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RE: Raising Unusual Kids ? (Question Mark!)

As a teacher myself, not sure how I feel about this one:

We're seeing more and more mental health and behavioral issues with traditionally schooled children

This is more a case against bad schooling, rather than for homeschooling - and most schools fail in quality if you ask me (which IS a case for homeschooling lol)

Rewards agreeableness and placidity,

To an extent this is definitely desirable, especially now, where people have grown up instinctively understanding they can say whatever they want to anyone they feel like, safely behind a screen. Frankly, kids need to learn that there are real consequences to their behaviour, like being punched in the face by people bigger than you, rather than simply 'blocked'.

Presumably, these kids are encouraged to a much greater extent to pursue their passions and interests and talents,

In a perfect world. A lot of this is survivorship bias though. I used to work with a homeschooled guy and he was great. A talented cellist, mathematician, charming, handsome, happily married and I think Christian. Everybody liked him. Points to homeschooling!

But on the flip side, a friend of one of my family members 'home school' their kid, by which it means they sit at home scrolling on an iPad and scream for whatever they want every day, and have fallen years behind in education standards to the point it's now impossible to integrate back into society, too scared to even go to the shops.

We don't often hear about those homeschooled 'weird' kids.

Being unusual, or usual, is perfectly fine either way to me. I certainly turned out very different despite being public schooled. But the dangers that come with homeschooling have to be addressed strictly, and there are one too many parents who think they can teach every subject all day, or their community can share the load and all happen to be scholars in education. In most cases, I doubt it.

And where older children were invited to participate in tasks alongside adults.

This does happen in a good school - I work in one where Grade 9-12 all intermingle in classes. Sure, not adults, but teachers are encouraged to participate in sports, talent shows, etc too, definitely a start.

I think there's something to be said, good and bad, about both, and they're still evolving and changing to this day (for better or worse), seemingly society still hasn't quite figured out the right balance yet. It's tough!