Public vs. Private School

[Soul_Patch]

Curious what the collective thinks here about private vs. public school. Unfortunately we live in a somewhat less than desirable public school district (Taft). Our son is 5 years old and will start school after this summer. We have been looking at all kinds of options for school, including moving out to Boerne to be in some better school districts.

If our house doesn't sell, we have been considering private school, but it seems to range from 3500ish for church based schools and up to around 15K for top notch secular schools (St. Mary's Hall, Keystone). We have found a decent school in the middle of the pack at around 7400 a year for elementary school. Would run a 740 a month in 10 payments with a bevy of other fees due here and there. That isnt a drop in the bucket, and we are trying to decide whether or not it is worth it.

How many of you guys send your kids to private school and has it been worth the cost? Do you apply for and get any financial aid? Is it loans or scholarships or both? I really don't want to take on any debt, but I have heard many times that it is almost like prepaying for college as a lot of these schools turn out 90% or more of their students to top notch colleges.

Thanks for the info!

[cantthinkofanything]

We send our daughter to private school. The big benefits are the smaller classes and some insulation to the problems associated with public schools. While there are some of the same issues, they are not as prevalent. And for the most part, you can assume that the other kids at the school are from similar backgrounds with parents that are involved and concerned about them. Also, if your child likes sports, there is a much better chance of them getting to play. My daughter is a decent athlete but there's no way she'd get the amount of time she's getting right now in soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc. This fills her time with something positive rather than hanging out with friends trying to find something to do. Idle hands and all that.

The downsides, which are substantial IMO, are 1) how sheltered and unaware she is of what goes on outside of her school and 2) having such a small class where she's not really getting the diversity of a larger school and meeting and getting along with kids from different backgrounds. We're concerned that it's breeding a naivete that could eventually hurt her when she has to get out in the real world.

Of course the downsides are direct consequences of the reasons why we put her there in the first place. But for us anyway, the pros outweigh the cons.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i went to private for both

primary school just let them enjoy being a kid man, no point wasting money on upperclass primary schools...

[cantthinkofanything]

i went to private for both

primary school just let them enjoy being a kid man, no point wasting money on upperclass primary schools...

Did you go to Catholic school?

There wasn't any aspect of my daughter's elementary school experience that kept her from being a kid. In fact, because of the smaller classes and relative ease in dealing with them, they were allowed more freedom than had they been in a public school with 20+ kids in the room.

And by 4th and 5th grade, there is a very noticeable difference in what they are exposed to in public vs. private. No matter how attentive you are to what your kid is exposed to at home, you're putting them in an environment where they will be in contact with kids with parents who don't care what they see or watch on TV or internet.

[Drachen]

Curious what the collective thinks here about private vs. public school. Unfortunately we live in a somewhat less than desirable public school district (Taft). Our son is 5 years old and will start school after this summer. We have been looking at all kinds of options for school, including moving out to Boerne to be in some better school districts.

If our house doesn't sell, we have been considering private school, but it seems to range from 3500ish for church based schools and up to around 15K for top notch secular schools (St. Mary's Hall, Keystone). We have found a decent school in the middle of the pack at around 7400 a year for elementary school. Would run a 740 a month in 10 payments with a bevy of other fees due here and there. That isnt a drop in the bucket, and we are trying to decide whether or not it is worth it.

How many of you guys send your kids to private school and has it been worth the cost? Do you apply for and get any financial aid? Is it loans or scholarships or both? I really don't want to take on any debt, but I have heard many times that it is almost like prepaying for college as a lot of these schools turn out 90% or more of their students to top notch colleges.

Thanks for the info!

I have my daughter in private school and it costs in the area of 6000-6500 a year after all fees are accounted for. We love it for the fact that there are smaller class sizes (her kindergarten class is about 18 kids and there are 2 teachers in each kindergarten class). Also, one of the main reasons that private school was important to me was that I went to St. Monica's in Converse when I was a child (until 4th grade) and by the time I moved to public school, I was nearly a year and a half ahead of where they were at. True to form, my daughter is learning things that seem to be ahead of the curve for her age group (in fact the lady at her day care tells me that she gets kids to work on their homework and my daughter's is most challenging). My wife mentioned to me that she loves the fact that when we drop off our daughter in the car line, that the teachers working the car line always take the time to say hi to my daughter and pay attention to the kids because when she was taking my step daughter to car line when she was little at a public school, the teachers would either be talking to each other or just otherwise not paying attention to the kids. CTOA also brings up a good point in that the parents are paying for this so you can bet that they are involved. Worst case scenario, a household must volunteer at least 10 hours a year at the school.

I don't know if all schools have it, but if you were worried about the expense, there is a program (at least at our school) where you can be one of the guys selling beer/wine at the stands at spurs games and other att center events and you get a percentage of the sales of your stand taken off of your monthly tuition. Also, the tuition at our school is spread over 12 (instead of 10 months). Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Spur|n|Austin]

I went to St. Louis School in Austin from 1st grade through 8th and then went on to public high school. When I have kids I will most likely do the same with them, it was a great experience. You get a better education, imo as you get more attention from the teacher with the smaller classes, there's no drugs or violence, and they also teach good morals. My girl is a teacher at a public middle school and it's rough, things that I had no idea about as a kid. That brings up the argument that one may be a bit sheltered though and more prone to being bad once they get to high school or college but it didn't happen to me or all the kids I went to school with. All that I am still in contact with are successful and happy.

[Soul_Patch]

I have my daughter in private school and it costs in the area of 6000-6500 a year after all fees are accounted for. We love it for the fact that there are smaller class sizes (her kindergarten class is about 18 kids and there are 2 teachers in each kindergarten class). Also, one of the main reasons that private school was important to me was that I went to St. Monica's in Converse when I was a child (until 4th grade) and by the time I moved to public school, I was nearly a year and a half ahead of where they were at. True to form, my daughter is learning things that seem to be ahead of the curve for her age group (in fact the lady at her day care tells me that she gets kids to work on their homework and my daughter's is most challenging). My wife mentioned to me that she loves the fact that when we drop off our daughter in the car line, that the teachers working the car line always take the time to say hi to my daughter and pay attention to the kids because when she was taking my step daughter to car line when she was little at a public school, the teachers would either be talking to each other or just otherwise not paying attention to the kids. CTOA also brings up a good point in that the parents are paying for this so you can bet that they are involved. Worst case scenario, a household must volunteer at least 10 hours a year at the school.

I don't know if all schools have it, but if you were worried about the expense, there is a program (at least at our school) where you can be one of the guys selling beer/wine at the stands at spurs games and other att center events and you get a percentage of the sales of your stand taken off of your monthly tuition. Also, the tuition at our school is spread over 12 (instead of 10 months). Let me know if you have any other questions.

You mind sharing what school this is? If not, is it a secular school or a church based?

We are strongly considering Trinity United Methodist (4800 a year) or The Christian Montessori Academy (7800 a year)

Another concern I have is him making friends throughout primary school, then having to change schools and likely losing all those friends when he gets to middle or high school. Any of you that have went through that before, is it tough?

[cantthinkofanything]

You mind sharing what school this is? If not, is it a secular school or a church based?

We are strongly considering Trinity United Methodist (4800 a year) or The Christian Montessori Academy (7800 a year)

Another concern I have is him making friends throughout primary school, then having to change schools and likely losing all those friends when he gets to middle or high school. Any of you that have went through that before, is it tough?

It's always a little tough but not too bad as long as they are changing schools when that particular phase starts. If the middle school starts at 6th grade, it will be far easier on him if he joins the school then as opposed to 1 year later when cliques have already been formed. Same with high school.

[leemajors]

I can't afford private school so I have never thought about it. She is currently in second grade and her "aunt" that works there has helped her get the best teachers in every grade so far. She's lucky enough to be in the Any Given Child Fine Arts Initiative classroom at her school, the pilot classroom for Austin. Funding got approved recently to spread it throughout the school district.

[Drachen]

You mind sharing what school this is? If not, is it a secular school or a church based?

We are strongly considering Trinity United Methodist (4800 a year) or The Christian Montessori Academy (7800 a year)

Another concern I have is him making friends throughout primary school, then having to change schools and likely losing all those friends when he gets to middle or high school. Any of you that have went through that before, is it tough?

Check your PM.

As far as acclimating to a new school, the cool thing is the fact that parents are so involved so you will meet them and you will be able to help keep up friendships. Additionally, if you do it at a cut off (say when high school begins) there are a lot of parents who are going to do the same, so you might have a situation where several of your child's friends are going to the same high school at the same time. Lastly, kids are resilient, just try and support them through it.

[Blake]

Imo, no need to waste money on private elementary school.

I would consider sending the kid to a private middle school if you are worried about bullies; private high school for sports if they want to play but aren't great.

If your kid turns out to be big on academics or really good at sports, I'd recommend public high school.

if your kid turns out to be a lazy ass, then definitely don't waste a dime on private school.

[Drachen]

Imo, no need to waste money on private elementary school.

I would consider sending the kid to a private middle school if you are worried about bullies; private high school for sports if they want to play but aren't great.

If your kid turns out to be big on academics or really good at sports, I'd recommend public high school.

if your kid turns out to be a lazy ass, then definitely don't waste a dime on private school.

It's all about the foundation, that is why I think it is important.

[cantthinkofanything]

Imo, no need to waste money on private elementary school.

I would consider sending the kid to a private middle school if you are worried about bullies; private high school for sports if they want to play but aren't great.

If your kid turns out to be big on academics or really good at sports, I'd recommend public high school.

if your kid turns out to be a lazy ass, then definitely don't waste a dime on private school.


Waste of money?

Knowing and meeting every teacher and knowing with absolute certainty that they care about my child and her education? Putting her in a small class where the teacher's time is divided by 10 kids instead of 30? Letting her attend a school that lets her work at her own pace and can challenge her? Instead of holding her back to wait on 25 other kids that can't read yet? An environment that encourages her to think on her own, giving her the confidence to move on to the next level. Giving her every advantage I can in these formative years?

Best money I've ever spent tbh.

[Drachen]

Waste of money?

Knowing and meeting every teacher and knowing with absolute certainty that they care about my child and her education? Putting her in a small class where the teacher's time is divided by 10 kids instead of 30? Letting her attend a school that lets her work at her own pace and can challenge her? Instead of holding her back to wait on 25 other kids that can't read yet? An environment that encourages her to think on her own, giving her the confidence to move on to the next level. Giving her every advantage I can in these formative years?

Best money I've ever spent tbh.

http://www.lotsofneatstuff.com/sites/lotsofneatstuff.com/files/images/cristy/Truth%20bomb%20lt%20linen_preview.JPG

[leemajors]

lol absolute certainty.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Did you go to Catholic school?



yeh i did, nothing special about it.....at the end of the day it all comes down to ur kid if he/she is interested in learning new stuff....

whether your going to a co-ed or non co-ed school, if you have a competitive nature you can excel in any environment....

[DisAsTerBot]

there's plent of crappy teachers at private schools as well. Attended both and am really happy I was able to attend public school before attending a private high school. The kids I knew in private high school who had attended private their whole life were for the most part very sheltered. Be it socially, economically, they just didn't have a decent sample size of people. Just my experience obviously.

[lebomb]

Every girl that I knew that went to private schools most of their lives turned out to be the biggest lying, cheating, giving up the ass hoes. And Im not just talking about San Antonio. Its like they were sheltered their whole lives and then cut loose when they went to a public highshool or college.

[sonnytris]

It's not the schools. The same information is at both private or public? It's little Tommie who will not seek the information ? They expect someone to hand it to them /

[DisAsTerBot]

Every girl that I knew that went to private schools most of their lives turned out to be the biggest lying, cheating, giving up the ass hoes. And Im not just talking about San Antonio. Its like they were sheltered their whole lives and then cut loose when they went to a public highshool or college.

this. x10000 if it's catholic school

[DisAsTerBot]

Also, attending catholic high school really helped me to see the bullshit of organized religion (catholicism especially). That is something I will be forever grateful for.

[Drachen]

It's not the schools. The same information is at both private or public? It's little Tommie who will not seek the information ? They expect someone to hand it to them /

The smaller class sizes aren't available in public schools. Let's set all of that aside though and assume that all else is equal. Everyone says that parental engagement is one of the biggest problems in education today. Well, private schools don't seem to have the same problem with that that public schools do.

[cantthinkofanything]

yeh i did, nothing special about it.....at the end of the day it all comes down to ur kid if he/she is interested in learning new stuff.... whether your going to a co-ed or non co-ed school, if you have a competitive nature you can excel in any environment.... That wasn't my point to your first comment. You mentioned not sending them to private school because they needed to still be kids. Which sounds like someone who's been subjected to the oppressive teaching of a Catholic school.

[I. Hustle]

Private School = COMPLETE waste of time. Only morons shell out cash to send their kids to them.

[Blake]

Waste of money?

sorry, but that's my opinion based on my circumstance.

My kid is doing great in public school and there about 18 kids in her class, so for me, I see paying private elementary school tuition as a waste.

If you see it as an investment, great.

[Drachen]

That wasn't my point to your first comment. You mentioned not sending them to private school because they needed to still be kids. Which sounds like someone who's been subjected to the oppressive teaching of a Catholic school.

funny you say that. I got the paddle for the first time in the second semester of fourth grade for fighting. Two weeks after I moved to public school.

[cantthinkofanything]

funny you say that. I got the paddle for the first time in the second semester of fourth grade for fighting. Two weeks after I moved to public school.

LOL. I went to Catholic school as well. At the time, it was the only decent (from an educational standpoint) private school where I lived. But yeah...that shit will wear you down. Theology class, chapel, etc. I agree 100% with whatever poster above said it opened their eyes to the hypocrisy of that particular organized religion.

[Drachen]

LOL. I went to Catholic school as well. At the time, it was the only decent (from an educational standpoint) private school where I lived. But yeah...that shit will wear you down. Theology class, chapel, etc. I agree 100% with whatever poster above said it opened their eyes to the hypocrisy of that particular organized religion.

I guess you could say the same about me that in a very nascent way it led to my atheism. I remember I had an issue with one of the things being taught in religion class because it didn't seem to jive with the other stuff and my teacher told me that it was healthy to actively question these things and my faith as if the answer comes back on the side of what is being taught, my faith would be substantially stronger. She then went on and told me that it is a good idea to test long held beliefs and knowledge no matter the subject or authority as it is a bad idea to take things for granted.

This teacher was when I was in 2nd grade

[Drachen]

I honestly didn't get worn down at all. It wasn't all nuns and hand slapping at my school.

[DisAsTerBot]

I didn't get worn down either. We were actually educated (not indoctrinated) in our theology classes which was refreshing. Also it was high school so we had plenty of questions and criticisms which were all welcomed. Come to think of it, all of my high school friends (raised catholic) i still keep in touch with are atheists.

[Soul_Patch]

Private School = COMPLETE waste of time. Only morons shell out cash to send their kids to them.

Thank you for the very well thought out and thorough response. :\

[cantthinkofanything]

I honestly didn't get worn down at all. It wasn't all nuns and hand slapping at my school.

Mine wasn't that bad either. There was no physical punishment at all. It was a mix of a few old school nuns and priests with some very open minded progressive teachers. The teachers that were too open minded were often let go. A couple of these were among the best teachers I've ever had. This coupled with the aspect of having to take Theology every day and then attend mass every Friday caused some resentment by the time I graduated.

[I. Hustle]

I guess you could say the same about me that in a very nascent way it led to my atheism. I remember I had an issue with one of the things being taught in religion class because it didn't seem to jive with the other stuff and my teacher told me that it was healthy to actively question these things and my faith as if the answer comes back on the side of what is being taught, my faith would be substantially stronger. She then went on and told me that it is a good idea to test long held beliefs and knowledge no matter the subject or authority as it is a bad idea to take things for granted.

This teacher was in 2nd grade

They let 2nd graders teach at your school? That's just ridiculous. No wonder you are so confused.

[I. Hustle]

Thank you for the very well thought out and thorough response. :\

No prob, Bob!

[Drachen]

fixed thanks

They let 2nd graders teach at your school? That's just ridiculous. No wonder you are so confused.

[bus driver]

wheres the poll? :pctoss


public hands down. private school = no social skills, sense of entitlement and 26.2 stickers on their vehicles.

[cantthinkofanything]

wheres the poll? :pctoss


public hands down. private school = no social skills, sense of entitlement and 26.2 stickers on their vehicles.

bullshit. by far the biggest bunch of entitled pricks I've ever know were the rich kids from the public school. not even close.

[LakasRool4eva]

private all the way...........................its the best education money can buy u.....................................

[bus driver]

bullshit. by far the biggest bunch of entitled pricks I've ever know were the rich kids from the public school. not even close.


i call BS on your BS

[Blake]

bullshit. by far the biggest bunch of entitled pricks I've ever know were the rich kids from the public school. not even close.

Rich kids are usually entitled pricks to start.

More rich kids than not at private schools.

[Blake]

... and 26.2 stickers on their vehicles.

Lol

[DesignatedT]

Most people I meet who went to private school tend to be socially awkward and inept. Not always the case but definitely more prevalent compared to those growing up in public school.

[leemajors]

bullshit. by far the biggest bunch of entitled pricks I've ever know were the rich kids from the public school. not even close.

Dude, I saw School Ties. I call BS.

[symple19]

wheres the poll? :pctoss


public hands down. private school = no social skills, sense of entitlement and 26.2 stickers on their vehicles.

:lol

This pretty much sums it up

My parents sent me to private school when we lived in Alabama, but otherwise I went to public schools.

In the unfortunate situation where I find myself with kid(s), they are absolutely going to public school. Kids need to be around other children from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, races, religions, and so on. If you as a parent stay on them, pay attention to their friends and stress good grades, they will have every bit as good of a chance as their snooty private school counterparts of educational excellence. They'll also be way ahead in terms of social skills and hold a more realistic worldview.

Jmo

[FkLA]

My first reaction to this thread was why waste money on private school. But honestly Id cringe if I knew my child was exposed and part of alot of the things I was in public school, so Id probably dish out the money on private school too tbh.

[Juggity]

Never had a problem with public education tbh. Allows saving more for college, etc.

I can imagine there are places where the public schools are bad, but I've never seen one that was so bad it would be worth shelling out that much extra in tuition just to avoid it.

[symple19]

And holy fuck but who would send their poor children to Catholic school? Indoctrination anyone? Want your daughter to be a whore? Sure i'm generalizing, but that doesn't change the fact that I got my dick sucked for the first time by a catholic school girl when I was 14 (and she was 13).

Oh, and...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnODDqYUoUs

[jeebus]

When I went back to school, I met kids who were from private and public schools. yeah, the private school kids were a bit more shy but they were light years ahead of the public school kids, educationally. I remember one girl who said she was in all these honors classes while in her public high school but she was dumber than a bag of dog testicles. The private school kids eventually came out of their shell but damn, those public school kids were a lost cause. Hopefully their social skills pay the bills.

[TDMVPDPOY]

When I went back to school, I met kids who were from private and public schools. yeah, the private school kids were a bit more shy but they were light years ahead of the public school kids, educationally. I remember one girl who said she was in all these honors classes while in her public high school but she was dumber than a bag of dog testicles. The private school kids eventually came out of their shell but damn, those public school kids were a lost cause. Hopefully their social skills pay the bills.

u do know there are elite public schools right? that gets as much funding as the top private schools but too bad the govt cant achieve this sort of level with the rest of the public system schools...

[SourCandy]

Every girl that I knew that went to private schools most of their lives turned out to be the biggest lying, cheating, giving up the ass hoes. And Im not just talking about San Antonio. Its like they were sheltered their whole lives and then cut loose when they went to a public highshool or college.


Sad but true.



http://www.lotsofneatstuff.com/sites/lotsofneatstuff.com/files/images/cristy/Truth%20bomb%20lt%20linen_preview.JPG

[Bobby Boucher]

public schools are a joke gotta go to a private one if you want to get anywhere in life or learn anything tbh

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

The honors program at a lot of public schools is really good, but if your kid is in regular classes, don't expect for him/her to have a productive k-12 education at all. The public high school I went to had a better math program than you'll find at most private high schools (and I know this because my friends who went to the premier private HS in Phoenix were always hitting me up for help), but that's largely idiosyncratic. I feel extremely lucky to have gotten the education I did at a public high school. If there's a public high school in an area where you live known for a great honors program, do whatever you can to get your kid a variance and into that program. They get the social skills/street smarts of a public school and the education of a private school.

[ploto]

My child has attended Catholic school his entire life. It is a choice with which I am very happy. However, the primary reason I made the choice was for the religious environment - a place where they can pray in school and where our religious values can be taught. I also liked the fact that other parents sent their kids there for the same reason. Parents are involved and care what is happening and that is part of what makes a difference. The school was not perfect, but I think it suited my kid the best - given his personality and his academic interest. We also went the co-ed route the whole way through because I am not a fan of single gender schools.

Do not send your kid to a private school based on a belief that the classes will always be smaller. That is not true at many schools - especially the bigger Catholic schools that have people on waiting lists. The size of the class is really not the difference. It is the environment in which a teacher can handle 25 kids with no problem as compared to 20 kids who are less disciplined.

Also know that there is a difference between a private school like Keystone and a Catholic Parish school. Lots of people who are not rich at all send their kids to Catholic school. Some work a second job.

Also, know that small private schools do not have the programs if your child has any sort of special need - unless it is a private school dedicated to that special need. If your first grader needs speech or your kid is dyslexic, the public schools have the programs for you that the small private schools do not.

[Latarian Milton]

primary school ain't gonna matter as much as middle or high school in terms of the chance to enter a top-notch university. kids should have more fun outside of school in their childhood imho. private school might be more expensive but imho it's well worth the extra fee, while most public schools ain't worth a damn. for sure its a better option to send your kids to a private school rather than public school if your finance permits but primary school ain't a key element for kids' future successes imho. just be a good parent, being your kids' role model rather than their best friend and letting them have as much fun as they want through their childhoods tbh

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

My child has attended Catholic school his entire life. It is a choice with which I am very happy. However, the primary reason I made the choice was for the religious environment - a place where they can pray in school and where our religious values can be taught. I also liked the fact that other parents sent their kids there for the same reason. Parents are involved and care what is happening and that is part of what makes a difference. The school was not perfect, but I think it suited my kid the best - given his personality and his academic interest. We also went the co-ed route the whole way through because I am not a fan of single gender schools.

Do not send your kid to a private school based on a belief that the classes will always be smaller. That is not true at many schools - especially the bigger Catholic schools that have people on waiting lists. The size of the class is really not the difference. It is the environment in which a teacher can handle 25 kids with no problem as compared to 20 kids who are less disciplined.

Also know that there is a difference between a private school like Keystone and a Catholic Parish school. Lots of people who are not rich at all send their kids to Catholic school. Some work a second job.

Also, know that small private schools do not have the programs if your child has any sort of special need - unless it is a private school dedicated to that special need. If your first grader needs speech or your kid is dyslexic, the public schools have the programs for you that the small private schools do not.
So you wanted to indoctrinate your kids into a religion that promotes child molesting and ensure they'd never question it by brainwashing them. Great parenting.

[bus driver]

:lol

This pretty much sums it up

My parents sent me to private school when we lived in Alabama, but otherwise I went to public schools.

In the unfortunate situation where I find myself with kid(s), they are absolutely going to public school. Kids need to be around other children from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, races, religions, and so on. If you as a parent stay on them, pay attention to their friends and stress good grades, they will have every bit as good of a chance as their snooty private school counterparts of educational excellence. They'll also be way ahead in terms of social skills and hold a more realistic worldview.

Jmo


private school in alabama???.......you aint got ta to lie, craig

[z0sa]

Private school is much better up to high school IMHO. at high school its time to let your kids get valuable life experience. Additionally the curriculums are essentially the same at that point.

[symple19]

private school in alabama???.......you aint got ta to lie, craig

what the fuck are you talking about? try English

[to21]

:lol Taft HS if by far not the worst HS to attend here in SA. In fact, the magnet school attached to Taft (Comm Arts) is one of the best in the country...just apply to that school.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Arts_High_School

[bus driver]

what the fuck are you talking about? try English

it wont be funny if i have to explain it.

[symple19]

it wont be funny if i have to explain it.

Oh...Okay. Must be a mookie crew-ism?

[spursncowboys]

Oh...Okay. Must be a mookie crew-ism?
I took it as a swype about bama. because bama is poor therefore wouldn't have money and therefore wouldn't have private schools.

Also the line is from the movie Friday. When Craig's gf thought he was cheating on her.

[bus driver]

^
ty

[Kori Ellis]

Our kids are preschool age. We considered private school, but we decided we are going to homeschool. I know there are a lot of preconceived notions about homeschooled kids -- lack of socialization, blah blah. But if you do it right, it can be ideal for your kids. We like the flexibility of it -- time-wise, curriculum-wise, and all around. We are also going to supplement it with a private tutor in our home.

[spursncowboys]

Our kids are preschool age. We considered private school, but we decided we are going to homeschool. I know there are a lot of preconceived notions about homeschooled kids -- lack of socialization, blah blah. But if you do it right, it can be ideal for your kids. We like the flexibility of it -- time-wise, curriculum-wise, and all around. We are also going to supplement it with a private tutor in our home.
All the socializing stuff and "education" from pre-k evens out by second grade. My oldest went to private pre-k and still had trouble with the structure of kindergarten.

[Lincoln]

All I know is by the time I got into HS all the homeschooled kids were either snobby elitists or socially awkward

[Kori Ellis]

All I know is by the time I got into HS all the homeschooled kids were either snobby elitists or socially awkward

Yeah I think that used to be pretty common because a lot of parents who homeschooled kept their kids pretty sheltered from other kids.

But I think if you make an effort for your kids to be involved with sports and other activities, that shouldn't happen. Our four kids are all 3- and 4-years-old but even now they have a lot of social interaction -- sports classes, music class, gymnastics, local homeschool group activities, etc.

Anyway, we are going to try it and see how it goes.

[ploto]

Yeah I think that used to be pretty common because a lot of parents who homeschooled kept their kids pretty sheltered from other kids.

But I think if you make an effort for your kids to be involved with sports and other activities, that shouldn't happen. Our four kids are all 3- and 4-years-old but even now they have a lot of social interaction -- sports classes, music class, gymnastics, local homeschool group activities, etc.

Anyway, we are going to try it and see how it goes.

I considered it at one time. I was primarily interested in my kid not wasting time on busy work and on having the flexibility to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. With multiple kids, it is also cheaper than private school to homeschool them and then pay for private tutors or camps for extra instruction. There are also many more groups of homeschooling families that get together than in the beginning.