6: Worried About Weirdness

Dear Anne: I don’t want to sound rude, but I am worried about homeschooling my child because I don’t want her to turn out…well, weird. Do homeschoolers have social challenges because they are home all day? Do they have friends or even know how to have a conversation? Maybe I am naive, but family members have cautioned me that I may be doing emotional harm to my daughter by homeschooling her and I would appreciate your perspective. Weird Worries

Dear Weird Worries: Thanks for being honest about your concerns. The good news is that homeschooling has become relatively commonplace—perhaps more than your family may realize. For instance, here are two lists of famous contemporary homeschoolers as well as a range throughout history, and there are millions of families currently schooling from home in the United States. Every great education includes academics and social community; traditional school offers them simultaneously and homeschooling offers them separately, but at the end of the day both methods offer both. In fact, many students have found they are more successful in both their studies and their social life by peeling them apart. Check out our article “What About the Social?” which discusses these points in more detail, and listen to our podcast “Real Homeschooled Kids (S1:E33)” where Anne interviews a co-op of homeschoolers ages 4-11 so you can decide for yourself. Ideally, consider looking up a homeschool co-op in your area and ask to observe for an hour. At the end of the day, kids are just kids no matter where they go to school, and it is up to each family to decide for themselves what is the best way to learn.