Is Home Schooling Education Right For Us?

Home schooling may be legal in every state but it’s not always the right choice for your family.  Before you make such an important decision, do your research and talk with other homeschooling parents.  Take a few minutes to ask yourself the following questions.  Your answers may help you make your decision.

How comfortable am I spending much more time, or even all my time with my children?

Almost everyone enjoys spending some time with their kids which is really important if you’re considering spending much, much more time  with them in a home school environment.  However, if you’re easily frustrated by your children or you realize you quickly grow weary of them on a bad day, home schooling may not be the best choice for you.

Do I become annoyed when my children ask my a lot of questions?

Hope not!  Because that’s what teachers do!  Many times answering the same question over and over again.  Good teachers are patient when presented with lots of questions.

I’m not sure I know everything about home schooling?  How do find out about it?

One thing for certain about home schooling is that you need to be prepared to do your own homework and research to get information and learn what to do.  The good news is that there is lots of information available but YOU have to take the initiative and do the work up front.  Research on the Internet (like you’re doing now!), read books from the library, and find a local support group of other home schoolers and reach out to them.  So much information and help is available but you have to seek it out.

How will I feel working at home without other adults around?

No doubt, some people require working with or around a lot of other people.  The more going on, the more productive they are.  They prefer an environment with lots of energy, interaction, and feedback.  With homeschooling, you may need to be comfortable with creating this environment yourself.  After all, you will probably be the only adult around for most of the day.  Of course, you should always have access to a support group for brainstorming and reinforcement, but they won’t be in your home every hour of every day.

How do I know the right curriculum to use?

You’ll definitely have requirements that you’ll need to follow and achieve in order to have your child’s education recognized by the system.  And there are many intact curriculum options available which make it much, much easier for you.  However, don’t be afraid to be a little creative.  After all, isn’t one of the reasons you’re considering homeschooling is that the cookie-cutter approach of the public school system doesn’t work for your child?  Think about not only “what” your child needs to learn but also “how” to create the best learning experience to fit his or her learning style.

These few questions are just a start.  Hopefully, they will help you make a more informed decision about homeschooling your child or children.  If your answers and your research reveal some surprises, please allow yourself permission to conclude that homeschooling just isn’t for you.  Otherwise, being more involved in your child’s education may be the perfect decision for you.