The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling
Thinking about homeschooling? If so, you’re going to want to learn the pros and cons of homeschooling. It’s important to take in the good with the not so good! Just like everything in life, there are going to be ups and downs but being aware is key.
With many options available to ensure your child gets a solid education during our current times, it’s no wonder many parents are starting to debate if homeschooling is right for their family. The thing about homeschooling is that it isn’t a good fit for some children and it can be rather difficult for a family that has two working parents.
The list of pros and cons of homeschooling can get rather lengthy, but today we’re going to share the main pros and cons that we believe will help you determine whether homeschooling is a good option for your family or not.
Make certain to check out the How to Homeschool Successfully article that might be a great benefit as well!
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The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling
Below you’ll find the pros and cons of homeschooling broke down to be easier to process. As I do with all things in life, let’s start with the positives first!
The Pros of Homeschooling
Freedom & Flexibility
Homeschooling allows your family to adjust the school schedule around your family’s schedule. This can ease the stress and anxiety that comes from the fast-paced lifestyle of most families around the world. You’re better able to select a curriculum for your children that fit their individual needs while respecting the hours that they work best.
Not only is homeschooling more flexible but it gives you the freedom to educate your children in a manner that instills your family morals and values. Having the freedom to determine what your child learns, such as the basis of math, science, history, language arts, and art will help families educate their children without the extra fluff that is sometimes including in the public school education system.
Stronger Family Bond
One of the biggest complaints about parents who are debating whether homeschooling is right for their family is that the children will lack social skills. This opinion has been proven to be a false reason to opt-out of homeschooling. Many children who homeschool have a stronger family bond, this includes their relationship with siblings.
Homeschooling places more emphasis on family education, involvement, and activities with other people who homeschool. This provides your children the ability to be social with other homeschoolers during homeschool co-op field trips, or at home with their siblings.
One of the biggest benefits that homeschool families enjoy is a stronger family bond and children who are more confident and socially appropriate than most children who attend a traditional school.
Now that we’ve tackled the positive, let’s dive into a few of the negatives of homeschooling that many families face challenges with as well.
Recommended Homeschool Books
Not sure where to get started with homeschooling? Read one of these.
Recommended Homeschooling Books for Moms
Are you new to homeschooling? Don’t worry, I’ve got you! Here are some of my favorite books that will equip and help you during your homeschool journey.
Homeschool Planning Guide for the Unorganized Mom: An easy-to-follow plan for successful homeschooling when you don’t even know where to startThe Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and LifeThe Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your KidsThe Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at HomeA Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of LearningThe Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education
The Cons of Homeschooling
It’s important to keep in mind that even though these are cons, they can easily be overcome to become pros of homeschooling as well. All negatives have the ability to turn into positives!
Added Responsibility
Parents already have a pretty full plate so when you think about homeschooling you may get nervous about whether you want to add something new to your plate. When you opt to homeschool your children it places you in charge of their education.
You’ll be the one planning the homeschool curriculum and making sure your children get a good education. This con of homeschooling is something that concerns many parents.
Not only will you have to juggle your everyday tasks as a working mom or dad, but now you’ll need to take time to determine the best homeschooling option for your children. You’ll need to set a schedule and be on top of your game at all times to ensure your children’s education doesn’t slide through the cracks. This may cause more stress and anxiety in parents.
Missing out on Opportunities
This con of homeschooling is only included on our list to help you realize that it is a false claim. Most states allow homeschoolers to participate in classes at the high school because the law states the homeschooling children will have the same opportunities as every other child.
In most states, if not all, your children will be allowed to participate in the high school band, sports, and other electives that they may want to take.
This con of homeschooling may be hard for parents who have high school students that want to engage in public school opportunities. You’ll now need to make sure your child is eligible and enrolled in the public school opportunities in time.
There may be some opportunities, such as public school field trips and events that your children may miss out on, and that’s something to research and consider before making the commitment to homeschool.
As with any decision in life, there will always be a list of pros and cons before making your final decision. We only hope that our list of the pros and cons of homeschooling will help you make an educated decision about switching to homeschool or not.
This is a personal decision and must be made with a clear conscience. The other pro about opting to homeschool is that if homeschooling doesn’t work out, you can always place your children back into a traditional school setting again.
Deciding if homeschooling is right for your family isn’t an easy decision. In fact, it might just be one of the hardest decisions that you’ve had to face as a parent up to this point.
Keep in mind that as long as you listen to the needs of your family life and your children, you can rest assured that you’re going to make a choice that you believe is best.
Homeschooling your child is a different way of learning but it’s a good one, too. The main thing to keep in mind is that you’ll have to allow yourself a bit of an adjustment phase to really get into the groove. Too many families start homeschooling and after a few short weeks give up and look for other sources.
It takes at least a month or more to get into a routine or a flow that will really show you if homeschooling is beneficial in how you’re doing it.
Now that you know the pros and cons of homeschooling, you’re better educated to make a choice that works best for you and your family!
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Nice article : ) I’ve been homeschooling for more than a decade, and have yet to discover a single “con.” I’ve helped raise public school kids, so I can compare. I’m so relieved to not have to do the drop off & pick up lines (which can take nearly an hour, twice a day), spend hours on last minute, expensive homework projects which are non-educational busy work, or drop everything mid-day to go across town to pick up a sick child. Now that we homeschool, we have far more freedom, more activities, more field trips, less pointless busywork. To me, homeschooling is all “pros” : )