Pros and Cons to Homeschooling Children 2016

Pros and Cons to Homeschooling Children

There are many pros and cons to homeschooling your children, so much so that they balance each other out. According to the type of education and environment you choose for your children, you may like the Home-School option better than the public school option. But you, and only you can decide what is best for your family. Below is a list of  pros, as well as cons to help you decide. First lets start off with the cons.

Cons to Homeschooling your children.

1. One con is that many people are afraid they will not have the social skills they need. This can be an issue, but only if the proper measures are not taken. I'll talk about that in the pros though.

2. Many parents do not have the time to home school because of work. Either both parents are working or a single parent is struggling with work and balancing routines. Thus, making it difficult to find the time to teach at home.

3. Some parents, or teens rather, are afraid of missing out on social events. Such as homecoming, prom, graduation ceremonies, or extracurricular activities. However, there are always alternatives to these types of events. I will get back to that in the pros.

4. It can be difficult for parents to have their children begin schooling. In some cases they find it difficult because the children are at home. This sometimes makes it hard for them to feel like they need to learn. As when you would go to a public school, you have a set schedule. When you are at home things can be tricky. Your child may tell you they have all day to get started and then put it off until the next day, and so on. This isn't in every case, but it is recommended to have a special area in your house designated for your children to learn. Such as a table off in a corner, desk, or schoolroom. I will get to Home School Tips in my next post. 

5. Another con is that parents may not feel up to the task of 'being the teacher' for their child. Some may not feel smart enough or may not push them hard enough. Some parents tend to let it slide more than they should, but again, this is on whether or not the parent/guardian is up to the task of teaching. Now, lets move onto the pros of Homeschooling your children.

Pros to Homeschooling your Children

1. One of the greatest pros is working with your own schedule. Yes, that's right. When you home school your children, you get to pick the hours. That means if you work in the morning, your children can study in the afternoon with you, or in the evening. If both parents are available, they can take turns teaching. 

2. Lets face it, children don't like going to bed when they're told and waking them up is a whole other story. When you homeschool you can make the school schedule fit into everyone's routines. Also, your children can even study in their PJ's if they wanted. No waiting for school buses, walking to bus stops in the cold, getting up when it's still dark, or worrying about picking your kids up. 

3. No homework. When you go to a public school, you are tasked with loads and loads of homework, most of which the parents have to help with. When you homeschool, you already do everything at home. No heavy books to carry through the hallways, no expensive lunches. 

4. No pier pressure. Nobody telling you what to wear, (other than the parents of course) nobody telling you who to hang out with or how to act. No bulling, unless from a sibling also being homeschooled. 

5. As I said before in the social activities some may fear they miss out on, there are many other things you would be able to do instead. For example, instead of being stuck in class all day, you have more opportunities to go on trips, explore, visit places, and you have less interruptions. In most cases, homeschoolers graduate earlier than children that attend a public school. Therefore they could take some time off if they decided they wanted to attend a college somewhere. 

6. As children enter teen years they tend to take on their own personalities. They find interests and things to fill their time. They may want to listen to music or chew gum while they study. I always focused better myself with music. Some may not like that, but the option is there if they decide they want to. If you're in a classroom you don't have that option. 

7. As for other social events, since you get to finish your studies earlier than most, you can go outside and enjoy the day more than you normally would. You can take other classes outside of home and other than school, like swimming, karate, ect. There are also events for just children that are homeschooled. I recommend mixing it up a little and not just socializing with homeschoolers. It is good for children to mix into other types of people so they can get a feel of how life is outside of home.  

With all that said, the option is up to you. You can weigh the pros and cons and decide for yourself. I know there are many more to be listed, however I didn't want to become repetitive. Stay tuned for my next post, homeschooling tips.