Homeschooling (part 2)

Homeschooling (part 2)

In my last blog I talked a little about what made me want to homeschool and encouraged you to homeschool your kids if you are interested. To further encourage you, I want to bust a few of the common myths about homeschooling:

Myth: It’s too expensive.

Truth: Yes, it can be. But it really doesn’t have to be! A lot of my friends use charter schools, which provide curriculum and equipment for their kids. I personally use Easy Peasy, and love it. We spend money on normal supplies, just like anyone does when they go back-to-school shopping with their public schooled kids. You can check it out Easy Peasy here if you are interested.

Myth: You can’t homeschool because you (and your S.O.) work.

Truth: You can make it work! My husband and I worked opposite shifts for years to make it work. Maybe you can do that? Or have  your child with a sitter or relative during the day and homeschool in the evenings. Some people find a way to work from home so they can homeschool. If you really want to do it, you can! A good support system helps. A. Lot. Especially if you are a single mom.

Myth: You aren’t patient enough to homeschool. 

Truth: I do not have more patience than you! I used to think I was a patient person…until I had kids. Looking back, I don’t really think my patience was truly tested before I became a parent. Kids have a way of bringing out all our impatience. They are the best tools to teach us to be patient. But that doesn’t mean I have more patience than you! I have to apologize to my children for losing my patience quite frequently. That doesn’t mean I can’t homeschool.

Myth: My kids won’t get any “socialization” if we homeschool.

Truth: First of all…

I'm a big Princess Bride fan. And he has a point...

Education, not socialization, is the purpose of schooling. Socialization is defined as "the activity of mixing socially with others" or "the process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society". If you are worried about this and you belong to a charter school or co-op, your kids are going to get a lot of interaction with other kids in the same school. But even if you school independently, like I do, you can still find ways for your kids to associate with other kids their age. We personally attend homeschool meetups, dance, library activities, youth group, Sunday school, river days, MOPS, as well as play dates with friends (some who homeschool, some who don’t). But the nice thing about homeschooling is that kids learn to socialize with people of all ages.  Not just their siblings. One of my favorite things about homeschooling is that my kids have lots of chances to spend time with their grandparents and great-grandparents. Those are precious times. I also like being able to have some control over who is influencing my children during this time of their life.

Couldn't resist this one.
I prefer to choose who my children associate with during this tender time...

These are a few myths that can stand in the way of homeschooling. I'll complete my list on my next blog.

Blessings!

Lee