for a bird. When she took the bird outside and it flew away, she learned the value of remembering the rule her parents had given her about keeping the bird indoors.Worksheets are not as important as really getting out there and experiencing life. Rote learning is not as important as remembering “in fun”.
My sister’s children always have access to one-on-one help. This is something not always offered in the public school system either, especially when you consider the grand size of the classroom. It isn’t that good teachers don’t want to help; it’s just that there just isn’t the time to do it. Getting help from mom or dad takes the cake. What better teacher for a child could there be?

I have also come to find that my concerns about socialization are unfounded. Home schooling organizations around the globe are offering many socialization opportunities for children. I have been to plays where my nieces and nephews have shared with me their love of theatre. There have been dances and opportunities to gather together for picnics and other group events. If socialization was ever an issue of the past, the issue is no longer a problem. In fact, it’s refreshing for me to watch groups of children and parents who have the same objective; to raise their children in virtue and honesty, without exposing them to the entire negative and destructive glare that often permeates families inside the typical public school scenario.

And you know what? I think that’s the point.

Kathryn is a content writer for Online Schools and Online MBA, where you can learn about various online education ideas, school rankings, online MBA rankings, etc., to find a program that suits your needs.