RE: Homeschool Horror

Posted by ohlawdy on 08.28.09 @ 02:50 PM

I believe we're missing the point of this article. First, let me explain where I'm coming from. I was homeschooled K-8 and I hated it. I received a spectacular education; I confess that I was well-prepared for success at my challenging private, Catholic high school. However--the social acclimation was so intense that professional psychological treatment was necessary. By the end of my ordeal I was normal, but my family relationships were strained past the breaking point--and I consider myself lucky. The kids I grew up seeing at homeschool get-togethers once every two weeks have grown up; and with the exception of a few notable anomalies, most either loathe their parents or deal with their lack of exposure by exploring any and every stimulating experience that time or their physical strength will allow (strip clubs, binge drinking, narcotics, etc.). Typically, if not exposed to an expansive amount of interaction with peers on a daily basis, most deal with their loneliness/insecurities through pronounced introversion or an addiction. My last statement is rather bold, so let me clarify: My friend (We'll call him Mike) is addicted to pornography; his brother Greg (real name again withheld) is addicted to liquor he buys from one of his co-workers at the supermarket; a girl I'll call Vanessa is addicted to sex which she receives from the boys at the high school down the road from her house; and Harry (no relation to any of the above) has been hospitalized upwards of 5 times on suicide watch. Their ages are 18, 16, 17, and 15, respectively. Now bear in mind that I only speak from my community, which I will decline to name in case my family stumbles on this page. However, I think that before we bash the author about we ought to think long and hard about what goes on in our own communities and whether the isolation inherent in homeschooling produces individuals who, to the observant, seem downright weird.