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Since the crazy began in 2020, everyone is seeking answers and learning new things about their children and the schools they attended in the past.
What should we do? Where should we send our kids to school this year? Are our children getting the education they need? Is homeschooling an option for us? These are only a few of the many questions’ parents face. So what’s the answer? As every family’s situation is different, I’m not going to say, you do this, or you do that. I’m merely going to point out some benefits of homeschooling and debunk some non-truths to help you decide what’s best for you and your family.
Homeschooling your children is an act of love. However, if you’re not able to homeschool, that doesn’t make you a bad parent, so keep that in mind as you read. I’m addressing parents who already homeschool and ones that are undecided in hopes that it will encourage and answer some questions.
If you’ve read my bio, you know that I was homeschooled and speak not only the experience as a teacher of my children but as a student. With that in mind, take a deep breath, and let’s begin…
#1 Choosing curriculum to fit your student’s needs
Growing up there were six of us siblings, all with different personalities. That meant we each had our own way of learning. It’s with this statement that brings us to the first benefit of homeschooling.
Homeschooling your children allows you to pick and choose different types of the curriculum to fit each child and how they learn. Your child will have less of a struggle if you’re basing the curriculum around them specifically and will excel in their subjects.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they will enjoy each subject equally but, it does ensure they will be able to understand it and therefore learn in the best way!
#2 Better Influences
Not all friends are created equal. How would you like to influence the types of friends your children have? This is possible when you have more control over where they’re at. In a public-school setting, kids are exposed to numerous situations and friends we as parents cringe at. However, if your child is at home, that worry is gone. With homeschool groups across the country, you can get together with like-minded people and or set up play dates with those friends you don’t mind your child hanging around and learning from.
#3 Addressing bad attitudes
When a lousy attitude comes out in our children, we are there to address it. This is one of the biggest arguments I can make for why homeschooling your child is worth its weight in gold. No one likes to hang around rotten kids, not even parents.
By having your child home, you can squash that bad attitude right away, making them a blessing, not a curse on society. When we can address character issues from an early age, we are setting them up to be successful, confidant, polite, well-behaved individuals that will bless their families, communities, workplace, and eventually their children. Attitude is everything in life, so help your child build a good one that will last.
#4 Homeschooling gives you freedom
I’ve been all over the United States to include Alaska and parts of Canada, exploring and visiting family and friends. We took the classroom wherever we went. Homeschooling allowed us to do that as a family when I was younger, and now my husband and I take our children. They not only get to read about History, but they get to touch, feel, and smell it. Just recently, we went to Ireland for eight months and parts of Europe.
Low on funds, don’t worry. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up either, but that still didn’t stop my parents. Homeschool families welcomed us with their warm hospitality and friendship, and it didn’t cost my parents a dime except in gas or the admission cost to a museum or park.
#5 Freedom to worship who you want
The freedom to start with prayer and have God in your home and as a part of your schooling is the very reason my parents pulled my siblings and me out of public school when we were young. As a parent, I believe it’s your right to worship when and how you want.
#6 You know what your child/teen is being taught.
You have no idea how many parents came up to me this year and said, “they’re not teaching my kid anything!” This isn’t always the case, but for a number of parents it was. When you’re choosing the curriculum you know exactly what your student is being taught.
#7 You can focus on their strong subjects
I get all excited thinking about how I can have a huge impact on bringing to life what my kids love to do. Each child has different gifts and abilities that you can hone in on when you teach them.
For instance, my one daughter loves to draw, so I add drawing to her school day. My son loves history and World War II so we go to the library and he gets to pick out war books he can use for reading. My oldest daughter loves science so we add and focus more of her school on that interest.
#8 Your child can CLEP out or get dual credits for college
I am aware that in public school you can take dual credits, but when you homeschool you can also CLEP out. By doing this you can have your child take a test in certain subjects that will enable them to pass and get college credits immediately. Not only will this save on tuition, but those credits are good for 20 years. CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program.
#9 You can use nature, and your surroundings to teach
If you’re a parent, you will, at some point in your life, receive a rock or a dandelion from your child. Well, instead of cringing, what if you could use these gifts as teaching opportunities. For instance, create a nature journal. Your children learn so much, and it’s a blast to watch your kids running in the yard to find a leaf, bird, frog, etc.
#10 Caring for a sick child
Each year one or all of your kids will come down with some kind of sickness. If you teach at home, you can comfort, give them the day off, or have them watch a nature film instead of feeling like you need them to send them to school. I promise you will get the required days as there are no teacher conferences, snow days, or extended Holidays unless you create them ;).
These ten benefits of homeschooling are just the beginning. Spending quality time with your children is also a huge benefit and, personally, my favorite. We have great family time, eat meals together, share stories, make memories, and still have the time to listen/discuss any concerns our kids have.
Now that we have covered some of the benefits, let’s debunk some of the non-truths about Homeschool.
#1 No social life for the kids or activities
This is probably the most common argument people make and one I couldn’t disagree with more. I was signed up in 4-H, softball, dance, Awanas to name a few, and if anything I was looking for some quiet time not more activity as a child.
Homeschooled children can attend any sport or class in a public school system. You simply fill out which classes or sport your child will take on your statement of intent. (The statement of intent can be found online under your state’s site.) This is a link for N.D.’s statement of intent if you want to see what one looks like: Statement of intent.
You also have homeschool groups across the country that you can join free of charge helping to get you and your child involved. As you can see, being social or having enough activities isn’t a problem.
I have found that when children can have more quiet time and not more activity they are more settled and are less likely to be overwhelmed and stressed.
#2 I am not skilled enough or have the patience to teach my child
“If you can love your child you can teach your child.” -Heather Earles
This is a saying I made up for those who think they can’t homeschool. As I stated in the first paragraph of the article “Homeschooling is an act of love.” All our children want is to know you as a parent care about them and care about how they feel.
There are more tools and different types of courses and curriculum now than there ever were before. Some of these include online self-paced courses where your child does everything without the parent’s help. The company where you purchased the course tests and grades them leaving only the printing of the report card left to you.
#3 I don’t remember Algebra
Here is a link to a company, Veritas Press, that will teach your child everything, or enable your child to take both live and self-paced courses. You can pick one, two, three, etc. classes or all.
As I like to balance how my children learn, I use workbooks for both grade school age and high school. Each book comes with the option to buy a teacher’s guide, so there is no need to stress. Simply read the directions, if necessary, and correct their work.
There is also multiple curriculum that comes with DVDs. An instructor explains Algebra 1 to your teen, so you don’t need to learn it all over again.
In the end, you, as the parent, just have to be willing to take the time. It’s not about the level of skill you have as you’ve learned.
#4 What about music?
For subjects you are not comfortable with and don’t have the talent to teach, like music, and or speech, you always have the freedom to sign your child up for that one class (or more) in public school. You also have online tutors and private lesson options.
I have included a couple of sayings below about patience. Because that’s what it will take to teach at home, as you won’t know everything right away, and neither will your child.
“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” Anonymous.
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” Aristotle.
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Every parent becomes frustrated at one time or another but remember to keep loving your children as you both learn and grow. Also, take a break, get some fresh air, and then come back to a subject if you’re clashing heads. If that doesn’t work, perhaps you need to slow down and smell the roses. Patience is a choice, not always an easy one, but one you have the power to make. I guarantee you that for most parents, it’s not so much the teaching as it is a personality thing.
Well, parents, I hope this information helped answer some of your questions and informed you about the homeschooling community. If you have any more questions, please send me an email to heather@heatherearles.com or write in the comments section below.
Until next time…
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