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.