Letters to the Editor

This letter is associated with the following article:
I fear my niece is making an age-old mistake.
  • Homeschooled vs. isolated

    I know it wasn't, by far, the main point of the letter, but since it's already been referred to in the first response...

    Homeschooled is not a synonym for isolated/ignorant/fundamentalist. Plenty of parents homeschool their kids without socially isolating them or keeping them locked up in the house. Plenty of homeschooled kids grow up to be intellectually curious and self-sufficient. Plenty of public-schooled kids don't.

    Yes, homeschooling can be used by controlling or fundamentalist parents to keep their children isolated. But that's not a fair representation of the very broad phenomenon of homeschooling.

    It sounds like the girl is isolated and desperate, and in the limited outlook she's been given by her family, this marriage is presented as one of her very few options for alleviating that. Does the LW have any opportunity to just talk to her, not confront her or challenge her choice, but ask her how she's doing with everything? And let her know she can call you if she needs help?