"I think it's terrible how you talk about it on this site as if you understand it at all... you just have such a negative attitude to home schooling because you don't know anything about it "
Don't assume you know me. I know more about home schooling than you may think. I never was, but that doesn't mean I don't have people close to me who were. I don't have negative feelings towards home schooling in general. And home schooling for CFers is fine in a whole bunch of situations. But if your SOLE reason for home schooling a CFer is to keep them away from other germy kids, you're not doing them any favors. Germs aside, unless you enter them in some kind of a kid gym program, or swimming class, or girl/boy scouts, or whatever, they're not getting any kind of social experience, and that's not doing them any favors either.
It's a personal decision for each and every family, and there's nothing I can do about that. I'm just trying to save some kids from possibly being coddled when they needn't be. The more that parents overprotect their children (CF or not), the more rebellious they become in the future. The only reason I keep bringing it up is because others keep saying how excellent of an idea it is to home school CFers based only on the fact that they might get sick from other snot-nosed little children. If new parents come on here and hear from all the other parents that think home schooling is such a good idea, I just want them to also hear my opinion that maybe it's not. Or that maybe it's an excellent idea in some situations, but not in some others. The more opinions you hear, especially all sorts of different ones, the better you are equipped to make a well-rounded decision regarding your child's care.
I just like to make sure parents hear ALL the opinions, instead of only the popular one. And as I am very often the bearer of the unpopular opinions, I figured I'd be the one here to share the less than popular thoughts on this subject. Not to mention, parents of CFers certainly have excellent opinions here. Everyone should hear them. But as a CFer myself, I tend to think it would benefit new parents to hear from someone who actually lives it. I would not personally have liked to be homeschooled. We're already treated so differently, I was happy to go into school with all the "normal" kids. Just because you're a parent of a CFer doesn't mean you know what it's like to be one of us. And I don't mean for that to sound snotty or as if I know everything, or as if I'm better than you. I certainly don't think any of those things. But in all truth, being a CFer is much different (not harder or easier, but different) than being the parent or loved one of a CFer. So I think new parents should hear not only from other CFers' parents, but also CFers themselves.
There are all sorts of occasions where home schooling is an excellent idea. It changes family to family, and a lot of kids everywhere have had benefits from being home schooled. I just don't want parents to think that it's ALWAYS the best idea. As far as your daughter being home-schooled and her story being "similar to mine" as you say, there are exceptions to everything. I never claimed that home schooling <b>always</b> made a child sicker in the future. In general, look at the facts, being exposed to germs when you're young, helps you fight them off better when you're older. Same reason why we get flu shots every year. It's not as if I'm saying these things without any sensible foundation. It's very simple. Home schooling can quite often be an excellent idea. But since nearly every parent on this site is always talking about how great it is, I want to make sure that new parents also see the opinion that it's not such a great idea. Like I said, the more diverse opinions people read about any given subject, the better equipped they are to make a well-rounded decision about whatever that subject may be. So I will continue to voice on this forum that it's not always the best idea, whether or not you like it. I am entitled to my opinion, and I didn't use any profanity, or insult/harass anyone. I am within the boundaries of the forum rules and therefore will continue to allow the expression of my opinions, no matter how unpopular.
