Are you asking yourself, “Should I homeschool my kids?”
As with all educational options, homeschooling has pros and cons. While homeschooling is an excellent option for many families, it is not the best choice for every family.
This article covers various factors to consider when deciding on homeschooling. In addition, you’ll discover several podcast episodes and a video that provides information to aid in your decision-making process.
Should I Homeschool? Think About This If You Are Considering Homeschooling…
This article will help you understand how homeschooling will impact you and your family. We’ll cover the following topics.
- Lifestyle
- Relationships
- Socialization
- Education
- Time
- Finances
- Responsibility
Watch This Video: Should I Homeschool My Kids?
1. Your Homeschool Lifestyle
The first thing to understand about homeschooling is that it’s not just about your children’s education. Homeschooling will impact every area of your life because it is a lifestyle. If you attended public school as a child, you know the school system dictates your life.
When attending public or private school, your entire life revolves around the school’s yearly calendar, daily schedule, and homework. If you homeschool your children, you will have time and location flexibility. This means you can travel whenever you want and “do school” when it is convenient for your family. This flexibility will present you with both opportunities and challenges.
While most families begin homeschooling by trying to emulate the public school system in their homes, they eventually begin to seamlessly intertwine their children’s education with life.
2. Homeschooling and Your Family’s Relationships
Before deciding to homeschool your children, you must be honest with yourself. Answer the following questions.
- Do you enjoy spending lots of time with your children? To succeed at homeschooling your children, you must enjoy spending time with them.
- How much time do you need alone? Let’s be clear. You do need time alone. However, if you need six hours a day, homeschooling probably isn’t a good choice for you. On the other hand, if you need a couple of hours a day alone, you can probably figure that out.
- Do you have consistent and reliable support? As a homeschooling parent, you need help running your household and caring for your children. Helpful family and friends are essential, and you may want to hire outside help.
3. Homeschooling and Socialization
Socialization is a frequent topic when parents are considering homeschooling their kids. Contrary to the misconception that homeschooling may limit a child’s social interactions, it actually presents a much broader range of opportunities for socialization. While traditional schools expose children to a large peer group daily, homeschoolers engage in more personalized and diverse social experiences.
Homeschooled children frequently participate in community activities, field trips, homeschool groups, and co-op programs. These opportunities foster interactions with various individuals, including kids of all ages, adults, and professionals.
Although homeschooling requires intentional efforts to ensure social connections, it allows children to develop strong interpersonal skills, adaptability, and a deeper understanding of various social contexts beyond the confines of a traditional classroom.
4. Homeschooling & Education
When most parents consider homeschooling, they think of “doing school at home.” However, we suggest separating “school” from “education.” See this article to learn more about the differences between schooling & education.
As a homeschooling parent, you will discover that there are many different styles of homeschooling. Subsequently, you will realize that your child’s education can look much different than in a traditional public school classroom. In addition, your child will benefit from the ability to learn at their own pace.
One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is that your child can develop a true love of learning. It is extremely important that you model a love of learning to your children. Lead the way by being curious, asking questions aloud, reading, and seeking information. Be an example, and model this behavior for your children.
5. Homeschooling & Time Management
As a homeschooling parent, you will discover that there is an abundance of time while simultaneously realizing that time slips away quickly. You’ll want to create good habits and solid routines to make the most of your time.
Another consideration is that friends and family may think you have abundant time and are therefore available for drop-in visits, babysitting, and other requests. It will be important for you to plan how to spend your time. Then, you will need to honor your time by setting healthy boundaries.
6. Homeschooling & Finances
There is no way around it: homeschooling your kids will cost you money. However, it also costs money to send your children to public school. Before we discuss the costs of homeschooling your kids, let’s consider the cost of sending your children to school.
Common Costs Associated with Public or Private School
- Gas to and from the school
- School uniforms or trendy clothing
- Special class fees
- Assembly fees
- Lunch Money
- School pictures
- Supplies for the beginning of the year (specific notebooks, glue, crayons, pencils, rulers, Kleenex, paper towels, etc.)
- Backpacks
- Gym uniforms
- Musical instruments
- Yearbooks
- Field trip fees
- School sports fees
- After-school activities
- School fees
- Laptop
- Printer
- Paper
- After-school tutoring
- Keeping up with the Jones’s (whatever the other kids are doing, your kids may want to do this, too)
- What else…
Clearly, attending school involves many associated expenses, and you will likely incur many of these expenses while homeschooling your kids.
Decide If Homeschooling Is Right for Your Family
How Much Does It Cost to Homeschool?
Include the relevant fees associated with going to school plus the following homeschool-related costs.
- Curriculum
- Books
- Homeschool group or co-op fees
- Class fees
- Tutoring
- Field trip expenses
- Art supplies
- School supplies
Expenses from curriculum and books can largely be offset by purchasing used products or using free or inexpensive online curricula and resources. The cost of homeschooling varies widely from family to family. Homeschooling can cost very little or be expensive.
The Most Expensive Aspect of Homeschooling
For most homeschooling families, the most expensive aspect of homeschooling is the loss of a second income. Most frequently, the mom forgoes working outside the home to homeschool the kids. However, more stay-at-home dads are homeschooling their children than in years past. In addition, one or both parents may work from home and homeschool their children.
Join THRIVE: Group Coaching for Homeschool Parents
7. Homeschooling: Complete Responsibility for Your Child’s Education
This is probably the most important aspect to consider as you decide if homeschooling is the right choice for your family. As a homeschooling parent, you are completely responsible for your child’s education. Simultaneously, this can feel empowering and daunting.
If you homeschool your kids, you will want to have or develop the following traits.
- Resourcefulness: You must figure out how to help your child in all areas of their education.
- Thoughtfulness: Reflection is vital to understanding what is and isn’t working in your child’s education.
- Organizational Abilities: Planning and organizing your home and time are essential to homeschooling your children effectively.
You can get help with these aspects of homeschooling with our individual consulting services or group coaching program for parents.
Should You Homeschool?
This is completely up to you. There is no wrong or right answer. However, we can help you decide if homeschooling is the right decision for your family.
Click here to learn about our homeschool consulting services.
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2018-2023+. HomeSchool ThinkTank, LLC. All Rights Reserved.