| 1. It's not boring as all get out. | | | | you live in a very complicated family, there are no |
| I spent the first 5 and a half years of my | | | | bullies, no drug addicts and so forth. |
| education in public schools. There were, of course, | | | | Again, the advantage is more than what you don't |
| times when I enjoyed learning things and talking | | | | have to deal with, but also in what you do get. |
| to my friends. On the flip side, though, there were | | | | Being homeschooled enabled me to develop much |
| long stretches of monotony and boredom. And | | | | stronger relationships with my parents and my |
| that was just grade school! I can't even imagine | | | | siblings, and I did find a variety of friends through |
| what it would have gotten like in middle and high | | | | our homeschool group and church and so forth. I |
| school. I vaguely remember a class I took in 6th | | | | found that when I got to college I was able to |
| grade before I began to be homeschooled. | | | | comfortably communicate with everyone from |
| "Conflict resolution" they called it. It was an entire | | | | the older students (some who were even |
| class we had to sit through for 50 minutes a day | | | | grandparents, coming back for their education) to |
| on how not to get in a fight. Instead of teaching | | | | the younger students and even the professors |
| us something useful like math, history or science, | | | | and staff. None of these people ever gave me a |
| we had to sit and learn that getting in a fistfight | | | | wedgy. |
| wasn't good for anybody. | | | | 3. Odds are your teacher will probably like you. |
| I think it goes without saying that homeschooling | | | | I didn't personally ever have issues with a teacher |
| was far more interesting. I was either doing | | | | that didn't seem to like me or treat me well, but I |
| something and learning, or I was enjoying my | | | | do know that those experiences are out there. |
| free time. I never had to sit through extended | | | | The odds increase, I think, as you get into high |
| periods of monotonous lectures or stare at a | | | | school that you might run into a teacher that you |
| chalkboard while a teacher catered to the slowest | | | | either don't like or who doesn't like you for some |
| student in the classroom. I was able to learn at | | | | reason. I wouldn't say that it's anything personal, |
| my own pace and enjoy it. | | | | just sometimes there are personality clashes. |
| 2. No one gives you wedgies. | | | | On the other hand, I think you benefit from |
| Unless, of course, you have an older sibling and | | | | homeschooling because you're able to develop a |
| then you might get more wedgies than you can | | | | much deeper relationship with your parents. |
| handle. One of the fantastic things about being | | | | Instead of coming home from school and simply |
| homeschooled is that there is no awkward social | | | | telling them what you did (if you can even |
| structure that you have to fit yourself into. Unless | | | | remember all the details) you live it with them. |