TheHolisticParent.ORG Benefits of Home Schooling

                                   Benefits to Homeschooling

Let’s start right with the positives. There are so many.

1)        Less Stress
There is no denying it: our modern world is stressful. School and work take up much of
the time during the day. Many parents often feel frazzled by all the demands on their
time. They want to give their children opportunities and have their children involved in
activities. These activities, however, take so much time out of the day after school and
work; it’s hard to fit in other things that may be more important such as families sitting
down to eat dinner together.

There is a common misconception that homeschooling is stressful; that it will take up
too much time and dominate your life. This is often not the case however. When
children are at home to learn, they can complete their work in a shorter amount of time
without the interference of many other children. Many homeschoolers find they have
much more free time, and their lives become more balanced. There is plenty of time for
schoolwork, no need for “homework” after school, time for activities, and time for the
family to spend together.

2)        Home Becomes the Center
Home is a safe haven. Home should be the place to come to rejuvenate and replenish.
With homeschooling, home usually becomes the center of a families’ life again. That’s
not to say homeschoolers are boring and stay locked inside the house.
Homeschoolers can often be found out and about, exploring their world. The focus
shifts when you homeschool though. The family again becomes the center of the child’s
life.

3)        Time to Truly Get to Know Your Children
While it is possible to know your children well and be attached to them if they go to a
conventional school, it is still different than spending all day with your children. This is a
wonderful luxury homeschooling affords. It always makes me a little sad when parents
dread summer break and long for when their children will be in school again. I find that
the more time I spend with my son, the more I want to spend time with him. It becomes
easier, and I am more connected to him. When children are gone all day at school, it
makes it easy to become less connected. Some parents may even have to become
somewhat detached from their children in order to be away from them all day. I
personally don’t feel as if it is natural for children, especially at a young age, to be away
from their parents for long hours. When children go away to school, it is a whole aspect
of their lives that parents don’t truly know. Sure, you get report cards, parent teacher
conferences, and may even help with homework, but you do not truly get to know
everything that is going on in your child’s life. In essence, you must give up some
control and conform to being part of the system.

4)        Ability to Control Your Child’s Education
When you homeschool, you have much more control over what your child learns.
Regulations vary by state, but for the most part, the learning is in your hands. This can
have many benefits. For starters, your child can learn at his or her own pace. Children
can become lost in the shuffle of the school system, but at home, the parent can be
sure their child is engaging in active learning. Secondly, there is the issue of content.
Homeschooling gives children the freedom to learn and pursue areas of interest. Sure,
there are some basic things that children will need to learn, which will require parental
guidance. However, children learn in much the same way as adults do. When children
are able to spend time learning things they are interested in, the gain a greater
understanding of the material and are more likely to retain the information. In addition to
this, parents are not bound by a politically correct agenda of what their child should
learn. Parents may exercise the freedom to instill the information and values they feel
are important for their children to learn. For some parents, there is a concern of making
sure their children receive a well rounded education. When I first thought of
homeschooling, I was concerned with how I would make sure my son would learn
everything he was “supposed” to learn. There are curriculums for this purpose as well
as mile markers to determine if your child is on track. Some states even require
standardized testing.

5)        Safety
I hate to even have to mention this one. It makes me sad. But homeschooling is safer
for children. We like to think that when we send our children to school, they will be safe,
but this is not always the case. Recent school shootings bring this issue seriously to
light. Children, even in elementary school s in some places, must to have their
bookbags searched or walk through metal detectors to enter school. I remember a
police officer having to be on duty outside my high school at all times, though my high
school was considered to be a very safe school. While these measures are for the
children's safety, I still feel it sad this has to be part of their learning experience. I
remember when I was in elementary school, one of the children, a grade below mine,
got run over by the school bus when she was getting off and died. While tragedy can
strike anywhere, it is easier to ensure your child’s safety when they are near to you, then
when they are off at school. No need to worry about school bullies when you’re
homeschooled either.

6)        Higher Test Scores
Children who homeschool consistently score higher on standardized tests than the
conventionally schooled counterparts. This does not mean a child is automatically a
genius if they are homeschooled. There are homeschoolers of all types. But when
children get individualized help and attention from their parents, children are able to
more fully process the information at which they are given. A teacher is responsible for
twenty something children. There is no way for each child to get the same attention in
the classroom than they can get at home.

7)        Appropriate Sleep
Many children in a typical school setting are chronically sleep deprived. They wake up
extremely early and often put in long hours of study late into the night. This situation gets
worse as children get older; a period of time when children begin to once again need
more sleep. Sleep is so important to a child’s learning. Homeschoolers not only have
the ability to get enough sleep; they also are able to listen to their bodies’ internal clock
and adhere to its proper rhythms.

8)        Ability to Think Outside of The Box
Children who are homeschooled have more freedom to be creative, to be themselves.
They are not stifled by a traditional system of learning. They are free to explore their
world, find solutions to their questions or problems, and to discover their passions.
They are also more inclined to gain the ability to think for themselves and resist beliefs
that do not line up with their moral consciousness. They are more likely to stand up to
peer pressure and not conform to another person’s idea of what they should be. I
recently read a statement from a politician in California that felt traditional schooling
was important because it teaches children how to conform to society. I’ll add my own
insight to this. Traditional schooling is undoubtedly a system of brainwashing. It is
meant to teach people to become complacent and to take their place in society by not
questioning authority. Sounds like a reason not to send your children to a traditional
school.

9)        Well Rounded and Skilled Children
Homeschooled children tend to be well rounded. What I mean by that is they have
interests, skills, and passions outside of a typical classroom. Homeschoolers use real
life as a classroom. Homeschooled children typically know how to think critically. They
can master new skills quickly, if for no other reason than typically having more time to
do so. They usually have practical use knowledge that they can apply to their lives
instead of theoretical knowledge or simple textbook knowledge. They have time to learn
things like how to cook or sew, how to make things, and how to research and find
answers to things they seek.

10)        Love of Learning
I saved this one for last because it is my favorite. I grew up feeling like school stifled my
learning. It’s a strange phenomenon since school is supposedly designed for learning.
I found that my greatest excitement when graduating from college was that I could now
focus on “real learning”. I could finally partake in learning things I was interested in and
gaining knowledge in a way that I could retain it. Many children hate school, but
everyone has interests and when you’re learning about a new interest; it is still learning.
Many children who hate school still like to learn. This is because schools are set up in
typically only one way to learn: from a textbook. There are many different ways to learn
and all types of learners. Not everyone is good at bookwork. I find homeschooling helps
incorporate a love of learning into children. It is a precious gift to instill into a child a
lifelong love of learning new things. This is what keeps life interesting.

I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to think of many more positives to homeschooling. Each
family is unique and will find their own wonderful things they like about homeschooling.
I hope my list gives a little insight as to how homeschooling can be a very wonderful
thing.

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