I suppose some parents choose to homeschool to exert an extraordinary amount of control over their children out of fear just as some parents won’t let their child climb a tree. But I think you’ll find (if you were to look) that a majority of home educators choose to do so with the goal of allowing their children to pursue their own interests in their own time as one of their higher goals.

That is actually one of our reasons for homeschooling. Do we know their friends and parents? Yeah. That’s just being responsible. Do we operate out of fear? Nope. A fearful parent creates fearful children. If you met mine, I have a feeling that “fearful” and “overparented” wouldn’t be words you would use.

So many times I’ve been part of a group that included school parents and they start talking about school — teachers their children had, homework, what track their child is in, etc. It struck me that they were overinvolved with their kids — these parents had some time to talk to adults while the kids weren’t there and they chose to talk about their kids and school. It’s at these times that I often find myself looking for non-parents or other adults who seem to be interested in talking about the books they’re reading or politics or anything but the kids.

I homeschool, I know about my kids. I don’t assume you are interested in what they are reading, thinking, or learning unless you ask me. I am certainly not going to offer up this information as a way to compete with others. It’s harder to compare homeschooled kids and I like it that way.

At one time, parents expected to know where their kids were at and with whom they were with.

I still do. That’s not “over parenting”. That’s being a responsible parent. If more parents were doing this, there would be less drug/alcohol abuse with our kids and less teen pregnancy’s.

At one time, parents had to meet their kids friends AND their parents.

I still do. That’s not “over parenting”. That’s being a responsible parent. If more parents did this, their would be less child molestation, less drug/alcohol abuse, and less teen pregnancy.

At one time, parents had moral standards and their kids were expected to meet those standards.

I still do. That’s not “over parenting”. That’s being a responsible parent. If more parents did this, we’d have less crime, more mutual respect for one another, and a better society.

Because I homeschool, my kids can participate in several different activities each week without it being “over scheduled”. That’s part of the beauty of homeschooling.

But because of my homeschooling, my son will also take a couple trips overseas in the next 2 years. He will also participate on a college campus early…is that over parenting?

I think he will get more diversity, more cultural experience, and more socializing than the average public/private school student.

I was 33 before I realized what I wanted. I’d been dragged the whole way through top schools and pushed the achieve. I shutter to think of all the effort and money wasted on me. The most valuable things I’ve learned have been the things I’ve pursued on my own. I know it was done out of love, but it puts the horse before the cart.

Yep, overparenting is the current greatest threat to western civilization. Absolutely Bro. I’m with you, chapter and verse…

…not!

I also find it odd when some teachers accuse parents of caring too much yet the teachers and school staff like to insert their opinion the child and force the parent to sometimes make changes to do what the school staff wants for the child.

I base this opinion on what my teacher friends and teacher relatives tell me, what my teacher aide acquaintences tell me, interactions my relatives and friends have with the school staff their kids attend as well as opinions of teachers who share thoughts on their blogs.

I’m a homeschooling mother who cares and loves her children. If my children ever wind up in a school, public or private I will still care and love my children.