Homeschoolers Should Not Impose Rules on Each Other

by Andrea Hermitt | More from this Blogger

I was recently chastised by another homeschooler for placing a label on my child. I mentioned that my child qualifies as "gifted" according to certain standards, and that the other was "talented" at computer science. I seem to have struck a nerve as she attacked my comment in a "how dare you" kind of way.

She insisted that one of the reasons to homeschool was to remove labels from children, so as a homeschooler, I should know better than to apply such labels to my kids. She felt that calling my kids talented or gifted was the same as calling them Special Ed. This was not the first time I had been faced with such an aggressive argument. I have been asked by many homeschoolers how my kids were doing, or what curriculum we used, and have been faced with disapproval when my description or methods did not meet a set of unspoken "homeschooler approved" standards.

I see things a bit differently in this matter. As a lifelong academic who actually loves education and all that it means to a persons' future, I am passionate about the successes that homeschooling can afford. I look for concrete measurements, and while I do not burden my kids with knowledge of these measurements, I certainly look for comparison points that will allow me to know if I am doing a good job or not. Therefore, if you ask me how my kids are progressing in homeschooling, I will give an assessment that makes sense to me. Just answering, "they are happy" or "just fine" seems evasive to me. I will never understand why people ask, but do not want a true answer.

As far as the reasons to homeschool are concerned, we each join this movement for a different reason. My reason is to allow myself and my kids to function as individuals. Why in the world, would I step outside of the public school rules and regulations just to latch onto the rules and regulations of another? Yes, I use their labels as part of my vocabulary because my kids will have to compete with their kids at some point in their lives. However, at the end of the day, I am free from the public educational system. Why would I go looking for a new master? As homeschoolers, we should try to be more open-minded with each other.

*Have a question about homeschooling? Just ask.

*Want to know more about homeschooling? Start with the 2006 homeschool blog in review!

Learn more about Andrea Hermitt

Andrea Hermitt is a native New Yorker currently residing in GA. She has been married for over 16 years and has two teenage children.

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