I have seen homeschooled kids turn out to be socially stunted and just totally unprepared for the real world. The biggest concern is that school is not just about learning, it is about environment – kids need to be able to interact, compete, befriend and learn from other kids, of all different shapes, origins and backgrounds. You seem to have fully realized this, and have integrated your kids into age appropriate activities where they can just be kids.

Personally, I wouldn’t ever do homeschooling. I am lucky to have a good school system, but I also think that the experience of the school environment is irreplaceable. Certainly, if my child didn’t take to it, I would find an alternate solution, but for the most part, the pros outweigh the cons.

All that being said, I cannot stand the Duggars, and certainly do think they oppress their children. Sure, the kids may get a top quality education, but it’s inundated with their parents’ fundamentalist learnings. Rejection of specific sciences, philosophies and humanities is a gross abuse of the control they have over the minds of those kids. It’s one thing to teach your beliefs; it is another thing ENTIRELY to deny evidence of any other beliefs and take away the choice to learn about them. Not only that, but solely religious based teachings aren’t capable of functioning in the real world. That’s probably why those kids aren’t allowed to go to college – they’d be able to read at a higher level than anyone, but would be laughed out for thinking the world is only 6000 years old. Or worse, not accepting a female instructor’s authority. Those kids aren’t capable of living in reality, and can only be confined to the tiny fantasy land constructed by their parents. They have no other place to go, no other options.

That, to me, is oppression.

The. Latter. Is. Not. True. Isolated homeschoolers are the exception, not the rule.

When we were still dating, my husband and I agreed we would homeschool our children. I went to public school from kindergarten through university, and my husband went mostly to Christian school. We made our decision mainly due to the fact that California schools are crap. That’s all. California is #46 in education. Many kids in my graduating class in high school could barely read. The only reason I thrived was because I enjoy learning and taught myself a lot of the time, and I fortunately had a few teachers who would play to that.

I was also an Awana leader for twelve years and one of the things I did was hear sections during Handbook Time. The contrast between public, private, and home schooling was extremely sharp. A few public school kids knew how to memorize and comprehend what they read, but the majority didn’t. Private school kids were a mixed bag–there were those who were lackadaisical and others who were gung-ho. Homeschoolers, on the other hand, consistently were prepared, they understood what they read, and they retained it. Plus, they didn’t lose interest in the program once they hit the sixth grade, which happened most of the time with the public or private school girls, even the overachievers.

I have seen the bi-product of California education outside Awana too. As a docent with my county’s museum division, I’ve done my share of Living History programs, and seen so many kids who lack even the most basic skills. Like using scissors. Or tying knots. More than once I had to literally bite my tongue to restrain my chagrin when kids would ask me what sewing was. Yeah. Sewing. Um, that’s not good. It’s par for the course in the Golden State, though.

Oh, and by the way, I don’t believe the Duggars are only pretending for the cameras in regards to their education. I don’t know them personally, but my nieces and nephew are homeschooled, and the oldest is a high school senior who has just begun attending the local junior college. All three kids are constantly interacting with their peers in various settings–soccer, 4-H, gymnastics, and so on, not to mention they’ve hung out with pretty much every kid in their neighborhood. Does that sound like oppression to anybody? My husband’s cousin homeschooled all six of her kids, and two of them just graduated from Biola. All of these kids act the same way in private as they do in public, and they’re also quite confident and poised. I should know. I’m family.

One more point before I close. California, like most of America, has to contend with No Child Left Behind, which is bad enough, but our kids also have bills like SB48 and Jerry Brown’s bathroom bill to further degrade the situation. Google these things if you don’t believe me, but as a responsible parent I refuse to send my kids into a hazardous environment in the name of “socialization.” It’s not worth it.

I don’t think God wants us to live in a coccoon. If we aren’t out in the world living then how do we effect others?

I think God wants us to live full complete lives. Enjoying all of his creation.

My girls went to public schools and attended college. No they did not live at home. I never had problems with my girls being disrespectful or premiscous.

I always talked to my girls. I respected who they were and encouraged them in their intersts.

The Duggars never let their kids try new things or experience the world. How can they say the are mature christians when their beliefs are never tested? When the Duggars went on a mission trip to Belize it was such a joke. It was so embarrassing to watch. They acted like they were the Great White Saviors riding in on their white horses. Geez!!! Talk about patronizing.

I think the Duggar girls need to be allowed to get jobs and live on their own so they can make the best decisions at what God wants for them.