Homeschooling your kids isn’t a new concept. It’s a tradition since many years, people choose to tutor their kids at home instead of making them attend public schools. And since the onset of covid-19, the phrase ‘school -choice’ is taking on a very different meaning because an increased number of parents are now counting on homeschooling as a solution for their kids.
Home-schooling for Kids
Each year the number of children being homeschooled has been increasing. And due to the schooling issues amid this pandemic, more and more parents are considering getting their children homeschooled. It is also becoming a rapidly growing trend in education. In a study conducted in 2012, it was pinpointed that over 1.5 million students were homeschooled.
Before, mostly politically profuse, or very religious families were the ones considering homeschooling for their kids, but now all types of families homeschool their kids for their own valid reasons.
Several parents have lost their trust in the policies made by the government and its educational system. While others are bound to constantly move from one city to another, due to their lifestyle and thus, conveniently homeschooling their kids instead of enrolling and transferring them several times.
In order to control the spread of the covid-19 virus, many schools all over the country are proposing an assortment of educational possibilities. From full online classes to attending school in-person wearing masks to a late start of the academic year, schools are providing parents with a variety of options.
There are many learning options at hands of the parents, though some of them may not be ideal leaving them questioning whether they should take their kid’s education into their own hands! If you are one of those parents who are considering getting their kids homeschooled for the first time or if you have always thought about this option for your family, then you must know that there are many pros and cons of homeschooling!
As a parent, you must be confused and worried while deciding what kind of education would benefit your kid. You must be questioning yourself, ‘Will I do justice to my kid?’ or ‘will my kid get all of his stem educational rights?’ Being a parent is a tough job because you wouldn’t know what decisions of yours will your kids like and which he’ll despise. While there are benefits of homeschooling, many people will also tell you the reasons, not to homeschool.
There are several facts about homeschooling and you should be open up to listening to them. It’s a good thing to search thoroughly so that you won’t make a regrettable decision for your child. This is the reason of internet’s existence and this is exactly what we are at your service for! We have made a list of benefits and drawbacks which you may face, with the help of real-world parents who are homeschooling their kids. As you evaluate your verdict, pour some consideration into how each of these might affect your own encounter and trust that whatever choice you make will be the best one for your family.
Will homeschooling be more valuable for kids? Following are the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling, read them carefully and decide whether you want to go this route or not!
Advantages of Homeschooling
It gives more liberty While Deciding a Syllabus and Timetable
Most schools in the US grant permission to the homeschooled kids to decide what they want to learn when they want, and for how long! This leaves the kids with spending more and more hours learning what interests them or they can devote more time to the subjects they find most tough. This leads to having no pressure to be equal to their classmates or the affinity to feel apprehensive if they can’t memorize their formulas as quickly as the others. This provides parents with an opportunity of adding subjects which are not normally taught in school, but these are what they want their children to learn too, for instance, their cultural legacy and linguistic or a specific religion! In addition to this, the parents wouldn’t have to limit their kids to learn the books only. They can add other types of directives like good online courses or interesting DIY tasks.
It Gives a Chance For Customized One-on-One Learning
Classroom learning in schools has one problem that there is just one teacher and a huge number of students. And as these teachers are given a restricted time for every class each day, many kids are left receiving no attention or supervision they require so that they can learn the best. Every kid has his own learning style and while homeschooling parents can focus on each kid individually and modify their teaching methods according to each kid’s finest learning style.
It Provides an Increased Family Time
Parents can share the usual, everyday pleasures of life together with their kids. This will allow them to experience significant developing phases of each other. As the kids go through challenging times, they wouldn’t be alone, and the parents would share their journey. Many teenagers develop damaging or defiant behavior and research shows that these behaviors are diminished when the teenagers start homeschooling.
It Allows The Parents To Protect Their Kids From All The Bad Influences They Might Experience Outside The Home
Parents can discuss sensitive issues with their kids when they feel that they are ready for the serious talk! It’s better that they learn from home instead of learning from third parties. Apart from this, there is a lesser chance of the children getting involved in bullying, school gangs, violence, and other possible snags faced by the students in school.
Family Trips Or Vacations Can Easily Be Planned When The Children Are Being Homeschooled
No constant daily class timetables or semestral pauses should need to be strictly followed for planning a holiday instead the family can enjoy a good trip anytime of the year. Parents can also make these trips educational!
It Helps The Parents In Finding Out What Interests Their Children
Homeschooling allows the kids to spend more time with their parents, in this way the parents can know what kind of pursuits their kids are into. Thus, by understanding the type of art their kids like, they can help them enhance those specific skills.
It Enriches The Bond Between The Parent And The Kid
Spending more time and doing fun activities together leads to a stronger bond between the parents and their children. Parents will always be the first friends of their kids but unlike in school, the kids will share every high and low with their parents knowing that they are the only well-wishers for them.
Health Control
Cafeteria food can be harmful to the kids. They tend to like unhealthy items that look pleasing but actually aren’t. Cafeteria food isn’t always fresh and can make the children sick. During homeschooling, they would eat healthy fresh food without exposing themselves to food poisoning.
Disadvantages of Homeschooling
It Demands 24/7 Duty With The Children
Homeschooling isn’t easy, it demands selflessness and thus the parents will have to sacrifice their relief and will have decreased time for themselves, as well as, for each other. But there are some families who are okay to be together all the time! If you are one of them then go for it but if not, then think carefully before taking this responsibility!
An Ample Amount Of Energy, Time, And Resources Are Needed
Not all parents know how to teach and being not a teacher by profession leaves them in making extra effort in learning regarding the lecture planning and teaching tactics. Also, parents will need to do research unceasingly and adjust their ways of teaching to ensure that their kids get the best mean of education. Parents should prepare themselves to be calmer and more creative while assisting a slow learner kid or who requires special education.
It Initiates Financial Restrictions
One parent would have to go for a part-time job or not do any work at all because one has to stay home and direct the children with their homeschooling while others have to work. And the list of expenses can get very long knowing that the kids would need computers, books, and other tools and endeavors.
The Kid’s Chances Of Participating In Sports And Extracurricular Activities Are Limited
The biggest challenge children face while they are homeschooled is socializing with other kids of their age. The solution for this is that parents arrange playdates or make sports teams with other kids whose families have also homeschooled them. But this wouldn’t fulfill the experience which the children would miss out, for instance, the memorable school year, prom night, sports competitions, clubs and many more!
Plenty Of Questions Arise And Often People Disapprove Of It
One of the several cons of homeschooling is that even more families are opting for their kids each year, many people don’t completely understand the idea of not allowing the kid to go to a regular school. By explaining the reasons, again and again, it gets very annoying and exhausting for the parents. It gets even more frustrating when other people bluntly show their condemnation and bafflement. Many kids bully those who are homeschooled and call them weird. There are even several people who test the kids to make the parents embarrassed because they think that children cannot learn at home properly as they can at school.
Kids Will Become Sick of Home
Staying at home 24/7 and not meeting their friends everyday will make children irritated and restless. They will misbehave and would feel left out. Kids being kids would want to hang out with others and not being able to will make them sad and sick of home.
Keeping a High Motivation Level
It gets tough for parents too, to be with their kids all the time and to keep their spirits high. As kids get bored, following the same course every day without going out, the parents need to keep them motivated by doing fun activities or giving different assignments.
Be patient
Parents would have to maintain their patience while teaching because kids get cranky at times and they misbehave. A struggling kid is difficult to handle and it shouldn’t affect the bond between the parent and the child.
Homeschooling vs Public Schooling
There are various benefits of homeschooling vs public schooling and as we have discussed earlier, with benefits comes disadvantages. Homeschooling might not be for everyone but some parents go an extra mile for the sake of their children. As the trend of homeschooling is increasing, there are several reasons due to which many people are opting for it now. Kid’s safety is top on the list. In public schools, many kids are exposed to bad influences like violence, drugs, and fights, etc. This affects a kid’s performance and can also lead to a life of such abuse.
In addition to this, religion also contributes to choosing homeschool over public one because the latter may teach the kid a set of beliefs that are different from the beliefs of his parents. Homeschooling makes the family bond stronger, this connectedness can never be provided by a public school.
But the public schools have their own pros, these provide students with the opportunities of participating in competitions, polish their skills, teach them to socialize and most importantly give them the years of love and friendship that they can cherish forever!
Conclusion
So, now you know the pros and cons, and if you think that as a parent you lack the means, persistence, and willpower to efficaciously help your children study outside a public school environment then know that homeschooling just isn’t your thing. And if you are not satisfied with the educational system of your country and you can’t have them homeschooled then remember that education and learning aren’t confined to schools. You can always find means to teach your kids, you can arrange extra classes at home or reveal them to the world of education outside the classroom. Your kid’s future is in your hand so make a wise decision! Consider all the high and lows before reaching a conclusion so that you know what you are dealing with!
