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Today I’m sharing homeschooling pros and cons: How to know if homeschooling is the right choice for your family.
Homeschooling is a huge decision to make and I’ve found a lot of people don’t know how it works.
I’ve actually met people that thought we had to use public school textbooks, or got checks from the government which isn’t the case at all.
I think understanding how homeschooling works will bring clarity on whether it’s the right choice for your family or not.
Just to clarify, I don’t roll out of bed every day and wonder what I’m going to teach my children. We use a curriculum that is rigorous and built for at-home learning.
Let’s jump into the homeschooling pros and cons to see if it would work for your children and lifestyle.
Homeschooling Pros and Cons
Since we are a homeschooling family, I’m obviously more pro than con on this topic. I’ll start with the cons and move forward from there.
Homeschooling Cons
Are Homeschoolers Weird?
Even though homeschooling is more popular than ever and can be done online with real teachers…it still carries a stigma or negative connotation in some circles.
Even my own relatives thought the idea was ridiculous 15 years ago when I decided to homeschool.
Now they are thankful, but when we started they were very unsure of the idea.
You will have to deal with people who disagree or think you are ruining your children. If you don’t have enough backbone to deal with that then maybe it’s not for you.
There is also still an idea that homeschooled kids never leave the house and are weird.
Most of the homeschoolers I know are never home and are involved in too much stuff.
There are endless programs, classes, groups, co-ops, and extracurricular activities to keep any homeschooler endlessly busy.
My girls just got back from a formal dance and we live very “normal” lives.
But you will still have to deal with others not understanding your reasons for homeschooling and thinking your family isn’t “normal”.
There is a large movement of secular homeschoolers, not the traditional “Christian homeschoolers” as of late. I think people are just tired of the public school system and want their kids to get a good education.
It Takes Too Much Time
Choosing to homeschool your kids means you are taking on their entire education. This isn’t to be taken lightly but it can be outsourced to a point.
Many homeschoolers use online classes or co-ops to help teach certain subjects which can free up some time on the parent’s end.
Overall, you NEED time to homeschool. Time to sit with your kids at the kitchen table and learn together, help them with handwriting, teach them to read, and make sure they understand the material.
Thankfully homeschooling doesn’t take all day, you can easily homeschool elementary through middle school in 3 hours a day or less.
But you need to make sure you have those 3 hours a day to spend with your child. You can’t just hand them the curriculum and expect them to learn on their own.
On top of daily homeschool life, there is some time spent picking out the curriculum, abiding by any state laws you have, and planning how your year will go.
Lack of Finances to Homeschool
This is a tough one to talk about because there are so many solid curriculums available completely free to use including the library.
Related: Free Homeschool Curriculum
We normally budget $1000 for homeschooling 4 kids. I could cut this down by half if I wanted to but there are things I want to buy for the curriculum.
After adding up how much my friend pays for her kid’s public school lunches and supplies, homeschooling is cheaper, by a lot.
Overall, it does cost money to buy homeschool curriculum, join co-ops, and participate in lessons and extracurricular activities.
It can be done on a budget but you might not want the budget curriculum. There is also an issue of moms wanting to work from home so they can be with their kids.
You have to decide what your budget is for homeschooling but in general, it doesn’t cost that much.
Money could be a homeschooling con if you are on a tight budget and don’t want to sacrifice other things.
Pros of Homeschooling
I’ve been homeschooling my children for over 15 years now and there are so many pros to talk about so I’ll pick my favorite ones.
A Flexible Schedule
When you homeschool, you are in charge of the “school” schedule.
Every year as long as we school for 180 days, we can have the freedom to school whenever we want.
- We can go on vacation whenever we want.
- We can celebrate Holidays however we want.
- We can take a day off of school if we feel like it and go to the park instead.
- We can sleep in or get up early as we see fit.
- We can school and travel at the same time.
The flexibility is endless because you create the schedule.
You could school at the park, library, grandma’s house, or Starbucks, skip a day, sleep in, school on Saturday, or whatever works for your family.
Yes, we tend to keep a normal schedule and school in the morning but I have the opportunity to pick up and go if we want to.
You Can Pick a Curriculum That Fits Your Child’s Learning Style
Do you have a child who is a very hands-on learner?
Maybe a child that is dyslexic or has learning disabilities?
How about an advanced child who is bored in school with others their age?
When you homeschool, you can pick the curriculum that fits your child’s needs.
They could be ahead several grades in math, need more time to take tests, or have ADHD and need some extra help to concentrate.
Since every child is different, homeschooling gives you the advantage to help your child learn the best way for their brain.
Not every child learns the same, yet the public school system teaches them the same. Teachers don’t have time to tailor the curriculum differently for each child, but you do!
Moms know their child better than anyone else which means you know how they can learn and understand the best.
Keep Your Values Strong
One of the pros of homeschooling is the ability to instill your own values into your child’s education.
We choose to use a Christian curriculum and teach our children about the Word of God but you don’t have to if you don’t choose to.
You get to pick what’s important to you and your family.
Any traditions you want to carry on or ideas you want your children to have are completely up to you. Your kids won’t be influenced by others’ ideas.
That doesn’t mean we don’t discuss others’ ideas or refuse to listen, we always listen to others with love and understanding, but that doesn’t mean we have to agree.
Socialization for Homeschoolers
Yes, I listed socializing as a homeschool pro because homeschoolers interact with all age groups on a regular base and most public school kids don’t.
I’m not sure how normal it is in the “real world”, for your child to be in a room all day with 30 other kids their age. It seems to turn into survival of the fittest.
Homeschool groups have kids and babies and adults all learning together, helping each other and the variety of ages is more “real life”.
Your children will learn to interact with their friends, siblings, parents, and grandparents while doing activities.
At a co-op, you will get to see your older child help a toddler, listen to a teenager explain a task, hear a story from an elder, and see a mother caring for a baby.
The socialization is well rounded and not just the same 30 kids all year long as in public school.
To close, no one can tell you what is right for your family. You know your children better than anyone else.
Although I recommend homeschooling, you do have to put in the time and effort to ensure your children are getting a good education.
Let us know any concerns you have about homeschooling so we can all learn together.
