Pros and Cons of Homeschooling

Are you thinking about homeschooling? Have you already made the decision to homeschool but are second guessing that decision? Are you in the midst of homeschooling and feeling overwhelmed? I have never had any serious doubts about homeschooling, but on those days when I just want to chuck it all and send them to school, I like to read blogs by other homeschooling mamas. Reading those blogs encourages me – because it is nice to know that there are other people out there who are feeling the same way I am. My hope with this post is to give you that same encouragement. I am going to give you my pros and cons of homeschooling. Yours might be different than mine, but they are important to consider often.

In a list such as this, most of the time you will get the items that are “pro” for the argument that you want to make, and then the opposite. In this list, I am going to give you the “cons” first because I always like saving the best for last.

Cons:

This is probably my biggest one – you never, ever have time to yourself.

Your children are always with you, no matter where you go, and inevitably the noise of your children is with you at all times. If you are an extrovert, it might be easier to deal with. However, I am an introvert. I recharge by being alone. Over the past few years I have learned that I must be extremely intentional about finding time to be by myself and recharge.

You live at work:

There is no time where you get to quit work and go home to relax. Your work is there always. I can choose to ignore the work that I need to do, but it is always there, yelling at me in the back of my mind. Unfortunately, being a homebody makes it very difficult for me to go out to relax. I would rather relax at home than anywhere else. Because of that, it has taken me a long time to find a good place to escape to. My favorite place is our local library, sitting by the window. I can sit and stare out the window, let my mind wander, read a good book, or work on my blog.

You are completely responsible for the education of your children:

This puts an intense amount of pressure on your shoulders. If your children go to school, what they need to learn is already in place. But since you are in charge, it is completely up to you what you teach them, or what you put in front of them to learn. The questions that go through my mind often are “Will they learn what they need to learn to be successful?” “Are they missing something that they need to learn?” “Do they really need to learn that?” “Am I doing enough?”

Housework gets put on the back burner most of the time:

As my kids get older and more independent, I may be able to break more often while they are working. But for right now, I am fortunate when I get more than the kitchen cleaned and the laundry done within a week. I know that part of my problem is that I am an extreme morning person. We do our schooling in the morning, so by the time I have free time in the afternoon, I have very little motivation to clean. It is really the last thing that I want to do.

It is pretty much impossible for my kids to see their friends every day:

We are a member of our local homeschool co-op, so we see our friends a couple of times a month for classes. However, friendships are difficult to maintain with only twice a month contact. It is difficult to get different family schedules to mesh, and then we live so far apart that it’s a long drive to get to each other’s houses. Our best friends go to school, so during the year it is difficult to set up playdates because we are all so busy.

Your kids miss out on the “school experience.”:

No bus rides, school lunches, class field trips, “specials” such as music, art, pe, and sports. While we have the ability to make up these activities, it is a little more difficult.

There is very little outside acknowledgement of what you have done or learned:

As moms and dads it is easy to give wonderful feedback to our children when they learn something. But it means something completely different when someone outside our family recognizes your accomplishments. I recently experienced this one when Bear Bear went to school. She told me that a boy in her class congratulated her for getting all of her math problems correct. That meant a great deal to her.

Now for my favorite part. These are the things that make homeschooling worth it all. These are why I never want to do anything else.

I can teach to the needs of my children:

Both of my children can learn at their own pace. They do not have to wait for everyone else in the class to learn the material, and if we need to slow down and cover some material again, we have the flexibility to do that.

My kids have a larger choice in learning what they want to learn.

There are a few things that I demand that they learn whether they want to or not, but most subjects are theirs. If my son wants to learn how to earn a black belt in tae kwon do; or my daughter wants to pursue gymnastics they both have that opportunity and ample time to pursue these goals.

I know from day to day where my child’s strengths and weaknesses are:

I do not need to wait until a paper is graded to know where they are, but I am able to monitor their progress and adjust the lessons accordingly.

When my children work hard, they are finished with their schoolwork by lunchtime:

This means that they have the entire afternoon to do whatever they wish. They can play, read, do whatever they want. Our day is not filled with busywork.

We can be extremely flexible:

If there is a field trip, a playdate, or a doctor’s appointment, we can adjust our schedule as needed. We also miss out on a lot of crowds because we are able to schedule things during the school day when most people are at school or at work.

I am able to impart my faith to my children:

At home they are not exposed to the bad language, sexual innuendos, and damaging peer pressure that is so prevalent in so many schools. I am able to teach them that God loves them, and that they are created to glorify Him. I can also teach them my faith through the way I live and interact with them.

Because we are always together, we are forced to learn how to deal with conflict and problem solving:

During each day there are multiple opportunities for each of my children to figure out how to solve their problems together. Even as I write they are in the middle of figuring out how to solve a conflict.

Learning can happen at anytime:

We are not limited to learning time between 8 and 3 each day. Some of the best lessons that we have learned have come from family vacations, conversations before bed, and learning how to live

Being with my children all the time allows me to truly know their hearts:

I know how they react in different situations, so I am able to help them and respond appropriately. I am also able to foster an individual relationship with them that is strong. At any time we can laugh, cry, and play together.

Now for the fun reasons.

Jammie Days!

On those days when we don’t have to go anywhere, we can decide to stay in our jammies all day. So much fun!

No school nights!

Even though we have a semi strict bedtime, it is a whole lot easier to let them stay up a little bit when we are playing together, or when they want to spend some time with daddy. There is no rush to get up in the morning.

My absolutely favorite reason that I homeschool: I am able to see ALL of their firsts.

I got to see the normal ones that every mama gets, but I also got to see the first time they figured out how to add and subtract. I get to see the joy on their faces when they figure out a problem. I got to teach them to read, and I was the first person to listen to them read. I get to see all of their ideas, and I get to watch their hearts grow closer to the Lord.

Homeschooling is hard. It requires absolute commitment and dedication. If you are thinking about homeschooling, it is vital to review all the pros and cons of homeschooling before you make your decision. In the middle of homeschooling and feel a little overwhelmed, I hope that this list helps to encourage you. When you homeschool, you are pouring your life into the next generation – a high calling! Don’t give up! God will give you the strength that you need each day to follow His will. Bless you, homeschooling mama! It is so worth it!