Should I homeschool my child?

Have you thought about homeschooling your child? Some parents are unsure if their child, lifestyle, or situation would be conducive to homeschooling. Here are some tips on determining whether or not your child is a good candidate for homeschooling.

1. Ask yourself why you want to home school. Be very honest and consider this question carefully. Is it because you want your child to have a religious education rather than a secular one? Do you want to home school because you don't like governmental regulations and so forth? Did you have negative experiences in public school and want to avoid those for your child? Maybe the public schools in your area are sub-standard.

Is your child unusually advanced or behind academically? These are understandable reasons to want to homeschool. In the case of the advanced student, you may not want your child to be held back in a traditional school setting because he is so far ahead of everyone. Or is your student behind (by public school standards), and you want to give him individualized attention.

These are all legitimate reasons, and you may have some others of your own. We all started homeschooling our kids for a reason! Whatever your reason is, you as a parent have a right to decide what is best for your child.

2. Can you take the criticism and misunderstanding that will come your way if you home school? If you choose to educate your children at home, you are likely to hear all kinds of lectures about "socialization" and so forth. Some people will suggest public school any time your child is less than perfect in their academic performance. Are you prepared to defend your choice to homeschool and let such criticism roll-off?

The pandemic has made a lot of parents aware of the problems in our public. This has allowed them to understand the benefits of homeschooling. So hopefully, you won't feel that you have to defend yourself in homeschooling your kids constantly.

3. Consider how much time you have. Homeschooling is not necessarily an all-day, everyday kind of thing, but it does take some time. You will have to factor in the time it takes to plan lessons and teach them.

4. Consider the cost. Homeschooling does not have to be expensive, but it nearly always involves some expenditure. School supplies and the curriculum itself could range from $100 to $1000 per year or more. You don't have to spend a lot - the internet and your local library can do a great job of providing literature, worksheets, hands-on science experiments, and so forth. Just determine your budget and plan your curriculum accordingly.

5. Are there other groups and events in your community where your homeschooled child can participate? In some areas, public schools may offer or even be the only group activity available. If your community has activities like Little League, Boy and Girl Scouts, a home school co-op, and so forth, then you may feel more confident in homeschooling, knowing that your child will have opportunities to make friends.

 

If you would like free step-by-step help, sign up for my Homeschooling Startup Workbook FREEBIE below! This workbook, along with emails, will walk you through the steps to help you get started in your homeschool journey. 

2 comments

  • Thank you Jenny Parker! I appreciate it :)

    Suki Hammarlund
  • This is great information! My sister home schools my nephews! I will share your website with here.

    Jenny Parker

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