I strongly feel public school does not have a monopoly on teaching tolerance or social skills. Homeschooling isn't for every family, but it has been a great fit for us so far. I'm all for teaching kids stick-to-it-iveness, but there are many ways to achieve that.
For me this sums it up beautifully. After JK we decided to homeschool because DDs anxiety was through the roof. She was so overwhelmed that she wouldn't drink or eat all day. She quickly figured out that if she didn't drink, she wouldn't have to hold her pee for 7 hours. She cried at school, and was so upset that she was often sent to the office to sit and wait until I could go and get her. She was an emotional and physical mess even on the days that I didn't pick her up early. Socially it was a nightmare for her. While our first year of homeschool was tough in many ways, her social skills have flourished. It's amazing to see how she has learned to cope out there in the world. I've always been impressed with how well 'homeschooled' kids handle themselves socially. When homeschooling you can really focus on the areas most important to your child's development. If anxiety is the issue, then you can start there at a pace and in an environment that is best for your child. I know that if I would have left my DD in school her anxiety would have become much worse.
Annaliisa
