I think parents that put their kids throught Home schooling are cruel. I have met many people who were home schooled and they really missed out on a lot of information and mental development.
No. I think if the parents can keep up with it and want to homeschool the child then they should do it. Most homeschooled kids come out with a much better education than public schooled kids… If the parents are doing it for the right reason.
Interesting that people are giving THEIR opinion of Homeschooling rather than answer the question: should teens have input? (Did it never occur to you, perhaps the teen wants to homeschool? LOL)
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Yes, I think teens should get to voice their opinion re: education and their REASONS for their opinion, but also yes the parents have final say until the teen leaves home. They are ultimately responsible.
In sharing reasons for their opinions, it’s possible to find outlets that meet both the parents’ goals and the teens’ goals, be those financial, social, educational, extracurricular, etc. Communication, compromise, these are great life skills!
Yes, teens should definitely have input into their schooling. It goes along with everything else in life: teens should have input into what they eat and where they go and what they wear, but if they were to choose to eat junk food all day and go to bars and dress immodestly, then most parents will intervene. The top reason that a teen is allowed to do anything should NOT be ‘because he wants to.’ That would not be allowed in any other decision - why in education?
HOWEVER. If a teen wants to be hs’ed and has good reasons and the parent can do it, the parent should consider it or some to a compromise. If a teen is hs’ed and wants to go to school, the parent should certainly consider that. If it is not an option, for whatever reason, the parent really really really should find out what the problem is and take care of it. There could be a few minor issues but the biggest one is going to be loneliness/boredom. If the parent is not taking care of these needs by activities and such, then the teen is not going to be happy. I think that the hs parents I know have gone to great pains to help their kids find friends and activities, so the families are happy in hsing, but I read on these various posts of kids that were SO unhappy being hs’ed, and it makes me really sad! I do think I should point out here that it is the exception, not the rule, and there are plenty of kids in school that wish they were hs’ed…
They should have a right. My parents were good enough to give me the option of being homeschooled, and I loved it. I had panic attacks and I couldn’t sit in a classroom without having one, so the Homeschooling worked perfectly. I still had a social life, and I didn’t turn into a hermit or anything. It really depends on the situation of the child.
teenages need to socialize they cant do this in Home schooling. home schooling is ok up to Id say 4th grade, after that they need to get out and learn life skills. Mothers who insist on Home schooling just are hiding their real reasons and babing too much. let go of your kid and give them some space now.. or just wait till they get to college and go NUTS. Get into drugs, sex, or who knows. They will have sensory overload.
I think teens should definitely have their say and that parents should listen carefully, but it is ultimately up to the parents. Teens still aren’t necessarily old enough, mature enough, to make decisions that are in their best interests, plus they are still under age and it is the parents’ responsibility to make some decisions for them.
Just as a note, the vast majority of homeschooled teens I know actually have the option of deciding where they want to school. The vast majority of public/private school students don’t. I did meet one teen girl this past summer who didn’t have the choice, and it really was in her best interests. But there are probably opposite cases, as well.
ofcourse you ve got a right to say what you feel and your parents should listen to it too. but i think you’d be able to adjust with it if you have to home school.. you can still have fun
I think at any age a child has a right to their opinion and that parents should take these things into consideration.
But, alternatives to public education require a lot of dedication of time and money from a parent, and when making choices these things are also part of the equation. As parents, we have responsibility not only to be certain you have adequate education to support yourself in your adult life, but adequate social skills. In this day and age there are still many who do not believe social skills can be maintained with Homeschooling or even online charter or highschooling.
Experienced Homeschooling familys know this isn’t necessarily so, but it is all part of the equation when a parent makes the decision. A large part of it would also be, how much time would that leave a minor unattended at home?
For each family this is different, for each child/teenager this is different, as things like the kid’s motivation and maturity come in to play.
You don’t say how old you are, but one thing I sometimes recommend to teenagers who are trying to convince mom and dad is to take the next summer break and show them how much you can accomplish. This means completing work in a chosen area of study as well as maintaining a job or other extracurricular activity which keeps you in contact with other human beings.
If you are looking at online alternatives, this can also earn you credits towards finishing high school early so in the event it doesn’t work out you still have an advantage.
I think children of any age should have a say in their lives, but in the end, adults are legally, morally, and ethically responsible for children until the age of 18.
I know dozens of teenagers who are homeschooled and would not want to go to the brick-n-morter. It would get in the way of their very real, very social lives. One, at the age of 17, runs a dojo as a co-owner (he bought in as a partner at the age of 16, after ten years of training and working). Another runs his own computer business from his home. Still more volunteer at nursing homes, animal rescues, and homeless shelters.
None of my children want to go back to public schools. My oldest is 12, and says that school wasn’t teaching him anything he shouldn’t learn in the real world. Instead of trying to fulfill yourself in a typical teen fashion, join the real world. if you want to play tennis, instead of going through the JV at a local school, join a club and do the competition through that. Serena Williams didn’t do tennis through public school, and she did pretty well, right? Same for any other sport/hobby/business, there are dozens of alternatives for competition and for friendly practice and learning in the local neighborhoods, park and rec, church groups, small businesses etc.
I think their voice should be taken into consideration but I think one has to look at where you live, the crime rates, the school success rates and how well Homeschooling is going.
I personally feel that it should be manditory for a nominal fee for all homeschooled kids to take a “standards” test and see how they faired with other students. Like the STanford test. It should be administered at least eveyr 4 years and priced so people can afford it.
Maybe allow the kids to take it at a local school and pay a nomial fee like $40.
Now, if a kid who is homeschools showed WHY higher test scores even the kid has to releazie going to a school may not be a good idea.
If the opposite is true then maybe it’s time for a change.
I think that the older a child is, the more right he or she should have to determine his life.
Since people mature gradually, their right to make their own decisions should come gradually.
Unfortunately, too many people lump all teenagers into one category. A 13-year-old is NOT the same as a 17-year-old. And, not all 17-year-olds are at the same level of maturity. You really have to take it on a case-by-case basis.
But remember, if kids are micromanaged by parents during their teens, they’ll never learn how to make wise choices.
Yes, I do strongly believe that. There are so many more options available to people in private or public high schools– sports teams, clubs, theatre, etc etc. By high school, the student should be able to make this decision.
I was homeschooled throughout elementary, and was allowed to decide from then on. I made the choice to switch to public school in sixth grade (I’m a senior now), and though the first year was really tough, I’m glad I did it. There are few things that can provide an adequate subsitution for socialization and extracurriculars when it comes to high school.
They should have a say in it, but they would also need to have a mature argument if they want their parents to listen to them. I had a say in my education, and I got what I wanted. If you want your parents to listen to you, you can’t just whine and argue. You have to have reasons, and you have to be reasonable and listen to your parents.
I believe teens should have a say in their education. I also firmly believe from experience that if you were to polls teens on this, you would find that the majority of those that DO have a say in where they receive their education are homeschooled or have been homeschooled.
I don’t think you would find very many publicschool or privateschool students that ever sat down with their parents to discuss this issue, but just about every teen I’ve met that is homeschooled has had those types of discussions with their parents.
People think that homeschool parents are these total control freaks and we homeschool because we don’t trust our kids, or we can’t stand to have them out of our site or something else like that.
BUT, mostly it is about what’s best for our kids.
I’ve had that discussion with my teen several times. We will continue to discuss options and tailor her education to her needs as she continues to change and mature and grow. Sadly, I just don’t see that happening with her friends that are in the publicschools. They just go to publicschool and that’s the way it has always been and that is the way it always will be, end of story.
Hmmm, seems I come across as less controlling than her friend’s moms that made the decision for them way back in kindergarten and will not change no matter what.
Isn’t it funny how that works out?
Yes I belive so, most kids even are smart enough whether to know if they enjoy leanring and their school situation, but during the teenage years this becomes even more important as they are at an age where many life changes take place including possibly using drugs, working, and exploring options for their future.
i think we have the right…im homeschooled and kinda sorta in a way wanna go back to school but my parents wont let me cuz everyone tells us that the schools suck in the area we just moved to…i think the last school i went to has to be worse but they dont think so…but yes i do think we should be able to make the decision cuz its affecting us not the parents
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Welcome!
My name is Greg and I'm glad you decided to visit my HomeSchooling blog. The blog is just getting started and will complement the parent site nicely by allowing some community building as we discuss aspects of home school education. Please take some time as the site matures to read the numerous articles and feel free to comment on any topic you like!
January 1st, 2009 at 10:24 am
they can if they want to but they’ll miss out on alot of things
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:04 am
They but thats not going to happen.
January 6th, 2009 at 12:37 am
I think parents that put their kids throught Home schooling are cruel. I have met many people who were home schooled and they really missed out on a lot of information and mental development.
January 7th, 2009 at 9:52 am
No. I think if the parents can keep up with it and want to homeschool the child then they should do it. Most homeschooled kids come out with a much better education than public schooled kids… If the parents are doing it for the right reason.
January 8th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Interesting that people are giving THEIR opinion of Homeschooling rather than answer the question: should teens have input? (Did it never occur to you, perhaps the teen wants to homeschool? LOL)
—————————
Yes, I think teens should get to voice their opinion re: education and their REASONS for their opinion, but also yes the parents have final say until the teen leaves home. They are ultimately responsible.
In sharing reasons for their opinions, it’s possible to find outlets that meet both the parents’ goals and the teens’ goals, be those financial, social, educational, extracurricular, etc. Communication, compromise, these are great life skills!
January 9th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Yes, teens should definitely have input into their schooling. It goes along with everything else in life: teens should have input into what they eat and where they go and what they wear, but if they were to choose to eat junk food all day and go to bars and dress immodestly, then most parents will intervene. The top reason that a teen is allowed to do anything should NOT be ‘because he wants to.’ That would not be allowed in any other decision - why in education?
HOWEVER. If a teen wants to be hs’ed and has good reasons and the parent can do it, the parent should consider it or some to a compromise. If a teen is hs’ed and wants to go to school, the parent should certainly consider that. If it is not an option, for whatever reason, the parent really really really should find out what the problem is and take care of it. There could be a few minor issues but the biggest one is going to be loneliness/boredom. If the parent is not taking care of these needs by activities and such, then the teen is not going to be happy. I think that the hs parents I know have gone to great pains to help their kids find friends and activities, so the families are happy in hsing, but I read on these various posts of kids that were SO unhappy being hs’ed, and it makes me really sad! I do think I should point out here that it is the exception, not the rule, and there are plenty of kids in school that wish they were hs’ed…
January 11th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
They should have a right. My parents were good enough to give me the option of being homeschooled, and I loved it. I had panic attacks and I couldn’t sit in a classroom without having one, so the Homeschooling worked perfectly. I still had a social life, and I didn’t turn into a hermit or anything. It really depends on the situation of the child.
January 13th, 2009 at 9:33 am
teenages need to socialize they cant do this in Home schooling. home schooling is ok up to Id say 4th grade, after that they need to get out and learn life skills. Mothers who insist on Home schooling just are hiding their real reasons and babing too much. let go of your kid and give them some space now.. or just wait till they get to college and go NUTS. Get into drugs, sex, or who knows. They will have sensory overload.
January 14th, 2009 at 3:51 am
I think teens should definitely have their say and that parents should listen carefully, but it is ultimately up to the parents. Teens still aren’t necessarily old enough, mature enough, to make decisions that are in their best interests, plus they are still under age and it is the parents’ responsibility to make some decisions for them.
Just as a note, the vast majority of homeschooled teens I know actually have the option of deciding where they want to school. The vast majority of public/private school students don’t. I did meet one teen girl this past summer who didn’t have the choice, and it really was in her best interests. But there are probably opposite cases, as well.
January 15th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
ofcourse you ve got a right to say what you feel and your parents should listen to it too. but i think you’d be able to adjust with it if you have to home school.. you can still have fun
January 17th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I think at any age a child has a right to their opinion and that parents should take these things into consideration.
But, alternatives to public education require a lot of dedication of time and money from a parent, and when making choices these things are also part of the equation. As parents, we have responsibility not only to be certain you have adequate education to support yourself in your adult life, but adequate social skills. In this day and age there are still many who do not believe social skills can be maintained with Homeschooling or even online charter or highschooling.
Experienced Homeschooling familys know this isn’t necessarily so, but it is all part of the equation when a parent makes the decision. A large part of it would also be, how much time would that leave a minor unattended at home?
For each family this is different, for each child/teenager this is different, as things like the kid’s motivation and maturity come in to play.
You don’t say how old you are, but one thing I sometimes recommend to teenagers who are trying to convince mom and dad is to take the next summer break and show them how much you can accomplish. This means completing work in a chosen area of study as well as maintaining a job or other extracurricular activity which keeps you in contact with other human beings.
If you are looking at online alternatives, this can also earn you credits towards finishing high school early so in the event it doesn’t work out you still have an advantage.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I think children of any age should have a say in their lives, but in the end, adults are legally, morally, and ethically responsible for children until the age of 18.
I know dozens of teenagers who are homeschooled and would not want to go to the brick-n-morter. It would get in the way of their very real, very social lives. One, at the age of 17, runs a dojo as a co-owner (he bought in as a partner at the age of 16, after ten years of training and working). Another runs his own computer business from his home. Still more volunteer at nursing homes, animal rescues, and homeless shelters.
None of my children want to go back to public schools. My oldest is 12, and says that school wasn’t teaching him anything he shouldn’t learn in the real world. Instead of trying to fulfill yourself in a typical teen fashion, join the real world. if you want to play tennis, instead of going through the JV at a local school, join a club and do the competition through that. Serena Williams didn’t do tennis through public school, and she did pretty well, right? Same for any other sport/hobby/business, there are dozens of alternatives for competition and for friendly practice and learning in the local neighborhoods, park and rec, church groups, small businesses etc.
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I think their voice should be taken into consideration but I think one has to look at where you live, the crime rates, the school success rates and how well Homeschooling is going.
I personally feel that it should be manditory for a nominal fee for all homeschooled kids to take a “standards” test and see how they faired with other students. Like the STanford test. It should be administered at least eveyr 4 years and priced so people can afford it.
Maybe allow the kids to take it at a local school and pay a nomial fee like $40.
Now, if a kid who is homeschools showed WHY higher test scores even the kid has to releazie going to a school may not be a good idea.
If the opposite is true then maybe it’s time for a change.
January 23rd, 2009 at 4:19 am
I think that the older a child is, the more right he or she should have to determine his life.
Since people mature gradually, their right to make their own decisions should come gradually.
Unfortunately, too many people lump all teenagers into one category. A 13-year-old is NOT the same as a 17-year-old. And, not all 17-year-olds are at the same level of maturity. You really have to take it on a case-by-case basis.
But remember, if kids are micromanaged by parents during their teens, they’ll never learn how to make wise choices.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 am
Yes, I do strongly believe that. There are so many more options available to people in private or public high schools– sports teams, clubs, theatre, etc etc. By high school, the student should be able to make this decision.
I was homeschooled throughout elementary, and was allowed to decide from then on. I made the choice to switch to public school in sixth grade (I’m a senior now), and though the first year was really tough, I’m glad I did it. There are few things that can provide an adequate subsitution for socialization and extracurriculars when it comes to high school.
January 24th, 2009 at 3:32 am
They should have a say in it, but they would also need to have a mature argument if they want their parents to listen to them. I had a say in my education, and I got what I wanted. If you want your parents to listen to you, you can’t just whine and argue. You have to have reasons, and you have to be reasonable and listen to your parents.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
I believe teens should have a say in their education. I also firmly believe from experience that if you were to polls teens on this, you would find that the majority of those that DO have a say in where they receive their education are homeschooled or have been homeschooled.
I don’t think you would find very many publicschool or privateschool students that ever sat down with their parents to discuss this issue, but just about every teen I’ve met that is homeschooled has had those types of discussions with their parents.
People think that homeschool parents are these total control freaks and we homeschool because we don’t trust our kids, or we can’t stand to have them out of our site or something else like that.
BUT, mostly it is about what’s best for our kids.
I’ve had that discussion with my teen several times. We will continue to discuss options and tailor her education to her needs as she continues to change and mature and grow. Sadly, I just don’t see that happening with her friends that are in the publicschools. They just go to publicschool and that’s the way it has always been and that is the way it always will be, end of story.
Hmmm, seems I come across as less controlling than her friend’s moms that made the decision for them way back in kindergarten and will not change no matter what.
Isn’t it funny how that works out?
January 28th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Yes I belive so, most kids even are smart enough whether to know if they enjoy leanring and their school situation, but during the teenage years this becomes even more important as they are at an age where many life changes take place including possibly using drugs, working, and exploring options for their future.
January 29th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
i think we have the right…im homeschooled and kinda sorta in a way wanna go back to school but my parents wont let me cuz everyone tells us that the schools suck in the area we just moved to…i think the last school i went to has to be worse but they dont think so…but yes i do think we should be able to make the decision cuz its affecting us not the parents