3 Homeschool Myths with a Grain of Truth

This week for the Blog Cruise our topic is “Debunking Homeschool Myths”.  I thought I would join in with a quick post as I have a few minutes to type.  There are so many homeschool related myths that I am aware of, but today I’m only tackling three.  The myths I want to address all have a grain of truth to them, so I will explain what truth I see.  As this is my blog these are my opinions, based on my own experience.  Your mileage may vary!

Myth #1 - Homeschool moms are naturally patient.

No.  Not only do we not come by patience any more naturally than you do, we have more than your average opportunities to lose what little we have.  Remember, we are the ones who spend hours more per day surrounded by our children.  I am just like every other regular mom, I lose my patience daily, sometimes hourly.  Just ask my kids. 

The Grain of Truth - I do see homeschooling as one of the tools God is using to develop my meek and quiet spirit, to lead me to rely on Him, and to learn patience.  I am brought to my knees by the task of raising and teaching these children, but that is a great place to be – it is one of the best places to find God.  The more I rely on Him, the more patience I am given.

Myth #2 - Homeschool kids are all super smart.

Nope, I have regular children who have their strengths and weaknesses.

The Grain of Truth - Now bear with me here, I’m about to say something important.  All of God’s children are the most creative, intelligent beings we know.  Homeschooling can be one of the most supportive environments to let a child grow and develop their brilliant minds in the direction God placed in them.  Through homeschooling I can give my children the gift of time - time to pursue an interest, talent, or personal gift to excellence.  And I am not speaking of just academics here!  A child may be gifted to serve, love, help, listen, or create in thousands of ways.  Or a child may be gifted in a more easily recognizable academic area. 

Myth #3 - Homeschool kids are weird.

Well, yes and no.  I know many people that seem ‘weird’ to me who have been products of all the schooling systems I know, from public to private to homeschooling.  I submit to you, first, that weird is a relative term.  Some people find the following weird:

A woman who stays home to raise her children, happily bears far more than the 2.5 children the general public calls “normal”, and prays for more.  She bakes bread from scratch, reads classics and Twilight alike, and does not enjoy television, so they don’t have cable.

That would be me, and while some people find me weird, others find me to be normal.  Weird is relative(and relatives are usually weird…hehe!).  There is a grain of truth to this myth as well…

The Grain of Truth – Long time homeschooled children in many cases are not easily influenced by peer pressure, they have learned a self-confidence that supports them as they go against the crowd.  That means they are seen by some as weird.  They may not be concerned with fashion, popularity, or the ‘in’ thing.  They may choose to pursue unusual interests, activities, or jobs because they see no need to be like all the other 9, 13, or 17 year olds they know.  They aren’t weird, they are individuals who think for themselves instead of following the crowd.

Again, let me remind you that this is my blog and the opinions presented herein are my own.  You may agree with them or not.  That little X in the top corner of the screen is helpful if you don’t agree, it takes you away from my blog.  Go Here to read what my Crewmates had to say on this weeks topic of Debunking Homeschool Myths.