I took two years to embrace the idea of homeschooling. It was absolutely not something I saw myself doing, but I felt like I needed to do in the circumstances I was put in. It was scary, and it was taking on a HUGE responsibility! If I screwed up my kids, it was ALL my fault! And it wasn’t just their academics. It was their self-esteem and socialization. It was a tough decision and one of the best ones I made in my life.
Many of you are in a similar situation today. With COVID-19 school closures, you might be feeling like homeschooling is the answer for your family. Here are some of the benefits my family and I have experienced with homeschooling the past twenty years:
- Socialization. It will be the first question you hear, so I thought it should be the first one I address. Your kids will be socialized differently if they are homeschooled. When they are put in a group of kids from public school, they may not feel like they fit in. For me, that has always been a benefit. My kids don’t feel the need to swear and are just as likely to talk about Shakespeare or quantum physics as the latest TV show. When you put them in a group of people of all ages, most homeschoolers will be able to interact with the two-year-old all the way up to the 90-year-old. This is more of a real-world experience that will serve them in the future. There are plenty of opportunities for positive socialization. Join a homeschool park day or co-op. Youth organizations such as Scouting and 4-H are also great ways to socialize with kids their own age.
- Stronger Family. When you homeschool, you spend a lot more time with your kids and get to know them really well. To make homeschooling work, you need to nurture the relationships and help your kids figure out how to get along. When my oldest went away to college eight years ago, we started having weekly family Skype calls. As the others have left home, we have continued these calls and rarely miss a week. Our youngest is just starting high school next year. I was concerned he would not have a strong relationship with his brothers, but these calls help keep them communicating. I feel the foundation of homeschooling has helped keep our family close. We don’t always agree, but we appreciate each other. We have a strong connection that hopefully will last a long time into the future.
- Time. One of the reasons I started homeschooling was that I wanted my kids to take music lessons. I remembered how hard it was to fit in music as a kid with everything going on after school. One of the remarkable things about homeschooling is how your time is so flexible. You have the time for things like music and sports, and your kids won’t be stressed out about fitting it all in. It is also lovely to be able to fit schooling into your family schedule. I know a family whose father went to work a 4 am every day. The whole family got up early to have breakfast with him and then went to bed at 8 pm when he did. I know another family that was able to join the father on business trips and just take their work with them and do it on the plane or in hotel rooms when they had downtime. Also, different people work better at different times. Some do better working in the morning and others at night. You have the flexibility to do school work when it is best for your family.
- Curriculum. You can also be flexible with your curriculum. If a particular curriculum isn’t working, drop it, and find another one. Also, you can work for mastery. If your student isn’t getting a concept, you can take your time and master it before you go on. In the classroom, you can’t do that. There is a schedule and other kids you have to think of. With homeschooling, you can totally individualize your child’s curriculum. When they get into high school, this is a real benefit. With my high schoolers, I can incorporate their interests into their required work. For instance, one of my sons loves art, so for history, he studied different artists and was able to see the subject from the point of view that made him excited to learn.
- The Genius Paradigm. Seeing the world from the point of view that everyone has a genius is so empowering for you and your kids. Your child is a genius. Homeschooling is a fantastic way to nurture this genius so that they can be prepared to share it with the world. Some characteristics that you can help develop in your kids to help nurture this genius are a love of learning (perspicacity), resolution, optimism, using their resources (talents), being action-oriented, and being generous. These are not in any curriculum, but they are life skills that will allow your kids to create a beautiful life. They will be the protagonist in their own genius story.