'Do not homeschool your kids. You are NOT up to it.': Former homeschoolers share why they think parents should not homeschool their kids

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Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
May 8, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

Homeschooling is one of those things that everyone has a strong opinion about. As a public schooler for life, I can't speak to the experience of kids who were never in a traditional school environment, but I know for certain that I would've hated it. I love being around people, and I get kind of batty if I spend too much time by myself (I learned that lesson well 5 years ago). I went to a big school, so walking down the hallways to see a bunch of kids, some of whom I didn't even know after years of schooling, made me feel at peace. I know I'm in the minority who could romanticize public school like that.

I'm not one of those people who think that every homeschooler in the country is socially stunted, because it is true that some kids need to learn separately from their peer group to properly thrive. 

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  • That said, it is easy for parents to fall for pro-homeschooling propaganda without seriously considering whether they're up for it and if it's the right choice for their family. A former homeschooler who hated the education they received took to Reddit to share their story, and many other homeschoolers agreed with them in the comments.

  • 01

    "From a former homeschooler: Do not homeschool your kids. You are NOT up to it."

    It's insane to me that anyone thinks this is a good idea. If you think you can do a better job by yourself than the ENTIRE public school system, you're wrong, you can't.
    via u/pinche_latifundistas
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10502925312
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 03
    If you think you'll have time during the day to homeschool your kid, and do your housework/cooking/errands, you're wrong, you won't.
    via u/pinche_latifundistas
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10502925568
    via Yunus Tuğ (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 05
    If you think you'll be a good teacher, you're wrong, you won't. How's your knowledge of 7th grade level math? Oh, you're 34 and went to college so it should be easy right? Again, you're wrong. You are not an educator.
    via u/pinche_latifundistas
  • 06
    2x+x-7 x₁+x2-3x=-10 6x2 - 2x3 + x 4 = 7 2x3 -3x4 = 13
    via Antoine Dautry

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 07
    If you have depre s on or ADHD, absolutely do not homeschool your kids. If you think it's okay for a mom to homeschool her kids and sleep all day 3 times a week, you're wrong and you're stupid.
    via u/pinche_latifundistas
  • 08
    Finally, and this is the most important one, kids don't want to be homeschooled. Your kids don't want to be home with you all day. Sorry.
    via u/pinche_latifundistas
  • 09
    Right now I have 9 missed calls from my mom. Wanna know when I plan on calling her back? I'll tell you. never
    via u/pinche_latifundistas
  • 10
    Christy_Grace973 I went to a fundie lite college, and the guy I dated for two years started telling me that he wanted to work while I was homeschooling the kids because it "worked for his parents". When I pointed out that his Mom had a Master's degree in Education and that I definitely wasn't equipped to teach subjects like math/algebra or science, he got mopey and weird. I also told him that (he wanted 4 kids) I wasn't equipped to or comfortable with homeschooling several kids with different ed
    via u/Christy_Grace973
  • 11
    I also told him I'd be more than willing to work if he wanted to stay home with the kids and he got very uncomfortable. “I don't know if I'd be okay with that” THEN DON'T ASK ME TO DO IT So glad I got out of that atmosphere
    via u/Christy_Grace973
  • 12
    Floomby I feel like it's low key just another way to pile unpaid work onto women to prevent their independence.
    via u/Floomby
  • 13
    RedReaper666YT I can barely understand the homework my high- schooler & elementary schooler bring home half the time; no way in h || am I trying to do their teachers jobs.
    via u/RedReaper666YT
  • 14
    It's not just the reading, math, and science we send kids to school for. One of the biggest things kids get from school is social interaction. They learn how to behave around others. I feel like home-school kids lack that (which in turn makes their life harder).
    via u/RedReaper666YT
  • 15
    moneymone Schools offer way more than just academics— social skills, teamwork, and handling real-life situations. Homeschooling can never replicate that kind of environment or experience.
    via u/moneymone
  • 16
    noahboah One of the biggest things kids get from school is social interaction. We are quite literally not prepared for how damaged and socially atrophied an entire generation of kids were because of the pan_mic. I have a couple friends in their early 20s that missed some years of college because of the pan mic (one even missed two years of high school).
    via u/noahboah
  • 17
    I love them to death...but there are definitely problems in the department of healthy social development that I'm witnessing in these young adults -- namely issues with navigating discomfort and the inevitable friction that happens in any relationship. If 2 years was enough to f these kids up, homeschooling is definitely so much worse
    via u/noahboah
  • 18
    Lava_Lemon Academically, we are equipped to handle homeschooling. We're both trained teachers. Socially, we already see how timid our 2 year old is in social situations with his peers. It would be a disservice to him to keep him from developing the social skills learned in school.
    via u/Lava_Lemon
  • 19
    From a family standpoint, I also think it's important to have a separation between teachers and parents. When you're annoyed with your teachers, it's healthy to vent to parents. When mom and dad don't understand you, it's important to have other adults to look to as potential role models. Even well-trained parents should really really think about whether it's the right choice for their child's development before homeschooling.
    via u/Lava_Lemon
  • 20
    anotherknockoffcrow My parents are very smart, educated, and capable. I was homeschooled. I went to some high school after much protest and found I was academically ahead of most of my peers by miles. All my teachers were impressed. Guess what, I was still extremely lonely and socially stunted and struggled tremendously to connect with my peers in healthy ways. When homeschooled, my parents took pride in how well socialized I was - because I could interact with ADULTS well, as a child. Not with
    via u/anotherknockoffcrow
  • 21
    Zo2222 I never had any friends growing up since I was a socially isolated homeschooled kid, my mom told me a while back that I could have made friends with her friends so technically not having any friends was my fault. Ignoring the fact that all of her friends were like 20 years older than me, and I was a literal child lol. My mom received constant praise from her friends about how 'polite' and 'mature' I was and was very proud of that, but the fact that I had no friends my age didn't concern h
    via u/Zo2222
  • 22
    Initial-Web2855 My next door neighbors home school their children and they have zero social skills. I'm actually pretty concerned for them. Any time my kid or myself try to say 'hello' to them, they say nothing at look at their mother to answer for them. It's creepy. I wonder what the hell is going on over there...
    via u/Initial-Web2855
  • 23
    nonoffendingname Luckily, I'm the product of home education done correctly. I appreciated the knowledge and real life experience my parents afforded me. My mom worked her a off planning and creating the syllabus. She was a ballbuster too. We were also part of a homeschooling co-op that'd meet regularly where parents with their own set of skills would teach small classes.
    via u/nonoffendingname
  • 24
    I was appalled at the quality of education for the time I spent in a public high school, excepting the AP classes. I knew a senior who couldn't read but would go on to graduate (star football player). I attended classes where they taught the tests (!!!) to the students, and people still got C's or outright failed. I'm relieved that I was home educated. The quality of public schools where I grew up was awful.
    via u/nonoffendingname
  • 25
    taciturntales Yeah, same here. My mother created a co-op for me and other homeschoolers in the area when I got to high school so that I could attend classes taught by local teachers on subjects that she was not able to teach. When I got to college, at first I was afraid I wouldn't measure up, but then quickly became somewhat concerned about the education level of many of the other students. You can definitely screw up home school, public school, or private school. It just depends on the school,
    via u/taciturntales

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tweens school elementary school kids middle school teenagers bad parenting parenting good parenting educational homeschooling homeschool high school education parents
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