Oh, we're keenly aware that there's a trade-off. Both my wife & I went through the public school system, and until the last few years considered homeschooling to be "weird".

We're also keenly aware that there's nothing to be gained from forced exposure to apathetic/incompetent "teachers" (more like classroom managers than mentors or instructors) and the occasional junior sociopath. Being bored, unchallenged and unhappy with a group of other bored, unchallenged and unhappy kids results in no additional intellectual or emotional payoff after a couple of days.

Middle school -- where my children are currently, age-wise and academically -- and high school are not the same social experience as elementary school. Yes, there's plenty of socialization....but generally not the kind of socialization that many consider pleasant. And there appears to be far less actual learning taking place now than when I went to public school a quarter-century ago; instruction has been largely replaced with standardized test-taking and the preparation for those specific tests.

Homeschooling, like public schooling, is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. However, I know my children and have observed their behavior when dealing with not only their peers, but adults and younger children. Socialization isn't my top concern at this point: ensuring that they have a solid foundation in language, math, science and critical-thinking skills is.