The decision to homeschool your child is a huge, life changing decision. A parent should consider all possible advantages and disadvantages before beginning schooling from their kitchen tabletop. Because of the strong feelings on both sides of the homeschooling debate, sometimes searching parents end up only consuming information from other homeschooling parents. These resources tend to be a bit skewed as they are written by parents that feel they need to defend their choices instead of giving accurate pros and cons to homeschooling.This site is for searching parents who have read articles and blogs entitled “Should You Homeschool Your Child” and found only positives about homeschooling. If there were negatives, they were quickly refuted as “myths” or “untruths” and turned into a positive. It is important to consider the student’s perspective as it is their life that will forever be changed by the decision to homeschool. While much of the material relates to the high school years, all students reach this age! Even if your child is in the elementary years, it is prudent to consider how your choice will affect them as they near graduation – and beyond. I am not trying to make your decision for you. I am just trying to give you information to help inform your choice.
This site is also for currently homeschooling parents. While not attempting to change your mind about the choices you have made for your child, I am trying to inform you as to some of the possible repercussions of being homeschooled. Take these reasons and ponder them. Maybe they’ll give you ideas to help your child avoid encountering any possible problems listed.
Reason 1 – Extracurriculars and Competition
You Don’t Know You Are Missing Out Until It Is Too Late.
Anyone that watches television is familiar with the stereotypical former football star who reminisces that his football days were his happiest. While that is exaggerated, most stereotypes are rooted in truth. I have yet to talk to a high school football star that didn’t recall every detail of their playing days (including grueling two-a-day practices) with a smile.This is true of all extracurriculars. High school debaters, athletes, marching band participants and cheerleaders spend their spare time in college either continuing their “sport” or coaching those younger than their selves. They enjoy both the participation and the successes they achieve in their activity, and it becomes a piece of the adult they will become.
The lessons that competition provides are also important. In all but a very few vocations, competing is a necessity. If a homeschool student enters the workforce without truly knowing how to compete, they will be at a disadvantage.
Reason 2 – Inability to Grasp Difficult Subject Material
Some Subjects Are Best Learned Through Skilled Teachers.
Some homeschooling parents have a hard time with subjects such as algebra or physics that they learned so many years before and haven’t used often since. Or maybe the parents never learned these subjects at all. In any case, a homeschooled student might struggle to translate instructions from a book into mastery of a subject in concepts that are difficult.
Yes, tutors in these subjects are available. But homeschooling, especially in high school, is expensive. While other sites are available to help you determine the cost, it is prudent to take that amount and “pad” it with a 20% overage before you put it in your budget. These costs can strain what often times in homeschooling circles is a one income family. There may not be enough money left over to afford a tutor. If there is, can you afford enough instruction time? Students in a traditional school setting receive 3.5 – 5 hrs of instruction weekly in each subject. Can you afford even a third of that time (we’ll say an hour and a half) weekly, across 1 – 3 subjects? Math, Science, and Foreign Languages are difficult for even the best student, but your child might struggle with another subject in addition to these.