Homeschooling is evolving as a progressive movement around the various regions of the world. In homeschooling, parents educate their child on their own instead of sending him/her in any public or private school.
Reasons to choose homeschooling
Parents choose to homeschool their child for a number of reasons. Some parents are not satisfied by the structure of traditional public and private schools. That is why, they prefer homeschooling for their child as compared to sending him/her to school.
Some parents have different views and philosophy which make them think that their child cannot progress in the given school environment. Some parents think that their religious belief can be inculcated in the child better via homeschooling.
How to start homeschooling for child
In various regions around the world parents do not need professional training in homeschooling for their child. Young parents usually start homeschooling once their child reach the age of going school. They start the early homeschooling according to the standards of the state they are residing in, or the religion they believe in.
Those parents who have their child already going to school, and making him/her shift to homeschooling need to write a letter to the principal of the particular school.
The letter includes the reason of child’s withdrawal from the school and parent’s intent behind it. After approval parents can continue the homeschooling according to the guidelines provided by their district.
Benefits of homeschooling
Homeschooling has many advantages over traditional public and private schools. Parents must know these benefits before starting homeschooling for their child. These points will shed light on the direction in which parents are taking their child to.
- Homeschooling brings great educational freedom. One of the biggest advantages of homeschooling is its academic flexibility. Parents educate their child at their own terms.
- There is no peer pressure in homeschooling. Homeschooling successfully cuts off negative peer pressure that can have adverse effects on child’s personality development. Stereotypically, peer pressure prevails more in high school students but in some areas it begins in toddlerhood as well.
- Homeschooling offers warm family environment. Family has proven to be the best foundation for social development of child. Homeschooling nurtures the child in friendly home environment.
- Homeschooling lessens the social anxiety. If a child suffers from social anxiety, depression and other challenges, homeschooling can be a better option to improve his/her mental health. Parents can arrange coping therapy for their child in the home premises.
- Homeschooling builds a sense of safety in child. A child feels physically safe in the home environment.
Myths of homeschooling
Parents undertaking homeschooling face different doubts and myths that stop them from taking this decision. There are different assumptions associated with homeschooling bringing confusion in parents while making this decision for their child.
- Some parents believe that their child has a bad attitude. They also think that the child will not listen to them. This is one of the biggest myth associated with the homeschooling. In such cases instead of sending child to school it is better to teach him/her at home. Loving parents need to hold the opportunities to teach discipline to their child. Expecting a teacher to deal with such an issue is not a feasible solution.
- Parents believe that they will not be able to teach child effectively. This myth is busted by the research itself. It is shown through research that parents who have not received any technical education or those who have been dropped out of schools, have successfully taught their children at home.
- Some parents believe that they cannot afford homeschooling for their child. This is not true at all. This is the era of information overflow. A large number of curriculum resources are available on internet free of cost. So, there is no ground for this excuse that homeschooling is expensive.
- Parents think that their child likes to spend more time with friends as compared to family. If this is actually true then it is an alarming situation for the parents because the child has already developed a negative peer pressure. This may not be seen as a problem when a child is young but after the age of 15 years it will bring the worst outcomes.
- Working parents especially mothers believe that they cannot manage to teach their child as they have shortage of time. Choosing to stay home for a child or quitting work require a great shift of mindset as well as priorities. Some of them believe that getting a paycheck is the biggest achievement. They need to realize that raising a well-developed, well- behaved and smart kid is the biggest achievement a parent could have.
- Some parents feel stressed out that they will not be able to teach their child like a teacher. They need to know that homeschooling is a lifestyle with a lot of flexibility. Parents can plan homeschooling according to their desired style. This reassurance itself is enough to reduce the stress.
Conclusion
Just like other modes of education homeschooling too has its supporters and critics. Some favor homeschooling because it is emerging out to be a new normal. A large number of parents around the world is now preferring initial homeschooling for their child considering it to be a necessity for a child’s personality development.
It is seen in literature that a large number of parents consider that homeschooling is better for the faith development of child. It is believed that parents can inculcate their values and belief system better in their child as compared to any educational institution.
People have now started seeing the sweet fruit of homeschooling and have started respecting the parents who are serving their child as the successful homeschoolers. But, this is not the end. There are still some gaps in homeschooling that parents need to focus on.
The biggest challenge for parents is to meet the ever changing demands of curriculum to keep the child updated. A homeschooling child must not be any less than the students seeking education in schools.
