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Homeschooling – Pro’s & Cons
By Jeff O'Brien
When you are researching the homeschooling pro’s and cons one of the subtopics will inevitably be that of the time commitment that is required of the parents who are considering homeschooling.
The time commitment homeschooling pro and con is a question that I get asked frequently. Everyone says that they know that there is a big time commitment to homeschooling their children. At this point, I like to gently remind them that homeschooling requires an enormous amount of time! Aside from the daily tasks you will have of being a homeschool teacher, remember that you still have to make time to plan your lessons, keep your appropriate records, and evaluate your child’s progress.
Family communication is a big key when it comes to the homeschooling arena. You need to talk together as a family when deciding if homeschooling is a viable educational
option for the kids. Certainly, homeschooling works better for some than others. Some find the homeschooling time commitments overwhelming, while others enjoy the flexibility and don’t mind the challenges.
Cost: This is certainly worthy of discussion as it pertains to the pro’s and cons of homeschooling. If you are starting from scratch, all of the homeschooling and educational resources that you intend to use can become quite expensive. And be sure to give great consideration and crunch numbers if you will be losing an income of one of the parents because they will be homeschooling.
On the positive side, there is an abundance of homeschooling parents that share their expertise and their home school resources. Also, make sure that you use everyday household items, your child’s natural environment, and your community itself as homeschooling educational resources. When you’re in your research mode, you’ll want to explore resource availability for future grades and even advanced subject matter.
As far as social considerations go, and people expressing concerns that homeschooling inhibits social development, we did not have any such problem, nor have I been able to find any solid evidence that supports this concern. As homeschooling parents, we don’t want our kids to be socially inept or outcasts, and as such we make an effort to keep our kids active socially by participating in many of the ‘normal’ extracurricular activities within the community. Also, with the flexibility that homeschooling provides, this will allow for more time for your children to volunteer in the community and be a part of many charitable events.
With any endeavor with the commitment the size and importance of educating your children, homeschooling pro’s and con’s will surface. Know that the time commitment to homeschooling is huge… but so is the love of your children. The financials can significant, but creativeness and budgeting can overcome. Social skills can decline, but only if you let them. In short, there are hills to climb, but none are too tall and as you gain experience; the hills are smaller and further between. Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles onHomeschool Curriculum for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com) for more of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information.
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