[Cerek the Barbaric]

The lack of social interaction is the biggest (and most legitimate) concern I can see with home-schooling. But my current co-worker is a 17 yr girl that has been home-schooled (along with ALL of her siblings) and she certainly doesn't seem to be missing out on any social interaction. She still has lots of friends that she hangs out with. She goes to parties with the other teenagers and I often find myself forgetting that she IS homeschooled because her daily activities and interactions with her friends seem so normal. Keep in mind that cell phones and Instant Messaging help close the "socializing gap" a great deal in this day and age.

I also know two other ladies that homeschool their kids. One is my first cousin and the other is a former highschool classmate. When the second girl came up from Florida for our High School Reunion, she brought her two boys with her. After the Reunion, they visited some historic sights that were within short driving distance and counted the trip towards their school credit as a Field Trip.

I know that my coworker receives her coursework on video from an accredited school, so the argument about lesser academic learning is moot (and statistics even suggest it is wrong altogether). I think there IS an argument about the lack of social interaction. Hanging out with friends is a lot different than having to put up with all the different personalities you have to deal with in school. Some are good, some are bad, but all of them can teach us how to adjust our social interactions and react in appropriate ways. And I do feel this is one area that homeschooled children are somewhat "shielded" from.