It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year. The time of the year that includes family gatherings, delicious meals, holiday music, and gifts. Easily the best part of the holiday season is the opportunity for you to defend your choice to homeschool. Now you get to practice this skill with every family member that decides to question your choice. How exciting! So, are you prepared to defend your choice to homeschool this holiday season? If not, let us help you with that.
Homeschooling has become so much more mainstream in the last 10 years. Nevertheless, there are still so many people that have strong negative opinions about home-learning. Often times their opinions can be extremely overwhelming. Which sometimes can lead to frustration and at times social exhaustion.
Additionally, feeling like you have to constantly defend your choice to homeschool can leave you feeling very burnt out.
So, why do people judge homeschooling so harshly and also so often? Undoubtedly it has to do with traditional comforts for starters. Because the average person wants things to look and work a certain way. Therefore when things look different, or they have a hard time understanding something ‘new’, it can cause them to have a mountain of doubts in your homeschooling abilities.
Is it fair that you must defend your choice to homeschool? Absolutely not. Unquestionably there are some people that just enjoy questioning you to get a rise. Clearly, in those situations walking away is honestly your best choice. On the other hand, if this relationship is important to you and the person asking the questions is clearly just asking out of curiosity. Then these eight reasons will come in as a handy reference for you. Especially when preparing to defend your homeschooling choice this holiday season.
8 Reasons Why Homeschooling Rocks:
1. Freedom to Choose.
Many parents find that in-home learning allows them the freedom to choose their educational approach. Additionally, homeschooling can be personalized around your schedule, values, and living. This can look like: Some parents choosing to unschool for greater benefits of freedom and even creativity. On the other hand, structured learning can produce amazing benefits. Those benefits include but are not limited to: Accelerated academic performance. As well as, homeschooling gives the parent, and the student, the freedom to choose what style of education is best suited for their learning needs.
2. Putting your child’s needs first, now!
Homeschooling gives you the freedom to prioritize your child’s emotional, mental, physical and behavioural health now. Rather than worrying about your child in a large class setting. You have the opportunity to help them with their current needs.
3. Which brings us to our next important reason: Valuable Learning time.
Chances are you already know this to be true. Large class sizes have aided in learning loss. Additionally, children’s learning challenges often go undetected. The reason is that it’s nearly impossible for a teacher to care for a class of 20+ children and help each child learn in a way that is unique to them. When homeschooling, your child will greatly benefit from the one-on-one time that they will receive.
4. Opportunity to focus on important life skills.
Preparing for adult life is a really great perk of homeschooling. Obviously, homeschooled children have more opportunities to learn to cook, budget, do laundry and more. These life lessons are just as valuable as a child’s math assignment.
5. Encouraging Independence.
While one-on-one learning is readily available when homeschooling. There’re also amazing opportunities for your child to learn independent skills. This is another huge perk of homeschooling. Things like independent play, reading time, life skills, and more. Are all utilized when homeschooling.
6. Stepping out of a bad situation.
Occasionally mental health issues are directly connected to unfortunate school situations. For example: Providing your child safety from a situation that they’re being bullied in. This is another huge beneficial component to homeschooling.
7. Focus on their mental health.
Anxiety, depression, brain health, and social anxiety are all areas of your child’s mental health that can be helped by homeschooling. Because homeschooling gives you the chance to help your child by focusing on their mental and emotional well-being. Moreover, homeschool parents can prioritize time learning coping skills, medical care and therapy. Which will then benefit the child mentally, and in time academically too.
8. Home learning offers the opportunity for a more thorough education.
It’s fact that traditional schools skip a lot of educational lessons. These range from different subjects like history and science to mental health. Of course these educational lessons have the opportunity to examined further when homeschooling.
Regardless of how beneficial it can be, home learning won’t be for everyone.
Even if you listed all the most amazing benefits of homeschooling to the person questioning you. Some people still will not be able to see the benefits. Please don’t let their sour opinions drag you down. Even if you just remember these 8 reasons to benefit and back up your own personal beliefs about homeschooling. It will still be worth it.
Your decision to put your child’s education first is a direct side affect of your desire to provide them with the best skills for a good life. You’re doing a great job.
Click Here to prepare for the ‘What about Socialization Questions’!
Additional Resources:
Benefits of Homeschooling – The Homeschool Mom
What Are Some Benefits of Homeschooling – OFTP
4 Reasons Your Kids Should be Homeschooled – Augusta Free Press
