Deep Thoughts

How can homeschooling limit kids?  As long as parents are responding to their childrens' needs (physically, intellectually, and socially), i don't believe homeschooling does (or can) limit children at all.  The problem i have is with parents who "won't allow" certain things to be learned (ie: darwinism; you can, and should in my opinion, teach other theories too, but i personally feel it's irresponsible to censor it completely from a science curriculum), or use homeschooling as a way to keep kids from experiencing a normal, and healthy childhood (this point is obviously based on personal opinions, and one person's idea of normal and healthy is much different from any others.  i personally think its unhealthy to shelter a child from free interaction with children their own age, while another parent may think that taking their children to church, where there is plenty of adult supervision, is the only way to sheild them from negative peer pressure).  So that statement was totally based on opinion and my own personal standards; i fully admit that. i just think it's "weird" when a mom pulls her four daughters out of public school soley because that school was going to teach her 12-year-old what a period was.  First of all, why doesn't your 12/y/o already know?  And what is so terrible about it that she can't hear?  Honestly, isn't it worse to make such a fuss over it?  NOW she thinks it's something shameful.  Nice. Equally unhealthy is keeping a kid "cooped up" between home and organized religious activites, to the point that when he goes off to college, he hardly knows what to do with all his new-found freedom.  Childhood is all about testing your limits, and the give and take between parents and kids to determine what freedoms and responsibilities the child is ready for.  The teen years are supposed to be a time to prove that you're ready to be independent of your parents, and that you can make it on your own when the time comes.  If you're not allowed that boundary-testing portion of your childhood, how are you supposed to learn it all overnight? Homeschool should be a sunshine-laden journey shared by a family, not an oppresive cloud darkening the path to adulthood.