That Awkward Homeschooled Kid
Actually no, but I was homeschooled.
By Grace K. Bianco
“You don’t act like you were homeschooled…?”
Thoughts on Quote
I love hearing that. It’s the affirmation every former homeschooler wants and needs. The stereotypes are so real. If you were homeschooled, you were most likely sheltered. If you were sheltered, there’s no way you can socialize “normally”. At least, that’s what everyone thinks.
Although, I would say I was sheltered, I also wasn’t.
Why I was Homeschooled
If you have read any of my previous blogs, it is no secret that I struggle with my mental health, and I am huge advocate for it. I have shared countless times that my journey started at the young age of four.
This meant that growing up school was extremely hard on me. I started school when I was a little toddler. I only went two days a week for a few hours. It was nothing serious. It was at the end of my preschool year that I began showing the harsh signs of anxiety. I struggled with being separated from my mom. I clung to her headrest, and I had teachers pulling me out of the car.
This was an everyday struggle until the summer going into fourth grade. We hosted two girls (nine and ten years old) from Ukraine and decided to adopt them shortly after. My parents figured the language barrier would make it difficult for them in school.
I struggled so much with going to school. My mom decided to homeschool me with them. My two older siblings were high school age, and were going to continue to go to public school. My other sisters and I were going to go to public high school, but until then, my mom hoped to homeschool us through middle school.
How Homeschooling Turned Out
I loved being homeschooled. It was like a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. There were still days I wasn’t the biggest fan though.
One of my adopted sisters was in and out of homeschool. I liked our schedule, and every time it changed, it caused me a lot of frustration. It was a lot of back and forth just figuring out what was best for her and the rest of us at home.
Just like my parents said, I ended up having to go to a local charter high school. I was terrified. After being homeschooled for five years, you get used to the comfort and safety of being at home all the time.
Despite being so anxious, I have never really struggled with social anxiety. I have always been able to make friends. I had friends throughout being homeschooled, and was able to make them quite easily when I went back to school.
The quote I put up above I heard all of the time. I would say, “Yeah being homeschooled doesn’t mean I have to be super quiet.” And that, I definitely wasn’t.
My Thoughts on Homeschool Now
I believe it helped me a lot. I felt like I had strong foundation in my morals. I got to skip out on the cringe and horrors of middle school. And obviously, it helped me relax more with all the anxiety I struggled with.
I ended up loving high school, and I am glad my parents made me go.
As for my future children, I would like to homeschool them for as long as they let me. I believe young children all the way up to teenagers deserve more one on one attention. Schools standards are lessening by the day, and busy work for free “100”s just isn’t going to cut it in the long run. Not everyone is equipped to homeschool, which is perfectly understandable. However, I feel I am, and there is nothing more I’d love than to watch my future children learn. I’ll do my best to make sure they aren’t “that awkward homeschooled” kid. (;
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