Craziest Home-Schooling Myths I've Encountered

Home schooling remains a controversial topic for many. I am a seasoned teacher who has seen the downsides of home schooling as well as the joys and triumphs. I have taught for over 12 years in some capacity between public and private school. I now home school my daughters for various reasons. The reasons may be important to some; but the myths surrounding our decision are always fascinating. Other home schooling friends have shared some of the misconceptions that the general public holds, and I think it's about high-time to address some of these!

Myth 1: It's Illegal. This one just goes to show how many people are oblivious to educational choices. I actually had a father ask me if what I was doing was legal with my kids when his wife told him my girls were home schooled. I had to explain that in our state a home school is considered a private school, and that yes, it's perfectly legal. I'm certainly not some felon and I didn't think I was giving off that image either!

Myth 2: We sit around a table all day and work out of workbooks or listen to "Mom" teach us. Oh please! That's b-o-r-i-n-g! Yes, we have a table, but rarely do all four of us sit together and do stuff-unless it's dinnertime! Home schooling is such a misnomer because although we may not have an actual school building, in reality, the world has become our classroom. We do have time at home to do work, but my kids also take classes elsewhere. Home schooling is really about finding the best possible resources for your child and using them! My kids take classes at a place called Home Education Partnership (HEP). It's not a co-op although there are many co-ops for parents and kids to use. I also teach classes at HEP. Science is a great example of how I might use an outside source for my kids' education. I have no desire to turn my house into a lab for biology and have my high school daughter dissect a fetal pig. Nope...no can do! So, she takes Biology at HEP with a seasoned teacher who has expertise and a degree in the science field. She takes the class with other home schooled kids in a university-style class that meets once a week for intensive instruction and labs. It's all very hands-on and exciting. The kids love it. I teach Language Arts classes and many parents are happy to pass the baton to me to help teach their child in a field that they themselves are not as comfortable with. So, back to sitting around the table! I sit around the table with them when they need some help and tutoring from me, a little direct instruction, or at dinnertime. Otherwise, we are constantly on the go to classes, museums, parks, or other community events that support and stimulate their learning.

Myth 3: Home schooling is boring. Yep...if you sit around a table with mom all day! However, in reality, this is so untrue. The best home schooling parents are completely involved with their kids' learning and doing real-life based projects and getting them into the world. I think addressing Myth 2 above kills this myth as well. Enough said!

Myth 4: We are unsocialized and awkward. This is one of my favorite myths. It cracks me up! The truth of the matter is that my kids are constantly on the go and involved with so many types of people that they are anything but unsocialized. As a matter of fact, I wish the socialization would slow down sometimes because they have friends all over town! You see, because we are out in the community and such, our kids learn how to speak to and deal with a variety of people of every race, age, and creed. My oldest daughter gets to teach dance classes on Friday mornings with the studio director to little kids. She talks to the parents, manages classes, and has learned how to handle a "boss" in a sense working with the dance studio director. My kids are poised and well-mannered and confident in many situations that traditional school is unable to emulate.

Myth 5: We dress funny and we are out of style (or we are nerds.) What a great myth this is! It's like I must wear a muumuu and an apron all day and my kids wear outdated clothes from the 1970s. Actually, we do wear this, but only at Halloween. I guess this goes with the thought that we sit around a table all day. I guess people think we never leave our home or something. If you ask my daughter what her favorite TV show is, she'll tell you What Not to Wear. Ok, so we're all raving fanatics about the show. It's awesome! We're not shopaholics or anything, but we do present ourselves professional when needed and we do take pride in our appearance.

Myth 6: We must be religious fanatics. Well, we are religious, but we don't home school for this sole reason. Some do; I know. However, it's important not to stereotype! Although I do claim a religion, I also teach my kids about other religions in the world like Buddhism, Hindu, Islam, etc. I want them to understand the world in which they live and understand their own religion in which we choose to raise them.

Myth 7: We are simply teaching our kids how to be good housewives. Well, if I'm doing the teaching here, it won't be any good. I may be a stay at home mom who works part-time, but I can't organize to save my life. On top of that, cooking and cleaning do not go hand in hand for me. If I'm teaching my kids this, my husband better stay at home with them because he's much better at these "stereotypical" housewife things. If they choose to do this one day, good for them. My dream is for them to go to college and contribute to society in a fulfilling and important manner. That's exactly why I get them out of the house and expose them to the world around them. Just because they do not go to the local high school doesn't mean they aren't going anywhere in life. This leads to Myth 8!

Myth 8: Our kids won't get into a good college. This is another one of those myths in which I'm talking to somebody who has absolutely no clue about educational choice. All I can say is do the research. My husband's cousin was home schooled her entire life and not only was offered scholarships at some schools, but she was accepted into Texas A&M. Recent home school students at HEP have been accepted into schools like Baylor, University of Texas, and others. I'm actually very excited about their prospects with college. Colleges and universities take home schooled students very seriously.

Myth 9: We don't really care about education. Some people think I just don't care. We want to sleep late and hang out all the time. They just don't realize the work we put into it at home. The title for this myth came when my mother-in-law took my daughters to Wal-Mart in the middle of the day to pick up some supplies for a project she wanted to do with the girls. The checkout girl asked my daughters why they weren't in school or if it was a holiday (like it was really any of her business). My ten-year-old replied, "We're home schooled." The checkout girl looked at them and said, "Oh. So, you don't really care about school." Well, my ten-year-old was silent at that, but my oldest daughter looked her right in the eye and said, "Actually, we do. I've been in a Spanish class all morning and we're going home to work on another project. We do a lot of stuff for school and yes, we care." They told me about this and I told them that some people don't understand and not to worry about it. A week later when I was at Wal-Mart with the kids, they saw the checkout girl and pointed her out to me. Lo and behold, she had been a student of mine at the local high school when I taught public school. That was fun going through her line with my kids!

Myth 10: We shun public education. Well, some do. I know that. However, I include this as myth because there are many home schoolers who don't shun public education. First, if I shunned public education, my husband would be quite upset because you see, he is a high school principal. He runs the whole shebang. Home schooling is just a viable choice for us. I actually do have one daughter considering going back to public school next year. I'm ok with it. There truly are pros and cons to public school, private school, and home schooling. But, not one of these is some evil of society. I also have a dear friend who also home schools her 3 children. Her oldest daughter has decided to try the new public high school that is opening in our community. My friend is ok with it. My oldest daughter, one of her daughter's friends, chose to continue home schooling through high school with me. Either way, we're ok with it. There are those of us who do not shun traditional schooling. It's an incredible blessing that we do have a tuition-free educational system.

Whether this whole home schooling idea is new to you, controversial to you, or you have been totally open to the idea, I cannot stress enough that there are myths out there about home schoolers that are very close-minded. Home schooling families are usually quite aware of them and we do laugh at them. I do know that some people do fit a certain stereotype, but beware the black-and-white thinking that puts all of us home schoolers in the same box.