Homeschool Stereotypes: 5 of the Best Ways to Deal With Them

*This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.*

As a second-generation homeschooler, dealing with homeschool stereotypes is something I’m very familiar with.

Now as a homeschool mom to my own children, not much as changed.

If you’re new to homeschooling then this is something that you’re going to need to get used to. You’ll get asked about certain things purely based on stereotypes that people have come up with about homeschoolers.

There are so many homeschool myths out there and stereotypes fit into a lot of them.

Below we’ll talk about some of the most common homeschool stereotypes and then the best way to go about dealing with them.

The Most Common Homeschool Stereotypes and What You Should Do About Them

Before we jump into talking about how to combat common homeschool stereotypes, we need to give a little time to going over what the most common ones are.

As someone who was homeschooled for about half of my own school life, I have lived through this first-hand.

Some of these stereotypes are based on complete myth while others have some truth to their founding. All of them are great generalizations though, and should have no influence over your confidence to homeschool.

The benefits of homeschooling are vast, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t come under attack – simply because it looks different.

Homeschoolers Lack Social Skills

If you were homeschooled or are homeschooling your kids and haven’t been questioned about socialization then I need you to let me know…because it’s basically unheard of.

This is without doubt the most commonly asked question of homeschool families.

How will your children be “socialized”.

We can go into a whole long list as to why traditional schools don’t provide real socialization but that’s for another day. We know that the school environment isn’t the be-all and end-all for developing healthy social skills.

Maybe once upon a time homeschoolers were more isolated but in today’s world that just isn’t true.

Perhaps homeschooled kids are seen as a little strange because they’re often confident in speaking to people of all ages and not just their peers?

This is a very unfortunate stereotype about homeschooled children that is just wrong.

A child’s social life shouldn’t simply be restricted to children their own age. Homeschool students get easier access to more opportunities to converse with all kinds of people on a regular basis.

Homeschoolers are Religious

The idea that all homeschoolers are religious is not true at all, but I can see why this stereotype exists. There are many homeschool families who homeschool and also belong to some kind of faith or religion.

However, the tides are turning as more and more secular homeschooling families enter the scene.

While I can see where this stereotype came from, it isn’t the truth these days.

Religious people do sometimes choose to homeschool, but so do those who are secular. I think it is often those who are religious because they want more control over what their children are being taught.

The same can be said for secular homeschoolers.

Some homeschool families choose to homeschool for religious reasons, but definitely not all.

Homeschoolers are Radicals

I mean, most homeschool families are choosing to do something different from the norm for their children, but does that make us radicals? I think not.

Often times, when people see others doing something that is different from the rest of the crowd, they are viewed as strange or extreme in their views.

Strange, maybe…but definitely not radicals.

Homeschoolers are Weird

Just recently my younger sister relayed a conversation to me that she had had at her workplace. She told her coworkers that she had been homeschooled.

They were shocked and told her that they never would have guessed and that she’s so normal.

She laughed in response.

Some homeschoolers are weird, but some kids who attend regular school are weird too.

It’s sad because I know this is one of the top reasons many never entertain the idea of homeschooling.

Homeschoolers are Snobs

I can also see where this stereotype comes from.

Homeschoolers choose home education because we believe it is superior to school. Some might see that as a prideful choice, but it’s not meant to be.

Some homeschoolers may be snobs but I would say the vast majority aren’t. In fact, I would say most homeschooling families are incredibly down to earth.

Homeschoolers Have Lots of Kids

This one makes be laugh because I do know a lot of homeschoolers with big families. However, this definitely isn’t a universal rule.

I know homeschool families with 10 kids and others with just one. You for sure do not need a big family in order to homeschool. Family size has nothing to do with it.

Homeschoolers are Behind

Behind what? The truth is that recent data shows that homeschoolers typically have great academic success and do very well when it comes to standardized testing.

Homeschooling is just as good as (and arguably better than) a public school education. School work doesn’t all have to be done exactly the same way in order for it to work well.

How to Combat Homeschool Stereotypes

There are many other homeschool stereotypes out there but I believe we’ve covered the main ones.

We probably haven’t talked about anything you don’t already know though, so let’s get on with how to actually deal with these stereotypes.

#1 Determine if You Care

Seriously…do you really care about what other’s think of you?

As a homeschooling family, you are going to be met with some interesting questions and sometimes very confronting ones. These will come from those close to you as well as complete strangers.

If you are going to spend energy worrying about what people care about the decisions you’ve made for your kids then you’re going to get tired pretty quickly.

There may be one or two things that you really want to focus on, and that’s fine. Just don’t let every little thing get to you.

Honestly, one of the best things about no longer caring is just how freeing it is to follow what is best for your children.

#2 Have a Rehearsed Answer

I couldn’t tell you the number of times I’ve been asked about how I learned social skills. As homeschoolers, we really want to just roll our eyes at this question.

Something that can be helpful when dealing with questions like this is to just have a rehearsed answer to give out. This saves you a lot of time and energy.

I don’t have a lot of personal experience with having to do this, but I know other homeschooling parents that it has helped.

#3 Be Okay with Being Different

What if I told you that it is okay to be different? Instead of pushing every child to fit into a predetermined box that we should rather be celebrating what makes them unique.

Homeschoolers are going to be pointed out because we are different. Homeschool kids are different.

Instead of fighting that, embrace it.

Be confident in the fact that your kids will be different from the norm. Different isn’t bad. It’s just…different.

The public school system has to streamline things in order to keep up with demand. Thankfully, when you’re homeschooling just a few kids around the kitchen table, you can allow for uniqueness.

#4 Worry Less About Others

As a homeschooling parent it is such an important lesson to worry less (or not at all) about what others think.

Comparison can creep into all areas of our lives and wreck havoc.

You may worry about if you’re using the right curriculum, if you’re socialising your kids enough, or if your schedule is appropriate compared to others.

Even among the homeschool community comparison is rife.

Just don’t. Focus on what your kids need and want. That is what is truly important and will save you so much stress. All of our children need different things at different times.

It is a good idea to remember that a main reason for homeschooling is providing an education that is unique for your child.

They don’t have to be a carbon copy of their public school peers in order to be successful in life.

#5 Have Open Conversations

Many homeschool stereotypes come from a place of ignorance. I believe it’s important to give people the benefit of the doubt when they ask certain questions.

As homeschool parents it can be helpful to, instead of responding with snark or just shutting the conversation down, open it up.

Share with them what homeschooling truly looks like. Have an open and honest conversation and pull back on your defensiveness.

It is so easy to fall into the trap of always seeing the bad side of people. If you look for the good, you will most always find it.

I don’t believe it should fall on homeschoolers to educate the world on what homeschooling is truly about, but it doesn’t hurt to have personal conversations about it.

There are so many things that you can share about. Everything from your school hours, extracurricular activities, to education statistics.

Questions from non-homeschoolers aren’t always a bad thing.