Homeschooling has become increasingly popular over the last few decades. Many parents find the idea of individualized instruction and flexible learning hours attractive. Yet, when it comes down to it, homeschooling isn’t always the best option for a child, and there are multiple drawbacks parents must consider prior to making the leap.
In this article, we’ll go over 15 important questions to ask yourself before deciding to homeschool your child.
1. Do You Have Time To Homeschool?
In order to homeschool successfully, you need to dedicate large amounts of time to provide your child with the quality instruction and support he or she needs. For parents that have young children and busy work schedules, that’s a tall order. Depending on the age of your child, you may have to dedicate a few hours each day to helping them with their studies, and that’s time you may not have available.
Homeschooling is a full-time job, and you have to make sure you can handle the burden of instruction before you jump in.
2. What Happens When One Parent Needs To Be Away?
Of course, bringing in a tutor or occasional help is always an option if one parent needs to go away, but not everyone has the extra resources available to pay for that help or the time needed to bring in outside help. If you’re a working parent, then you also need to consider what happens when you need to travel for work or take a break on the weekends. With homeschooling, your child will still need coverage and support, so if you can’t provide that, then you should reconsider the decision.
3. Will Homeschooling Take Away Socialization Opportunities?
One of the biggest benefits of school is the socialization that’s provided. In a traditional setting, students interact with people from different backgrounds and learn vital skills like social etiquette, teamwork, and communication. If you decide to homeschool your child, you’ll need to factor in opportunities for them to interact with other people and enjoy similar activities in order to prevent loneliness and isolation.
4. Are You Ready For Difficult Subjects?
Homeschooling provides opportunities for you to focus on customizing the lessons your child will learn. But that also means you need to be ready to tackle more advanced material that may require prior research and knowledge of the subject.
There are plenty of online courses and other resources available to help, but you still need to make sure you’re up to the challenge and willing to put in the extra effort.
5. Is Homeschooling The Right Option For Your Child?
In addition to considering your own available resources, you need to consider your child’s needs, personality, and preferences. Homeschooling may be the right option for one family, yet a terrible fit for another.
Before jumping into the idea, make sure it is something your child is open to and would enjoy engaging in.
6. What Is The Financial Cost Of Homeschooling?
Homeschooling isn’t free. In addition to paying for any materials and services you might need, you’ll also have to think about potential test fees, special courses, technology, and more.
Some of these costs can be offset if your child is able to attend public programs of get help from a tutor, but you’ll still need to factor them into your decision.
7. Are You Willing To Follow State Homeschooling Requirements?
Each state has its own school attendance laws, so you’ll need to make sure you are familiar with those prior to going down the homeschooling path. In addition to attendance details, you may also be asked to submit information about the instructional resources used, evaluation scores, and more. Make sure you look up your state’s requirements before starting a homeschooling program.
8. Do You Have A Support System In Place?
Instruction is only part of a successful homeschooling experience. You’ll also need to find ways to motivate your child and provide the necessary support whenever they get stuck.
If you don’t or can’t have a support system in place, then it might be a good idea to look at other instructional alternatives that don’t require sole instruction.
9. Do You Have The Necessary Educational Background?
For most homeschooling parents, the primary source of instruction is themselves. As such, you need to make sure you have a solid understanding of the material you’ll be teaching. If you lack the knowledge, you’ll need to find additional resources to supplement your instruction.
10. Are You Ready To Teach Your Child Subjects You Dislike?
We all have our academic strengths and weaknesses. However, when you’re homeschooling you son or daughter, the onus of instruction falls on you. This means you’ll need to be ready and willing to cover a range of topics both you and your child may not find as enjoyable.
11. Are You Prepared To Track Your Child’s Progress?
In order to make sure your child is meeting all teaching expectations and making the right progress, you’ll need to pay attention to their overall performance. This requires close monitoring and tracking of your child’s performance to ensure they’re hitting the right marks.
12. Are You Ready To Put In The Extra Work Involved With Homeschooling?
Instructing and teaching your child is just the beginning when it comes to homeschooling. You’ll also have to pay special attention to record keeping, preparing materials, identifying resources, and more.
All of this takes extra time and effort, and you’ll need to be ready to make a commitment before getting started.
13. Do You Have The Right Technology To Educate Your Child?
Technology can be your ally when it comes to homeschooling your child. You have the opportunity to access a vast library of digital educational materials, software, and tools. But, of course, you’ll need access to the right technology to get the most out of those tools.
14. What Are Your Expectations From Homeschooling?
Homeschooling is no easy undertaking. You’ll need to make sure you’re aware of all the challenges and unique tasks that the process will involve. It’s also important to set clear goals and expectations of yourself and your child right from the start.
That way, you’ll know what to strive for and when to make adjustments.
15. Can You Handle The Stress Involved In Homeschooling?
Homeschooling doesn’t always go as planned. In some cases, it can be even more challenging than teaching a class full of students.
Juggling different tasks, expectations and topics can easily become stressful. If you’re not prepared to deal with the potential stress, then homeschooling may not be the best option for you. ConclusionAs you can see, there are many important questions you need to take into account when considering homeschooling your child.
Every family’s needs are different, so it’s essential to evaluate the pros and cons and make sure you can handle the extra weight before taking on the task. Weigh the options and carefully evaluate your situation to make sure you aren’t doing more harm than good.