Wondering if homeschool is for you? Here is a list of pros and cons of homeschooling with my own personal experience – I hope it helps!

Here are some pros and cons of homeschooling. It isn’t a complete list but gives you a good idea of the life.

Pros:

• Slower pace – have the ability to really understand the material/enjoy life more
• Flexible schedule – I worked full time for the first 3 years
• Child can truly be themselves – no peer pressure
• Parents/caregivers are main influence on the childs life
• Kids get to enjoy childhood more
• Parents get to have a say over what is being taught
• More time to enjoy your children (but I like my kid – if you don’t, that can make a whole new set of problems…)
• Believe it or not – but there can be a better variety of socializing – we take our daughter everywhere, and she is encouraged to interact with people of all ages

Cons:

• Slower pace – vs – the fast-paced world
• If not organized, it can be overwhelming
• A lot of peer pressure on parents from nay-sayers (family, friends, neighbors, people at the store – you will come across them anywhere and everywhere)
• depending on state, you can have a lot of paperwork/hoops to jump thru
• If there is an obedience problem between parents/kids – it may get worse
• You are always with your kids – I love my daughter but sometimes I need to be away from her, and she needs to be away from me
• Cost – depending on the curriculum that you use, it can be costly.

My experience homeschooling:

Homeschooling my daughter has been a fun adventure, but by no means a walk in the park. There have been days that I have been ready to throw in the towel. Pack everything up and drop it at the curb while I drag her down to our local school. But it is in those times that I have come to realize that we are learning the most. She is learning what the curriculum is, and I am learning who I am, how I handle stressful situations, and how my daughter learns.

During those stressful times I have also come to see that I can teach her by example of how I react. Those are the times I try to make sure I keep myself levelheaded so she can see how to react – to keep her cool and keep going. She’ll be able to use that lesson her whole life.

Homeschooling her has also made me realize how much I know and how much I have forgotten. The good thing is that I don’t have to know everything, I can learn it with her. I will admit though, there are subjects that I enjoy now a whole lot more then when I was learning them as a kid.

Also, I have had days when I am tired. Tired of looking at the same books day after day, tired of the routine, tired of the same questions. Those are the days that I found that an unscheduled field trip does wonders for my mental health. Also, self-doubt is a real thing. Even those that are the most confident will have times when they start to doubt themselves and their ability to teach their children. What makes it worse is when those ‘outside’ question you. It can wear you down. Having a solid support for myself (aka my hubby) has been a life saver.

It comes down to this – homeschooling is a lot of work, but if you remember the reasons why you started it is so worth it in the end.

I hope this is helpful – have a great day!

–Dawn