Growing up, I often I found myself faced with the well-meaning but ever dreaded question “So, what school do you go to?” I would brace myself for the inevitable and calmly reply, “Well, I'm actually homeschooled.” I could just see the thoughts flying through that person's head. “Does she have any friends?” “How many instruments does she play?” “Wow, she must have a ton of siblings.” People seemed to constantly wonder why I didn't attend “regular school.” Furthermore, they seemed to associate me with the stereotypical denim-wearing, sheltered and socially deprived children depicting homeschooled children on TV. So, I'm here to set the record straight. Here are the top 5 myths about children that are homeschooled.
1. We don't have any friends
While this may have been a problem many years ago, since homeschooling has become more common, children who are homeschooled have many outlets for socialization. There are plenty of homeschool co-ops, study groups and sports facilities that allow children and teens to mingle. The only difference between a child who goes to “normal school” and a child that is homeschooled is that the child who is homeschooled has to go out of his way to seek out friendships, because they are not surrounded by classmates 24/7.
2. Homeschoolers have no extracurricular activities
I'm not sure what homeschoolers you have met, but this is simply not true. There are many sports facilities and organizations that either include homeschooled children, or cater specifically to homeschooled children. I had plenty of friends who were homeschooled who danced, played volleyball or basketball or were on swim team. There are plenty of opportunities for homeschooled kids to get involved in extracurricular activities.
3. We all play five different instruments
While it's true that some homeschoolers do play a lot of instruments, the vast majority of homeschoolers are fairly normal children. We didn't have time to play five different instruments because we were too busy playing with friends, doing homework and being normal children in general.
4. We were all super sheltered
This might be the myth that bugs me the most. Some people are under the delusion that parents home-school their children to shield them from the big bad world that awaits them. A number of different factors influence one's decision to homeschool, and the list of things that we could possibly see or hear outside our homes does not determine what school we go to. Real life things such as the available schools, finances and each individual child's needs are what actually determines what school we attend. Furthermore, I felt that I had a fairly normal childhood. I was not secluded in my room to hide from the influences of pop music or dancing, and I most definitely was not banned from watching TV.
5. We are homeschooled because of our intelligence
Once I began homeschooling, I realized that people assumed it was due to my intelligence. People assumed that my sister and I were either super smart or super dumb. This prejudice followed me to college. Certain teachers held me to a different standard, simply because I had been homeschooled. Homeschooling is not superior to “normal” school, nor is it inferior. It is simply a different way of doing things. Perhaps this is why so many people find it so incomprehensible.Before I began homeschooling, I was guilty of believing these common myths. However, once I began homeschooling, I began to see that none of them were true. I realized that there is a certain stereotype that people have in mind when they think of homeschooling. I am not sure why this stereotype exists in the first place, for the vast majority of homeschoolers do not fit this bill. While there are certain groups of people who fit under the stereotypical description of what a homeschooling is, it's not an accurate depiction of what homeschooling actually looks like. Most of us are just like you. Shocker.
