Why You Shouldn’t Be Scared to Homeschool

Here it is, the gist of this post: You will NEVER be more “plugged in” to what your child is learning and how he is doing than when you homeschool.

Psalm 127 compares children to arrows. Well what do you know about arrows? You set them up properly, focus on the target and aim, then let them fly!

When you homeschool, you take a more involved role in the “setting up” process. You get to choose the curriculum, the schedule, and have the liberty to change something if it’s not working out and things aren’t going as well as you’d like (no teacher meetings to ask permission for intervention and help). You see what your child’s strengths are and aim your child in a direction to find a life path and a career suitable for those strengths.

Perhaps you have reservations about homeschooling your children. Some common ones are:

—You’re not sure how to teach several children of different ages.

—You’re unsure of the material that’s needed to be taught.

—You’re overwhelmed by the curriculum and the laws regarding homeschooling.

—You’re concerned that your child will miss out on parties, friends, and other things.

—You’re scared to teach difficult subjects.

But did you know?

—Some subjects can be taught to several children at the same time? The older children are expected to absorb more and maybe complete for work in an assignment regarding the subject. The younger ones have a trickle down effect and will become more and more familiar with vocabulary and concepts as you go along.

—Older children can help the younger children? This can be in the form of reading a book, starting a computer program, grading math problems, or even helping with a baby or toddler. These are ALL life skills and all forms of learning. Your older child will be learning patience, guidance, and how to explain and serve.

—Homeschool children can attend daily activities and lessons to form friendships and be sociable. They can attend a la carte classes taught by other homeschool parents, join a co-op or tutorial, and even have holiday parties and be on sports teams.

—There has never been an easier time to find information on homeschooling? Many parents have asked the same questions before you, and the answers are easily found on websites like hslda.org or on homeschool YouTube channels. I personally like watching curriculum reviews so that I know what I want to purchase by seeing someone thumb through the pages.

—Homeschool parents often use their own homes, parks, church buildings, and community centers to host their own parties and social event with other homeschool friends. In fact, sometimes there is so much going on, you have to say “no” more often than you would like.

—You can find help with difficult classes online. You can choose an online teacher, course, or social media group where you can connect with an in-person class. Many umbrella schools across the country will offer counseling services to help you understand high school requirements. If your state doesn’t have an umbrella school, you can contact the local high school for graduation requirements when building your education plan and purchasing curriculum. Some states don’t have official high school requirements and leave that decision on what your child needs completely up to you as the administrator of your own school. (Side note: I’ve been told by parents in those states that the safe bet is to find out from colleges what is required to enter and then plan for that starting in 9th grade at the start of high school).

I hope these explanations have taken away some of your fears. Let me speak to your personally.

No matter what school you choose for your child: public, private, or homeschool, there are sacrifices to be made. They may be different sacrifices, but you do have to give up something…But isn’t that part of being a parent anyway? Our children are investments. They are those “arrows” we are focusing on and trying to guide in the right direction.

For me, I enjoy the freedom of homeschooling to spend time together as family.

I enjoy making connections and inside jokes with my children about what we’ve learned or done throughout the day.

I love meeting the parents of my children’s friends and making connections there.

I can take advantage of anything that happens throughout the day (inside or outside the home) and making it a learning opportunity for my children.

I discuss current events and I ask my children deep thinking questions.

I ask them to defend how they think and then I ask some more. When you allow your child to think and talk aloud it is a form of assessment. It might not be a pencil and paper test, but it does show you how much your child does or does not understand a concept.

When my child has a learning disability, I can adapt plans to properly guide him. I can look toward the target (the future) and help guide him into adulthood—the type of person I hope for him to become and the type of job that will be a good fit for him.

Parenting isn’t perfection. We learn about our own strengths and weaknesses. Homeschooling isn’t perfection either. However, it is a choice more and more parents are making as they have more control over their child’s education and worldview (simply because they are around their child much more).

If you’d like a FREE HOMESCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE, you can find one here.

Watch my Homeschool Pep Talk here.

Watch “What to Teach and Grade in Homeschool: Elementary and Middle School”

I hope you give homeschooling a chance, but if you feel disappointed, watch this.

Remember, YOU are your child’s most influential teacher.