Should I homeschool my child? This is a question that many of us ask ourselves when we are considering our children’s educational options. As more families explore educational choices, homeschooling has become an increasingly popular option.
Now, I absolutely LOVE homeschooling our children and I believe it’s the best decision we have ever made! But, I’m also a very realistic person, and before making any decision I like to consider the pros and cons. I think often times we romanticize the idea of homeschooling and don’t talk about the reality that comes with homeschooling. It’s a beautiful experience, but like eveything in life, it definitely has its challenges!
I’m going to be sharing with you some reasons why homeschooling might be the perfect choice for you and some reasons why it might not be the best choice.
What is homeschooling?
Homeschooling or home education is a form of education where parents take the primary responsibility for their child’s learning outside of traditional school settings. It offers a flexible and personalized approach to education, allowing parents to tailor the curriculum to their child’s unique needs, faith, interests, and learning style.
Before I continue on with the reasons why you should or should not homeschool, I always like to say that homeschooling is an amazing choice, but it’s not the best choice for every family. This is a very personal choice and there is no right or wrong choice. Every family is different! We all have different needs and are at different seasons in life. What might work for your family now might change as you family goes through different seasons.
Reasons why you should homeschool your child
- You have your child’s best interest at heart:
- This has to be at the core of your decision! You, as the parent, know your child the best and you know what would be the most beneficial for choice for them physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
- You want to provide a customized learning experience:
- Individualized Pace: Your children can progress at their own speed, spending more time on challenging subjects and accelerating through areas of strength. This is one thing we LOVE about homeschooling our children! We move at our children’s pace, not at someone else’s.
- Focused Curriculum: You can choose curricula that align with your values and address your child’s specific learning preferences. We have chosen Abeka Academy as our homeschooling curriculum because it aligns perfectly with our faith and values while providing a high quality education. Check out our curriculum reviews here!
- Flexible Scheduling:
- Family Time: Homeschooling allows for a schedule that can accommodate your family activities, travel, and quality time together. The beautiful thing about homeschooling is that it can happen anytime and anywhere! Even if you are a working parent, homeschooling can happen beyond the traditional school hours.
- Extracurricular Opportunities: Flexibility to engage in extracurricular activities, community service, and unique learning experiences not limited by school hours.
- Safe Learning Environment:
- Controlled Environment: You can provide a safe, nurturing environment free from bullying and other negative school experiences.
- Mental and Emotional Well-being: A supportive home environment can positively impact a child’s mental health and emotional well-being; especially if you have a child that experiences a lot of social anxiety like our son. He went to traditional school for grades K-3 and his social anxiety would trigger verbal and non verbal tics. One of the solutions that our doctor had provided us with was to limit the triggers. Fast forward to now, heading into our 3rd year of homeschooling, our son’s tics are almost non existent!
- Strong Family Bonds:
- Enhanced Relationships: Homeschooling often leads to stronger family bonds as you spend more time learning and growing together with your children.
- Freedom!
- Freedom to choose: Parents have the freedom to choose how, when, where, and with what to educate the children with.
Reasons why you should NOT homeschool your child
and how to go about it instead!
Just like everything in life, there are two sides to everything! There are some amazing reasons to homeschool however, there are also some reason’s why you shouldn’t homeschool.
- Everyone else is homeschooling
- In my opinion this is the worst reason to consider homeschooling, jumping into it because it seems to be the “cool thing to do”. Why? Because the moment things aren’t going the way you idealized them or have seen other people do them you are just going to become frustrated and will give up easily.
- What to do instead? Create concrete purpose for your decision so that when the difficult times arise you can refer back to your purpose. (Read this post about why we homeschool)
- In my opinion this is the worst reason to consider homeschooling, jumping into it because it seems to be the “cool thing to do”. Why? Because the moment things aren’t going the way you idealized them or have seen other people do them you are just going to become frustrated and will give up easily.
- Not willing to commit time
- Time: One of the reasons I mentioned earlier why you might homeschool is family time. Homeschooling takes time! So, if you don’t have the time or are unwilling to sacrifice some of your personal time, especially if you are a working parent like my husband and I, homeschooling might not be the best choice.
- What to do instead? Analyze a typical day and create a schedule to maximize your time. Think about when are there pockets of down time keeping in mind that homeschooling is very flexible.
- Time: One of the reasons I mentioned earlier why you might homeschool is family time. Homeschooling takes time! So, if you don’t have the time or are unwilling to sacrifice some of your personal time, especially if you are a working parent like my husband and I, homeschooling might not be the best choice.
- Lack of Flexibility
- One of the great reasons for homeschool is FLEXIBILITY, therefore that lack of it might be a deal breaker! You have to be willing to adjust lessons and pace to meet your child’s individual needs.
- What to do instead? Plan for change! As you are looking at your days and curriculum, think of what might be points where your child might need reinforcement. Be ok with certain lessons and topics taking a little bit longer to complete.
- One of the great reasons for homeschool is FLEXIBILITY, therefore that lack of it might be a deal breaker! You have to be willing to adjust lessons and pace to meet your child’s individual needs.
- Not willing to ask or receive help
- Pride: You have to be willing to accept that you are going to need help in one way or another. You can’t think you know it all, because the truth is we don’t know it all! We all need help in something, whether it be seeking for it online, friends or family member.
- What to do instead? Be open to learning new things and accepting help from others. Needing help doesn’t make you less of a parent, if anything, you are modeling to your children the importance of community and lifelong learning.
- Pride: You have to be willing to accept that you are going to need help in one way or another. You can’t think you know it all, because the truth is we don’t know it all! We all need help in something, whether it be seeking for it online, friends or family member.
Should I homeschool my child? Factors to Consider
- Your Child’s Needs:
- Consider if your child’s learning style aligns better with homeschooling’s personalized approach.
- Evaluate if your child requires more social interaction than what homeschooling might provide.
- Family Needs:
- Assess if you, as parents, are prepared and willing to commit the time, energy, and resources required for homeschooling.
- Ensure you have a support network of family, friends, online or physical homeschool groups to assist and support you.
- Purpose:
- Define what you aim to achieve through homeschooling, both academically and personally for your child.
- Legal Requirements:
- State Regulations: Familiarize yourself with the legal requirements for homeschooling in your state or country, as they vary significantly.
Making the Decision to Homeschool
Homeschooling is a deeply personal decision that requires weighing the pros and cons depending on your family’s unique circumstances. It offers the potential for an amazing, customized, and flexible educational experience but demands a considerable investment of time, effort, and resources.
Take the time to research, reflect, and perhaps even try a trial period of homeschooling to see if it suits your family. This is something that we did in our home to make sure it was the perfect fit for us! Remember, the goal is to provide the best possible education and upbringing for your child, whether that means homeschooling or choosing another educational path.
Ultimately, pray, trust your instincts, and make the choice that feels right for your family. Whatever you decide, being involved and supportive in your child’s education will make all the difference.
