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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mugsy" data-source="post: 2061156" data-attributes="member: 18914">Absolutely would not mind elaborating but first I'll throw in my disclaimer - I am a product of mostly NY City public schools - except for middle school when I attended a local private Catholic school.  Socialization is always useful but in my opinion that is a fig leaf in the home schooling discussion used to cover a lack of real analysis of what one means by socialization.   My youngest three children were educated at home but were not locked int he house.  They engaged the general public through Scouting, Church, civic organizations (besides Scouting), sports, and work.  What I didn't do was hand over their care to a relative stranger for most of the waking hours of most days of the year.Public school socialization may include many things that while existing in the world are certainly not good for children.  BTW - this is not an indictment of all public schooling - there are good public schools - but in recent years especially it has become very difficult for parents to influence or, in some cases, even be aware of what is being taught or occurring within the school.  That is not a good situation.  I know I didn't eliminate all negative aspects of life for my kids - there are jerks and dirtbags in Scouting and in Churches, and at various jobs but I feel that my kids were much better prepared to deal with the onslaught of what I consider negative aspects of society via home-school preparation than if I had simply thrown them to the winds of a public school system which often has not just poor curriculum but questionable standards of conduct and many disciplinary issues.  All of the kids interaction issues you mentioned were still there but now my wife and I were much more aware and a much more significant influence in our own childrens' lives.As a side benefit I will add that my kids arrived at college - they are all in college right now - much better prepared academically as well.  That is a side benefit but a significant one.  They were all proficient in advanced math, Latin, and knew far more US and World history than most of their peers from public or private schools.  They also were very conversant with Classical literature (Greek, Latin classics) and the European political thought (Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, etc.)BTW - consider that some of what you are calling "good" socialization may not be - bullying, early sexual activity, drugs, etc.  You're right a kid may learn to deal with (or accommodate or take part in) those things but he may also become overwhelmed.   Once again if parents stay involved that may do the trick but it can be uphill fight and often the schools themselves work against parental interest and involvement.</blockquote>

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