Pros and Cons of Homeschooling

[Annabel Lee]

Pros:

1. I have complete control over their education, to include instilling character, training them in our faith, the opportunity to rise above the ps standard and follow their own interests.

 

2. Family relationships: how many 4th graders in ps do you know who choose to hang out with, or whose schedule allows them to even cross paths with, a 2nd grader? My guys would be in separate rooms all day long with different lunch and recess times. They are best buds at home. Also, snuggly time on the couch during school subjects is an awesome perk.

 

3. Their innocence is preserved. They can be their giggly, carefree, imaginitive selves w/o worrying if it's "cool" or not.

 

Cons:

1. Expensive and requires us to live on 1 income, but admittedly less than private schools.

 

2. I have complete control over their education, but I have my own faults, obstacles, struggles, etc. that make it hard just to stay motivated to get up and "do school" sometimes.

 

3. Loneliness and loss of self. It is hard to find good quality friends and be able to reciprocate friendship when I never have time to clean the house since I'm homeschooling, lesson planning, schedule planning, etc. I have sunk so deep into this black hole of homeschooling that everything else about me (except indulging my love of learning) has been left behind. It's hard to find balance.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Pro's-

-I get to raise my children, instead of sending them off to be raised by strangers.

-They get to learn at their own pace, whatever that may be.

-They read and study to learn not just pass a test. (Spelling is the only thing we test for, and that's just to determine the next weeks words)

-I feel like I actually "know" them.

 

Con's-

-I have to choose between sleep and alone time.

- I worry about math way too much.

- Finances wouldn't be so tight if they went to PS and I had a job.

 

The Pro's so out weigh the con's. I mean who really needs to sleep?

[Haiku]

I asked my kids to give me pros and cons about homeschooling:

 

Pros:

 

DD: You get to spend more time with your mom and your brothers and sisters. You get to spend more time with your friends. :grouphug: (This is to illustrate spending time with friends.)

 

DS: If you want to ask a question it will always get answered because there aren't so many kids to teach. If your dad takes the day off you get to go do stuff with him that you wouldn't get to do if we were in school. :thumbup:

 

Cons:

 

DD: Nothing. :banghead:

 

DS: Nothing. :001_huh:

 

Tara (the kids chose their own smilies)

[Testimony]

Pros:

 

1. My sons get a quality education.

2. We get to decide what kinds of curricula we want.

3. We can instill better character development in the boys.

4. They talk to us more about issues and things going on.

5. We have lots of family time together.

6. We can pray over our education and not get attacked.

7. I can instill my values into my sons and not someone else telling them theirs.

8. My sons get individualized attention and an education that fits their needs.

9. My children can pursue different academic avenues freely and without hinderance from other children who would mock them.

10. We are never behind in our schooling.

11. We can do something even when they are sick.

12. We don't have days off so we finish early.

 

Cons:

 

1. I could say that I don't get time to myself, but my husband tries to see to it that I do. I want to pursue more of my writing. He lets me go to my writers' meetings.

2. I overdo too much. I try to compensate for what they may lack out of fear. I sign them up for different programs and then we find we are doing too much. Homeschoolers tend to have their children in everything like the Spelling Bee, the Geography Bee, Math Olympiad, science fair, choral, choir, drama club, chess club, Lego club, etc.

3. I do have the fear sometimes that I am not teaching what my child needs. The pressure of my son going to Havard because my sister went there.

 

It is really hard for me to come up with anymore cons. I can think of a ton more pros. I just can't get enough of homeschooling. It is a wonderful program.

 

Blessings in your homeschooling journey!

 

Sincerely,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[JenneinCA]

Pros:

1. Curriculum Tailored to Individual Needs

(Math/Writing/Science can all be at different levels)

 

2. Ability to Do Subjects at Times that work for us

(Can do Math at 7:30 am or 7:30 pm. Or any other subject)

 

3. Family Relationships are Strengthened

(There is less chance of a peer centered child.)

 

Cons:

1. There is no back up plan when Mom gets sick.

(There is no substitute. If I am out of it, nothing happens.)

 

2. It is a ton of work for me and sometimes I don't want to design curriculum and would rather do something else. Also teaching English is NOT my idea of fun. The right someone else could do a much better job.

(I would rather spend my time learning Japanese or web design. Instead I am researching the best high school history and english programs to meet UC a-g requirements. Yuck!)

 

3. Less opportunity for peer relationships between kids.

(It is hard for my kids to find like minded peers and build a relationship with those peers. We see kids in classes or at Park Day once a week. It isn't enough. It is also hard for me as a Mom to find like minded friends too.)

 

Overall it is worth it for us to keep homeschooling. I am looking into a local Co-op that seems to have most of the things that we would like to see. It would be a wonderful thing if it did.

[RanchGirl]

Overall, the biggest negatives involve sacrificial giving of time and self on the part of the parent-teacher and the loss of a potential income since I can't work outside the home.

 

:iagree: Sometimes I imagine that I would work part-time, go to the gym, have a clean house and homecooked meals on the table every night if I didn't homeschool. (It can't be that much of a utopia though as none of my non-homeschooling friends accomplish all that every day either)

 

 

Pros:

 

 

• Each child receives a customized education that allows them to go as deep and as wide and as far as they desire in each topic on their own timetable, in the right method for them. They are receiving a much better education this way.

• We don't have to deal with a school's rigid schedule, imperfect curricula choices, or obnoxious busy work homework every night.

• We choose the social environment for our children based on their needs and interests, not whoever the school places them in a room with.

 

[nd293]

Pros -

* Ability to balance academic excellence with time to play

* Time to work out problems in parent-child relationships

* Social environment that more closely reflects our values

 

Cons -

* No time to myself (another introvert here)

* Constant battling to get child to work

* Can't always duplicate the pluses of school - fun group activities and resources for specialist classes especially