Homeschool. Just the word itself brings up strong feelings for many, either for or against. I begged my parents to let me homeschool in high school and I hated it and the following year when back to public school.
So the decision to homeschool our kids was not made lightly. Thankfully homeschooling has come a llloooonnggg way since the late ’80’s!
Families choose to homeschool for a variety of reasons. Ours was neither religious nor political. For the most part our kids were doing OK in the public school setting, with the exception of the youngest who was always in trouble for talking too much. She is VERY social, the polar opposite of me!
The Big Decision
Our decision to homeschool did not come until the end of the 2019/2020 school year. With the Covid-19 virus in full swing the final two months of the year all the students were attending via E-learning. It was chaos!
Some teachers adjusted well and did the very best they could, under the circumstances. While others assigned all the work at the beginning of the week and then completely checked out!
Mask mandates were going to be enforced for those wishing to attend in-person classes that fall or they could do E-learning again. The kids weren’t excited about either option. So after much deliberation, we went a completely different route.
The Pros and Cons of Homseschooling
While educating our kids at home offers unique benefits, it also presents its own set of challenges. If you’re considering homeschooling, understanding some of it’s pros and cons can help you make an informed decision.
THE PROS:
- Customized learning experience: Homeschooling allows parents to tailor the curriculum to their child’s learning style, pace, and interests. If your child isn’t being challenged enough in certain subjects or needs extra help in others, you can create a personalized plan to meet their needs.
- Flexible Schedule: Families have the freedom to set their own schedule, allowing for more time for travel, hobbies, or other activities outside of the traditional 8-3 school day.
- Efficient Learning: Homeschooling can lead to more efficient use of time and faster mastery of subjects due to less distractions and learning at their own pace.
- Focus on Personal Values: Educating kids at home allows families to incorporate their beliefs, values, or cultural traditions into the curriculum.
- Safe Learning Environment: At home learning provides a safe space free from bullying, peer pressure, and other negative social issues often present in traditional school environments.
- Encourages Independent Thinking: Many homeschooled children often develop strong critical thinking and problem solving skills as they learn to take more responsibility for their education.
THE CONS:
- 1.Time Commitment: Homeschooling, especially young children, requires significant time and effort from parents. This can be challenging for working parents.
- 2. Financial Strain: Homeschooling often comes with costs for books, materials, art supplies, extracurricular activities, and possibly tuition if you use an online source. And if a parent reduces their work hours inorder to be at home, this needs to be considered as well.
- 3. Less Social Opportunities: Because of having fewer opportunities to interact with peers at school, parents need to make a concerted effort to involve their students in group activities, clubs, or homeschool co-ops in your area.
- 4. Parental Burnout: The responsibility of being both parent and teacher can be overwhelming, and very stressful, especially if you feel inadequate to teach certain subjects.
- 5. Extracurricular Activities: Participation in some organized sports or art programs may be more difficult depending on local options and resources.
- 6. Social Stigma: Many homeschooled families face criticism or misunderstandings from others, which can be incredibly frustrating.
Homeschooling can be a rewarding experience, but it’s not the right fit for everyone. Whichever way you choose, the goal remains the same: to nurture a love of learning and help our children prepare for a successful future.
What are your thoughts on homeschooling? Share your experiences or questions in the comments below!