Should You Home School Your Child?

People choose to educate their children at home for a few reasons but the two biggest ones are religion and not liking the school in their district.

Teaching your children at home is fine if you are qualified but unfortunately many who make that decision are not. I’ve seen many young people who had to get a GED or who were very uneducated due to parents attempting to teach them at home.

I know about a dozen mothers that taught their kids and only two were fully qualified and gave their children a decent education that they could carry on to high school or college but even those kids are socially inept.

Before you make that choice ask yourself these questions.

Are you qualified?

Teaching kids the basics while they are young isn’t too difficult but as they get older the subjects get harder. Even in the public school system teachers don’t teach every course. Some people excel in history, some in science and others in mathematics. There are few people who are great at every class; even Albert Einstein had classes he failed.

Teachers go to training conferences and classes on a regular basis to update their skills and techniques so they can continue to give our children the knowledge they need.

Know your limits.

Be willing to hire a tutor if there is a course you aren’t too great in. Don’t assume teaching is easy. If you struggled with courses in school or college you will have a hard time teaching them to someone else. Make sure your beliefs or geographical location isn’t the only reason for your decision.

Do you have the time?

Educating children is a full time job and can’t be taken lightly. If you aren’t willing to put several hours a day into it than you should reconsider. You can’t just hand a child an assignment while you watch television or surf the Internet. Your child deserves better than that.

Do you have the funds for curriculum?

There are books and supplies needed to teach your child. In public school you don't have to pay for text books and other teaching tools because our tax dollars cover this cost.

Consider the lack of social skills.

There is no guarantee your child will be popular or have a lot friends even if they go to school but being at home with little interaction with their peers will not help them learn to get along with others their age.

Many people have friends they have known since they were young and it they had not gone to school they wouldn’t have met them.

Most of the kids I know that were taught at home are very introvert and have a hard time meeting new people. One girl is gifted and highly intelligent but was unable to go on to college or gain a good paying job due to being horribly shy.

Children need to learn to interact with people other than their immediate family. This gives them the skills to get by in employment later in life.

Going to church or meeting up with other homeschooled kids for outings doesn’t give them the same interaction or opportunities for growth they get in the school system.

Going to school, they get to meet people from many cultures giving them an education in diversity they wouldn’t get at home.

I know it’s hard to let our kids be exposed to negative people but if they are always around people that tell them how great they are and accept them no matter what, they don’t grow emotionally. In the real world not everyone likes us and sometimes they let us know about it. The sooner children are exposed to this reality the better they are at handling it.

Too much togetherness can put a strain on family relationships.

No matter how much you love your child or they love you at some point you both need a break. You have more patience with them when you have time away from each other. Teachers get to go home at night and have a break from their students; a parent who schools their own child does not have this luxury.

In closing I want to add that while I am not an advocate of teaching children at home I realize there are situations when it is necessary and there are parents who are more than qualified. I simply think that people should consider all ramifications and possible negative outcomes before making that decision. Your child’s education is very important, all kids should get the best one possible and we as parents are responsible for making sure that happens.

All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.

Albert Einstein