People give many reasons for not liking the idea of homeschooling, whether they are considering it or they know someone else who is. Chief among the reasons they give is "socialization." People hate the idea that there are kids out there that aren't having the same experience as the other kids. They fear, among other things, that the kids are going to grow up not knowing how to relate to other kids, that they won't have a shared body of knowledge, and about a hundred other, made-up fears.
This is a false problem though, in my opinion. I went to school for something like 17 years. You can ask anyone who knew me in middle school, I didn't fit in at all. In fact, I still consider those the worst years of my life. But why? According to the theory that sending a kid to school, they will be socialized the same as the other kids. I should have fit in, I had the same opportunities as the other kids, the same shared school experience. But I didn't. So I spent three years crying almost every day after school because the other kids were mean.
Something happened today at Harry's school that makes me even more deeply skeptical of the socialization occurring at school. A kid said something that in any other situation would have gotten him sued for sexual harassment. But since it happened at the school, it's supposed to help Harry become properly socialized and learn to deal with people as he grows up.
Here's the thing. Harry is a normal 8-year-old kid. There is absolutely no reason for him to hear other 8-year-olds say things like he heard today. Not even so that he can be properly socialized. No reason whatsoever.
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