Does home schooling improve self esteem?

 (Information taken from www.parenting-ed-org)

Some Facts About Self-Esteem

*Children begin forming beliefs about themselves early in life.

*Children look to parents and other important adults for evidence that they’re lovable, smart, capable, etc. If they don’t get this evidence, low self-esteem develops.

*Self-esteem affects school success. Children who feel good about themselves and their abilities are much more likely to do well in school than children who often think they can’t do things right. School success, in turn, affects a child’s self-esteem. How children do in school will affect how they feel about themselves. Children who do poorly in school often think poorly of themselves.

*Self-esteem affects how children relate to other people. Children who feel good about themselves tend to have positive relationships with other people. On the other hand, children who don’t like themselves often have trouble relating to other people.

*Self-esteem affects creativity. Children with low self-esteem are less likely to take the risks involved in being creative than children with healthy self-esteem.

*Parents affect their children’s self-esteem. A parent’s self-esteem is reflected in his or her parenting style. Research shows that children with high self-esteem tend to have parents who show their children lots of love and acceptance. Children with low self-esteem tend to have parents who are judgmental and critical.

*Children with low self-esteem tend to have more battles with their parents than do children with healthy self-esteem.

The above is information of children’s feeling of self-worth and value, which of course is something we carry through to adult hood.  I can think of many occasions as a child which still haunt me as an adult and bring back feelings of guilt and nervousness etc

I know that one of the big arguments with home schooling is that children do not socialize properly something which most of us home schoolers whole heartedly disagree with. 

The reason I am bringing this up is that I believe that grouping a bunch of children together because they are the same age and have the same postcode and then expecting them to just get on – and make life long friendships is completely unnatural .  It’s hard enough to get on with people in your own family at time the people you really love and have things in common with. However there are some who meet the man or woman of their dreams in school, their best friend for life are they just fortunate? Would they still have chosen these friends or partners if not put in the same situation? 

Most people I have discussed this with feel that school in one way or another shook their confidence made them feel inferior and still to this day they dread not being accepted or approved of, (even those of us who hate to admit we have those feelings.)  I am one of these people I dread the thought of seeing so-called old school mates, what would they think of the extra pounds gained? Of the fact I don’t have high-profile job? And even though I can reason with myself that as a home schooling mom and a good wife I have the best job in the world the worry still remains??? 

I think much of my self-doubt and worry stems from the experiences I had at school and its one of the reasons I home educate my children to free them from the so-called socialization which in my mind more often than not makes them feel inferior? Are we damaging them though? Teaching them it’s ok to be them and then sending them out in the world with people who have been raised to cope such situations? 

I would like to hear your thoughts in your opinion does home schooling improve self-esteem preparing our young ones for adult life in the real world??