The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling

Today, more families are opting to teach their children at home. This is a choice that each family must make on their own as they evaluate the pros and cons of homeschooling. For some people, this is the best choice and for others, it can be a big mistake. Homeschooling works, but it does not work for some families for some very simple reasons. If you wish to home school your children, do research first so that you know you are making the best choices for your children so that they can get the very best education that they can get.

The first thing that you should weigh in the pros and cons of homeschooling is time. Do you honestly have time to give this everything that it needs to be successful? While you can home school children if you work, it may be too much if you work full time and out of the home. You will probably not have the time to get everything in that will be required and you may not feel comfortable with the fact that you may not have time to go over things as thoroughly as you would like. This is especially important when children are older and the subject matter becomes more complex.

Studying the pros and cons of homeschooling also involves deciding if this is something that you know you have the patience for. You love your children as much as the next person, but that does not mean you have the temperament to be a teacher to your children or anyone else's for that matter. This does not make you less of a mother or father, it just means you know your own limits and feel that you can not do as well as those teachers who have dedicated their lives to teaching. Not everyone can do it and not everyone has the level of patience it takes when children struggle, which they are all bound to do at some point.

How social are your children? This is something else to think about in relation to the pros and cons of homeschooling. There is a social element that children get in school that they can not get when they are home schooled. Today, there are many great programs that are out there just for children who learn at home. There are places where these families meet so that the children can socialize with each other. There are also many school districts that allow home schooled children to take part in all extra curricular activities like sports, clubs, and other special school district activities like prom or class trips.

Other pros and cons of homeschooling may include what it may cost you in comparison to what you pay in school taxes, though you may have to pay them regardless of your educational status. You should think about things like extra costs, travel time for special activities, and the overall temperament of your children. Some will thrive in homeschooling and others do not do well. You know your children best, and you know yourself as well. Do not feel as if homeschooling makes you a better parent. Either choice is good as long as it works for the child or children. That should be your main consideration when deciding on homeschooling or public/private schooling for your family.