.jpg)
Considering homeschooling? That’s great there are TONS of reasons to consider homeschooling. BUT, if you want it to fix a problem….. I have some bad news for you today. Homeschooling is not a fix all answer.
Dear mom, thank you for contacting me about homeschooling. I am sure you can feel my passion for it and know that I LOVE helping new homeschoolers. However, I have some bad news for you today.
Homeschooling is not a fix all answer.
I understand that your kids don’t like their teacher.
I am so sorry that they are being bullied.
I know that the school can’t meet all of your children’s needs.
Fear of violence nowadays is understandable.
Yes, homework is a pain.
But, I am sorry to say that homeschooling is NOT going to fix all of these problems.
Homeschooling is a wonderful education choice. It is a great way to for our children to get a one on one education. We are able to tailor our children’s lessons to their learning styles. We are able to educate them in a safe environment. We are able to do so much that the schools can’t.
But, homeschooling is not a fix all answer.
Your children may still encounter mean girls. Yes, they exist, even in homeschool circles.
Your child may not like their teacher now, but what do you do if they don’t like you teaching them either?
Do they hate doing homework, who wouldn’t? But, you realize that all of homeschooling is homework right?
Yes, you can tailor your child’s lessons to fit their needs, but are you ready to do this long term?
Violence doesn’t happen just in schools but in movie theaters, malls, and churches.
Homeschooling is not going to fix all of these problems.
You see, dear mom, I WANT you to homeschool. I WANT you to try it out and succeed. BUT, I also WANT you to know that all the issues your child may have in public school, may also exist in the homeschool environment.
You see, I have seen so many moms pull their kids out of public school because of one of the above scenarios. But, they didn’t realize that homeschooling is not a fix all answer. They still had to deal with heart issues within their children. They had to deal with learning to create lessons and teach to their children’s needs. They had to learn a whole new way of life.
And they were not ready. They felt like failures. They thought they made a mistake, and the kids went back to school.
I don’t want to see that happen to you!
So, before you make the decision to homeschool realize that homeschooling is not a knee-jerk reaction it is a commitment! It takes work. It takes time. It takes effort.
Once you have realized this, if you decide to homeschool anyway, then great!! You have made a commitment to something that will likely bless your family more than you could ever imagine.
You may fall in love with homeschooling. You may realize this way of life is perfect for your family. And you may not mind that homeschooling isn’t a fix all answer 🙂
PS: If you decide to give homeschooling a first (or second ;)) shot be sure to check out my course on successful homeschooling. It is a great kick in the pants to start homeschooling off on the right foot.
Those are all areas of parenting that we would have to tackle with or without homeschooling. Homework assignments are brought home in public school right? So, regardless you’d have to deal with them. Those are the areas I would take to prayer, make a plan, and stick with it. I have a child who balks at school work. It takes her FOREVER. I used to argue with her. Push her. Tell her to hurry up. Now, I let her work at her own pace. If she’s doing school instead of taking a break and playing that is HER fault. Not mine (she’s 9). Guess what happened? She started working more diligently. Find what works best for your child and your family and do it. Homeschooling offers amazing flexibility.
But how do we tackle the heart that is given Godly guidance but still gives into sin: fighting assignments, pretending to lack ability, and/or underperforming, etc.?
Great post! People think homeschooling is easy, but it’s far from it.
Yep! It’s craziness!!
I remember the 1st ‘bully’ we encountered at the Christian co-op 2 yrs ago. I was absolutely shocked – not only his attitude, but wordly filth he shared in class with the other students. I was horrified. It was a reality check how much of a homeschool bubble we had been living in.
Yes it is!!
A lot of people assume that their kids will like doing their homework (like math, for example) when they homeschool, but it’s really a lot of the same stuff they hated at school. Learning to have self-discipline is something that every student needs to learn.
Awe, shucks Ann, you made me blush!! Thanks for your kind words!
Exactly! Yet I think too often times people come into it thinking it’s a walk in the park 😉
Great post! I totally agree. Homeschooling will not solve all of your problems. It is a great educational choice that requires commitment, love and patience.
Yes to all of the above! Just pulling the kids out of school will not solve these problems — as moms we need to realize that having the kids home will give us a better opportunity to work through the issues TOGETHER. It’s not failure to struggle — only to give up. You are a wise woman, Misty! 🙂