Deciding to home school your kid is not a simple & easy decision to make.It means a lot of sacrificing & a great deal of change in lifestyle of all those involved. It is very important that both parents agree to try homeschooling & will be very difficult if one of you is against it.No doubt these will be your most rewarding & pleasant experiences ,as acknowledged by a majority of parents who chose homeschooling.You & your spouse will have to take into account & think carefully these points…
1) Time commitment - Homeschooling will take up a lot of time in your day. There are lessons to plan & prepare, papers & worksheets to assess, field trips, park visits, music & art classes, reading, playing & /or sports & the extra curricular activities. And then you also need time for your selves besides the other routine household chores.
2) Financial pressure - Homeschooling is relatively inexpensive; but if the family is used to two incomes some sacrifices will have to be made,as one of the two of you will have to give up your job.Homeschooling is a full time job with total commitment & no salary.
3) Personal sacrifice- Since your child will be with you 24 x 7,you shall have certainly very little time for yourself.You will have to make efforts to set aside time for your self .You will also have to switch off the TV & phone ringer during “school” time & this rule will apply to all at home.
4) Being organized- You have to be more than fairly good at being aware, prioritizing, planning & organizing your childs studies/ curriculum.Not only will you have to consider the current academics but also prepare the child for college & life ahead by guiding their thinking, value system and their habits.
5) Maths & science –Students will be at a loss if parents choose to teach only those subjects that they are comfortable with.Maths & science are two subjects that are most neglected.If the parents cant manage these it would be a better idea to hire a tutor than to neglect.
6) Acceptance-This is one issue that dogs almost every homeschooling parent.Be prepared to get unwanted & unsolicited advice & fears & resistance towards homeschooling by people, friends, co-workers & also your own family who have never even remotely given a thought on this issue. Most strangest ideas about ruining your childs future ,how college admission will become elusive,how the child will become a social misfit,how a lack of competitive spirit will not get her in the rat race,how could you do this to your own kid…& other such concerns will crop up time & again as is the case with any out of the box idea .It would be interesting to know & quote others an American education survey that revealed ---One in twenty-five home school graduates is a National Merit semifinalist. In public schools, the national norm is one in every two hundred students is a National Merit semifinalist !
Isable Shaw a homeschooling parent sums it up very succinctly in her website school.familyeducation.com-“ Like any activity that challenges mainstream thinking, homeschooling may be seen as an oddity at best, or even as a threat to those who are unable to accept ordinary parents succeeding where trained professionals often fail. My family has developed a bit of a tough exterior over the years, but negative comments and criticisms still filter in occasionally. If you are unable to live "outside of the box," then homeschooling is not for you. “
Be honest with yourself and your spouse and decide whether or not you are willing to devote the time and energy to the task. It may be best for some children to stay in school.
