Dear Mom Who’s Afraid Your Children Will Miss Out if They Homeschool
At this time of year, lots of potential homeschooling families are weighing the pros and cons of homeschooling and beginning to make plans for (potentially) homeschooling next fall. It can be a difficult and scary decision for families who aren’t very familiar with homeschooling and who aren’t yet completely sure if homeschooling is the right choice.
Sometimes as parents try to make this decision, they think about the fun memories they have from their days in public school, and they start to feel guilty that their children won’t have those experiences. After all, most of us who attended public school do have some fun, happy memories. In a similar way, it’s easy for us to feel guilty about the few fun things our children might miss out on by not attending public school instead of the long list of great experiences they will have homeschooling. And honestly, most of the fun things they’ll “miss out on” can easily be replaced by another even better experience!
Below I’ve made a list of some public school experiences versus homeschool experiences. I hope it helps you to realize that our homeschooled students aren’t really missing out at all. In fact, there are many benefits to homeschooling that those who have never homeschooled might not even know about. I have to be honest and say that homeschooling isn’t an easy thing to do, but it’s definitely a wonderful educational option, and it will provide you and your children with lots of fun experiences and happy memories!
Public School vs. |
Homeschool |
| peer pressure | love and guidance from parents |
| hurrying to do their work | time to explore and learn at their own pace |
| hours in a desk on a beautiful day | calling school off for the day to enjoy the sunshine and get some exercise |
| cookie cutter education | education tailored to meet the needs of each child |
| a note from Mom in her lunchbox | hugs and kisses from Mom any time all day long |
| unhealthy school lunches | healthy food eaten with folks who love each other |
| school pictures (where you get what you get) | school pictures taken by Mom or at a studio (and they actually look good!) |
| report cards (that hopefully reflect what your child really knows) | no report cards needed because Mom knows what her kids do and don’t know! |
| bullying | love from Mom and siblings (with the occasional sibling spat!) |
| school uniforms and back-to-school wardrobes | wearing whatever is comfortable that still fits from last year |
| PTA meetings in the evenings in the school cafeteria | homeschool support group meetings at the park |
| sending your child somewhere else to learn | learning along with your child at home |
| having your child learn to fit into an educational mold and to spout out the desired answer | allowing your child to learn as he uses his imagination and creativity |
| regimented schedule | flexible schedule as your child learns to deal with real-life interruptions |
| learning lots of facts in order to pass a test at the end of the school year | teaching your child to learn on her own and to take responsibility for her own education |
| sending your child on one or two field trips a year | going with your child on as many field trips as needed to learn about something new or to reinforce a topic that you’ve been studying |
| learning while sitting in a desk | learning in any environment at any time |
| hours of homework in the evenings | finishing school work early to leave time for reading, playing, being creative, pursuing hobbies, having fun, and enjoying being a kid |
| constant school fundraisers | learning how to earn money through working–even at a young age |
| having to get permission to miss school and child having to make up lots of work when a child is sick, has surgery, etc. | working your school schedule around sicknesses, vacations, and “real life” situations that come up |
| work at whatever pace the teacher requires | work at whatever pace fits each child |
| forced association limited to kids of the same age who live in the same area | friends of all ages and from all over, bonding over similar interests/groups etc. |
| read about the world around you and view pictures | go see the world and experience things first hand |
| sensory overload for many children with sensory issues | environment can be adjusted to make children with sensory issues more comfortable and better able to learn |
| many children are forced to “grow up” too soon because of the situations they must deal with | most children aren’t forced to grow up too soon since they are at home with their parents’ guidance |
Did I miss any that you would add to the list? Let me know by leaving a comment below! We have a closed group on Facebook where 15,000+ moms are helping each other with the homeschool lifestyle. We would love to have you join us!
I’m really interested in printing this article in my not-for-profit magazine for home schooling families in Alberta, Canada. I would print your bio and direct people to your blog, if that’s alright with you! Please let me know at your earliest convenience.
Thanks!
Hi! Please email us at [email protected] and put PERMISSION TO REPRINT ARTICLE in the subject line so we’ll see it right away. 🙂 Thank you!
I agree with all the reasons, being a former school teacher myself. How do you get past the part, where your child misses out on plays, musical instruments , sports etc? Financially we can’t provide any of those extras.
Julia, there are often local homeschool support groups that provide opportunities for children to participate in plays, sports, clubs, etc. Also, many local churches offer those kinds of activities. And it may be possible for you to find someone who’s willing to, for example, trade babysitting for music lessons (or some other kind of trade agreement). I would start by contacting other local homeschoolers to find out if they know of resources that are available in your area that you might not know about. Your local library might also know about homeschool support groups and resources to tell you about.