Future parents who educate at home have to face fears, doubts and myths that prevent them from making the decision to homeschool their children. This article is an attempt to bust some myths, allay fears, and debunk the excuses against homeschooling that keep many parents from having the amazing experience of homeschooling their families… (yes, not just the kids!) , parents are educated at HOME too!)
1. I don’t get along with my children/ My children have bad attitudes/ My children don’t listen to me.
This, to me, is one of the best reasons to homeschool. Instead of running away from discipline issues that need to be addressed, loving parents should take advantage of opportunities to teach and train their children to be respectful and obedient. They need to learn how to reach their children’s hearts, not only apply various methods of behavior modification and punishment, but build heart-to-heart relationships with their children.
Ignoring a problem issue or expecting a teacher to deal with it does not show love or commitment to children. They will test their limits and need parents to care enough to set and enforce limits. Homeschooling provides many opportunities for building relationships between parents and children.
2. I don’t have a good education/can’t teach subjects like math and science
Research has shown that the level of education of homeschooling parents is not a factor in determining the success of homeschooling. Even parents who are high school dropouts have successfully homeschooled their children throughout high school. Parents who did not have a good school career can often fill in the “gaps” in their own education as they go through various concepts with their children.
Homeschool curricula are designed for use by untrained parents, professionals, and for students seeking self-study. In most cases, clear instructions, parenting guides, and solutions are given. Some curricula even offer instructional DVDs in which a teacher teaches the new concepts for the benefit of both the parent and the student.
As a last resort, homeschoolers can also do what kids who go to school do if they’re having trouble with a subject: They can get tutoring.
3. I can’t afford it.
With all the choices and resume options available plus the free resources available on the internet, there is no reason for this excuse. Most homeschooling families survive on a single income and still provide their children with a good quality education.
At worst, you may be limited to spending the same amount it would cost you to put your children in school, without the extras like school clothes, lunch money, fundraising contributions, and other school-related expenses. .
Since most of your money will be spent on books and materials that can be reused with younger siblings, you can get a lot of value for your money.
4. My children LOVE being with their friends
If your children prefer to be with their friends than with their family, they may already have developed an unhealthy dependency on their peers. This may not seem like a problem in preschool or elementary school, but wait until they hit their teens!
As an alternative, homeschooling allows children to build good relationships with both their parents and siblings. When their identities are strongly rooted in their families and they have good family values, children are better able to develop healthy friendships outside the home.
Homeschooling allows parents to choose the social interactions their children experience. Parents can protect them from negative peer pressure or bad influences until children are old enough to be gradually exposed to them and mature enough to make good decisions and build good relationships.
Homeschoolers don’t just stay at home. They also socialize, but not during school hours!
Research has also shown that homeschoolers generally have better social skills with a wider variety of age groups than school-going children, whose social interactions are largely confined to their own age group. age.
5. I have no patience
When I first started homeschooling, I read somewhere that you only have patience if you need it!
The same goes for other character qualities homeschooling parents need, such as perseverance, humility, self-sacrifice, compassion, diligence, etc.
It is through homeschooling that our character is shaped, molded and matured and equipped to do what we are called to do.
6. I am afraid of failing.
I often tell my children that “Courage is doing what we have to do, EVEN WHEN WE ARE AFRAID.”
It amazes me how many parents are afraid of messing up their child’s education, but they don’t seem to be afraid that some teacher might mess it up even more!
When you see how many children suffer for various reasons in the school system, it is even more amazing that parents are willing to entrust their precious blessings to complete strangers for 6 hours a day or more!
As a parent, you love your children like no teacher ever will, have their best in mind, and are able to provide a personalized education tailored to their individual needs.
Unless you are committed to successful homeschooling and the parenting and discipline issues that may arise, there is no reason why you should not do equal or better work than a paid professional.
Now, I’m not saying that any parent can be a school teacher; no i think one needs special training to teach a class of 35+ kids who are not your own in a school situation… but i do think that engaged parents can do a good job of homeschooling on their own .
7. Will I manage? I’m already stressed.
Many outsiders see home schooling only as an additional responsibility – the burden of their children’s academic training. However, to give you a different perspective, homeschooling is a lifestyle that brings a lot of flexibility to a family’s day-to-day life. This could be just what you need to help a stressed parent better cope with the demands of a family.
Since everyone is together, without rushing in different directions, life is usually simplified. The children are at home and can be trained to help around the house as well.
Sometimes a parent may need to initially stop certain outside activities or commitments, such as extra church programs, sports, or hobbies. However, this is not always the case and many homeschoolers are just as, if not more, involved in their communities than non-homeschool families.
Sometimes these activities just need to be rescheduled to fit into the homeschooling lifestyle.
Learning to adjust and putting family first is usually a good thing. I know of too many people whose children are treated like second-class citizens for the so-called good of the community, so that parents can find approval from their own peer group for their good deeds and commitment!
8. We have such a nice teacher/school.
There are certainly some very nice teachers and schools with good results and good reputations. However, do the values of the teacher or the school coincide with the values of your family? Will it always be the good teacher who teaches his son?
Often a school is legally required to teach a curriculum that may conflict with its beliefs. No education is neutral. If you don’t know what your children are being taught, perhaps you should find out the underlying belief system.
No matter how nice the teacher or the school, only YOU have an intimate love relationship with your child, and you are ultimately responsible for your child’s education, whether you delegate that responsibility to a school or not.
9. I need more stimulation / I can’t stay home / I love my job.
As career workers, many of us initially find our identity in our work, satisfaction in the approval of our co-workers, boss, or just the paycheck at the end of the month.
Choosing to stay home as a wife and mother requires a change in mindset and accepting that at the end of many days and months there is no tangible reward. You realize that raising well-behaved, confident, and secure children is one of the greatest achievements one can strive for. For many of us, it is obedience to a God-given call.
Although the stimulation may be different from a job, homeschooling can be very stimulating for parents, offering them the opportunity to learn and explore topics of interest together with their children. It gives you the time to enjoy educational trips, tours, excursions, cooperatives, crafts, hobbies, sports, and even business opportunities from home.
(Many homeschooling parents, like me, have website-based businesses that bring in a good income and can work at their own pace. See links below.)
10. My parents, in-laws, friends, neighbors or church, etc. will not approve
For some reason, we all like to have the approval of others, especially those whom we respect and with whom we have intimate relationships. However, if you and your spouse agree that homeschooling is best for your children, you must have the guts to stand up for your beliefs.
For many non-homeschoolers, homeschooling is a foreign concept and people don’t understand why they’re NOT just doing what they’re doing and sending their kids to school.
Sometimes people feel that by your choice of homeschooling you are quietly judging their choice of education and rating it second best, so they attack your choice because attacking is your best defense.
Ultimately, you are responsible for your children, not your family and peers…and a good response is to tell others that you feel their choice is best for YOUR family, but realize it may not be the same for other families. You don’t even have to explain your reasons!
Many homeschoolers have had to face criticism and skepticism from outsiders, but in the end, “the proof has been in the pudding,” as they say. Many times, after a few years, others have seen the good fruit of a homeschooling family and gained the respect and support that they lacked in the beginning!