Reply #181: Re: I am gonna support you on this, even though I might get flamed

[BigEdMustapha]

Quote - "I wish that home school parents would stop being so defensive"

I think the biggest reason for being defensive is fear - that they may have to submit to state-mandated tests, that they may have to send their kids back to public schools, but most of all that they may be failing in their mission to educate their kids. It's easy for public school parents to blame the teacher, or the administration, or the textbooks, etc. But when it comes to homeschooling, there is absolutely nobody to blame but yourself. So homeschool parents become defensive to any questions or attacks because they are fearful of that failure.

As a homeschooling parent myself, I understand this fear. But I feel that I would be doing my kids and myself a disservice if I did not at least engage in discussion with professional educators. I am not so fearful to think I have nothing to learn from them - and I wish more homeschool parents would feel the same way. As a matter of fact, I think both sides could learn much from conversation and maybe lead to a less antagonistic relationship between the two sides...