The Homeschooling Debate: Where do You Stand?

Homeschooling has become a growing trend throughout the decades. Today, more than 2 million children participate in homeschooling with that number increasing at a 7-15% rate each year.

Making the decision to home school children is not an easy task. There are plenty of positives and plenty of negatives, weighing on each side. To get an idea of the pros and cons, I have compiled a list of those most commonly discussed by parents who have experienced homeschooling.

The Cons of Homeschooling

1.    Time Consuming for Parents

Not only do parents spend their days instructing their children, they also have to work with the local school to coincide with the level of schooling and standardized tests, they have to plan the lessons and educational trips, they have to order necessary resources like books for homeschooling and regular school supplies, and they have to dedicate time for groups or activities that give their children the peer interactions that they need for development.

2.    Creates Financial Restrictions

If a household is used to receiving income from both parents, homeschooling will drop this down to one income. One of the parents cannot work because they are spending their time as a teacher for their children.

3.    Lessens Independence for both the Children and the Parents

Parents who home school spend the majority of their day with their children. They lose any independence or adult interactions that they are used to receiving in the workplace. Children also lose their independence from being around their parents all day. They no longer travel to school where they would be dependent on themselves to make friends and become social, to learn the lessons and pass the tests, and to develop emotionally.

4.    Limits Activities and Peer Interaction for Children

Children that attend school have daily interactions with their peers. They also have the option of participating in after school activities like sports or musical groups. When homeschooled, children do not get these daily interactions or opportunities to participate in peer activities.

5.    Creates a Sense of Being “Outside the Norm”

Although homeschooling is a growing trend, it will most likely remain the less chosen option when compared to going to school. This creates a self conscience feeling for some children that are homeschooled. They do not want to be outcasts or doing something different than others their age.

The Pros of Homeschooling

1.    Educational and Physical Freedom for both Children and Parents

When homeschooling, parents can teach children what they want, when they want. They are not held to a school schedule. If they want to start their studies at 10am, they can. If they want to take their children on an educational trip to a museum or science institute, they can. They make the decisions to live their lives how they want to live them.

2.    Children Experience Emotional Freedom

Children who are homeschooled do not have to deal with added peer pressure, bullying, or competition. They learn at their pace, unaffected by anyone else.

3.    Children Receive Undivided, One-on-One Attention

Homeschooling creates and environment where children do not have to share their attention with other students. If they have a question, they can ask it and get an answer right away. If they are not picking up on something, their parent can teach them until they get it. This one-on-one instruction eliminates the children that would have normally fallen under the radar in a 25 kid classroom.

4.    Close Family Relationships are Formed

It is proven that homeschooled children develop special ties to their parents. In their teen years they are less rebellious or destructive because they have formed a respect for their parents.

5.    The Long Terms Benefits are Valuable

Homeschooled children have proven to do well on standardized tests, develop into self-directed learners, and become reliable employees down the line. And, these are just a few of the many positive characteristics of homeschooled children.

About the Author:

Julie Pitts recommends checking out LeeandLow.com for homeschooling and multicultural books.