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Home ed

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Original poster

Any adults here who were homeschooled themselves? How are you doing in life?

33 replies

SerGregorClegane · 26/08/2014 15:15

Hi. I'm new here, and I was wondering if anyone here was actually homeschooled as a child themselves? I was, and unfortunately it didn't work out very well for me. I'm an adult now. I've actually never met another homeschooled person, and I dread telling anyone that I was myself. It seems to be an alien concept to a lot of people. It just doesn't seem to be as widely accepted in the UK, as it is in other places.

OP posts:
stressedHEmum · 28/08/2014 10:45

MY DS2 was home ed, he's 21 now and in 2nd year at St. Andrews uni, so it hasn't done him any harm. None of us (I have/do HE 4 of my kids) have ever met anyone else who is HE, but it's not a problem.

DS3 is 17 and has just started college, so he's doing OK as well. It hasn't hindered him. When people find out, most of them are just interested because it's so unusual here. Very few are judgey or unkind, even though DS3 spent most of his time either asleep or playing video games. it took him a long time to be ready to learn but, when he was, he learnt very quickly and easily. To be honest, I don't worry too much about it.

I think that if people don't ask, you don't need to tell them about your education.

Hakluyt · 28/08/2014 10:46

I was. I have never "dreaded" telling anyone- what sort of reaction do you get that prompts that reaction?

MirandaWest · 28/08/2014 10:48

I was taught at home for one year so not properly home schooled. I can see why my parents did it but I would never do the same with either of my DC.

SugarMiceInTheRain · 28/08/2014 11:05

I HEd my son for a term, and would do so longer term if necessary, however his school is meeting his needs brilliantly at the moment. That said, I only know 2 adults who were HEd (different families with very different approaches) and they aren't exactly an advert for HE. One of them got so used to everything being done to suit her, the curriculum being tailored exactly to her needs she struggles in situations where she doesn't get to decide what happens. The other says her biggest regret in life is that she was home educated and didn't get to go to school - I suppose there's the shared experience thing, eg Oh remember in school they used to.... etc that you can't necessarily relate to if you haven't been through it.

Nigglenaggle · 28/08/2014 19:47

Miranda I'm interested as to why you wouldn't he your DC?

Nigglenaggle · 28/08/2014 19:49

Sugar I've been wondering about the first problem you mentioned and how I might prevent it... I haven't come up with a solution yet.... Smile

Hakluyt · 28/08/2014 20:38

I wouldn't home school mine either.

HolgerDanske · 28/08/2014 20:43

I was.

I'm doing alright Smile

Nigglenaggle · 28/08/2014 20:45

Why not Hakluyt? Apologies if you've already told me by the way, I did run a thread on this myself, but I don't think you have told me....

ommmward · 28/08/2014 21:03

In a way, it seems like the wrong question for my generation (mid 40s). My parents considered home schooling us but, at the time, Education Otherwise had NO OTHER FAMILIES on record as doing it in our county. Had I been home educated, it would have had the potential to be really pretty isolating and lonely, for us to have been thrown very much together with only our siblings (yeah, I've been reading too much Caitlin Moran).

But now? There are so many families home educating in my area, both in the city and in the surrounding countryside, that there are multiple (and intersecting) home ed groups, there's a huge amount of peer support available - it's just a different animal.

I'd be interested in hearing from people who are in their early 20s and were home educated, because they might well be fairly representative of the experience that my own children are likely to come out having had. Except that, of course, there are as many ways of HEing as there are people doing it.

Nigglenaggle · 28/08/2014 21:09

I do think as well, that because being home educated is an unusual choice, it's an easy target to blame all your problems on. But those of us who went to school had things go badly for us too...

rocketeer · 28/08/2014 21:10

I am mid thirties and was. Went on to uni and have a professional qualification. We were home-schooled due to an incident that happened in a school and my parents felt the need to remove me and my two sisters. We used to meet up with other families quite frequently who were also home-schooled but it was rare to meet others nearby that were. I was never ashamed by it!

DoYouThinkSheSawUs · 28/08/2014 21:21

I know one "proper" grown up and several young adults who were HEed

The "grown up" was only HEd for primary but seems fine. Hasn't yet fulfilled her academic potential however, and is incredibly disparaging of the current primary system and National curriculum.

The young adults are a mix. All same family (large!). The ones who returned to school/college at 16 seem. To be doing well and either holding down jobs or at uni. The ones who didn't can't seem to hold down a job :(

InvaderZim · 31/08/2014 23:59

I wasn't but I have a very good friend who was, I only learned he was HS'ed (US) 10 years or so after we became friends! He's 40 and an engineer.

Polonium · 01/09/2014 10:41

stressedHEmum "MY DS2 was home ed, he's 21 now and in 2nd year at St. Andrews uni, so it hasn't done him any harm."

What a weird thing to say. It's possible to have suffered from being HE but still gain admission to even the most elite universities.

Hakluyt - that explains so much about you.

Greenrememberedhills · 01/09/2014 10:47

My son had a music teacher who was home schooled abroad by his English family.We met him through our local school, where he also worked. He was utterly charming, and everyone loved him. He's now a successful musician.

Polonium · 01/09/2014 11:04

HE is very variable. One HE family will be broad-minded, well-educated and engage in a broad range of social and cultural activities. The next HE family will be narrow-minded, poorly educated and entirely isolate themselves from the community.

Hakluyt · 01/09/2014 11:06

"Hakluyt - that explains so much about you."

Just noticed this- would you care to expand?

morethanpotatoprints · 01/09/2014 15:46

I know a family of 6 who are all grown up now, who were all H.ed
The youngest is at uni and doing ok, her siblings have all done well in their chosen careers and progressing very well.
They all seem happy about their education and two of them are H.edding their dc now.

Twotallladies · 01/09/2014 16:05

Famously, Caitin Moran was HE and is now an award wiinning journalist for the Times. She's written a lot about it.

Nigglenaggle · 01/09/2014 20:48

Polonium what you say about HE families in your second post could apply to any family. What's your point?

DocDaneeka · 01/09/2014 20:55

My senior manager ar work is mid forties and was HE.

Very well rounded, balanced individual with excellent general knowledge. Ultimately he was Educated to postgraduate level at uni, HE till A level. He says the only issue he has was that as a kid he related better to adults than kids, because he just didn't mix with groups of kids that often.

Having been HE IS Nowt to be ashamed of.

Polonium · 02/09/2014 08:25

Nigglenaggle - well just that it's pointless comparing the outcomes for everyone HE because they differ wildly. It's the same thing as asking 'people who went to school, how are you doing in life?'

Hakluyt · 02/09/2014 08:34

""Hakluyt - that explains so much about you."

Just noticed this- would you care to expand?"

Polonium · 02/09/2014 08:43

Hakluyt I would expand but won't as I don't want to out your name change.