Ditto what kimck, questions and Lorel said--I've never seen competitiveness here. If anything, I've seen moms finding an outlet to *complain* about how hard these kids are, not bragging and certainly no one wishing they were smarter (and thus harder)! Most of the sharing I've seen has been for the purpose of helping another parents or making someone feel better about their own kids, never worse! Any "bragging" has been of the celebratory type, the "share the joy" variety, which we all like.
As for anyone on the forum saying that HSing is "best," I don't think that's happened. I certainly wouldn't ever say that. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
HSing is a valid educational option for HG+ kids--one of many!--and since it's the one that's most unfamiliar to people, we tend to spend a good bit of time explaining about it when people ask. That's only natural.
However, when people ask about it, we try to present the pros and cons. There are a lot of pros, for sure! But there are also some cons. I always mention that I'm finding that as I am an introvert, I need more alone time than I'm getting right now. I have also mentioned some minor problems with my son not wanting to do his math, and if you're both mom and teacher, that sort of mild rebellion is an issue you must deal with. So I *know* I've shown some cons as well as pros.
The truth is, though, there aren't a whole lot of cons to HSing, at least not in my experience, and I'd say Lorel and others would say the same, especially when weighed against the pros and cons of our respective former bricks-and-mortar schools. That doesn't mean HSing is "best" for everyone. It isn't, I'm sure! But in some cases, it is a better option than traditional school settings. Each parent has to weigh the options and decide what fits that family's situation.
I know many extroverts who are having a glorious time with HSing. They just do a lot more out-of-the-house activities and have a lot more playdates than my semi-introverted child and I (very introverted!) have.
What would be hardest, I would think, would be to have a highly extroverted child and a highly introverted parent/teacher. That would be a very difficult situation, and I don't think I'd recommend HSing to that person, at least not unless the parent could regularly drop her child off for activities and/or had lots of help with childcare.
I am finding it hard to be objective about DD3 and her path a lot of the time.
Just a post for my need.
What is your need, exactly? Objectivity? I'm not sure I understand. I'd be happy to try to help, but I'm not sure I know what exactly you're asking.
