As your child inches closer and closer to beginning school age, do you find yourself wondering which schooling option is best for them? You’re not alone. The decision on whether to send your child off to school or teach them from the comforts of your own home has become more or less the norm as of lately. In the past, it’s been a given that you send your child off to your nearest public (or private) school but times are changing, and homeschooling has become more popular in recent years.
Is homeschooling a good idea though?
There isn’t really a concrete answer to that question because it all depends on a few factors. Homeschooling may be a great option for one family but not the right fit for another. It all depends on the following factors whether or not you should homeschool your little ones.
What is your family’s lifestyle?
Everybody has a different lifestyle and living situation. Whether your family has two full-time working parents or you’re a single-parent doing your best to provide for your children, it is important to take into account how you and your little ones live your life.
Homeschooling takes a lot of time and motivation on both ends (you and your little ones), and if you work full-time and are a single parent, you may not be able to give your child the help they need in certain subjects. It is true that homeschooling allows your child to learn at their own pace, but what happens when they fall behind on math skills and are stuck learning simple addition when their other friends are already learning multiplication?
By no means is it your fault, but sometimes it is best not to pursue homeschooling for the sake of your child’s educational needs.
Is your child struggling in a traditional school (public, private, etc.) setting?
Maybe you’ve tried to put your child in a traditional school setting already. Let’s say they have had to deal with excessive bullying (God forbid) and it gets out of hand. Or, let’s say they had a hard time keeping up with the rest of the class or maybe they’re more advanced than their classmates. Each of these scenarios can cause feelings of isolation and not fitting in.
In this case, homeschooling may be a good route to take because your child may feel more comfortable working at home and at their own slower or more accelerated pace.
Do the schools in your area have a satisfactory rating?
Something several families struggle with today is the poor rating of schools in their district. With so many families struggling with poverty, and not enough funding going to inner city schools, this is enough to frustrate any parent who cares about their child’s future.
If you live in a school district with a subpar rating by the Department of Education, you are probably much more likely to seek out other options. There are always private schools, but in some cases, it may not be affordable to some parents, and they may not have the means to fund it.
In this case, homeschooling is the best option. To find out the rankings of your nearest schools, click here.
Choosing the best schooling option for your children can be really intimidating. You are responsible for determining where and how they get an education and the knowledge they will be using for the rest of their lives. Now you’ve had the chance to look at these factors, and now you must make a decision. Is homeschooling the best option for your family?
