Pros and Cons of Homeschooling

Hey y’all, Tiffany here with some pros and cons of homeschooling.

As y’all know, before having children of my own, I was a middle school math teacher.  My plan was always to put my children in public school.  After all, that was how I had grown up, and it was what I chose to be my profession.

I’ve been homeschooling for four years now, and it’s the best decision I could have ever made for my family.

Many parents find themselves in the position of having to decide whether or not to homeschool their children.  This conversation has become more frequent in light of the pandemic over the last two years, as well as changes in society over the last few decades.

I want to share some of the pros and cons of homeschooling as I see them now so that you can help make an informed decision on what is best for your family.

Pros of Homeschooling

For me, the pros of homeschooling far outweigh the cons.  Otherwise, I would have put them back in public or charter school long ago!  Here are some of the many things our family loves about homeschooling.

Kids aren’t exposed to adult issues

Most of my friends and acquaintances have their kids in public school, and I am so saddened by the questions and problems that come up.  There are a lot of adult issues, including abuse, that become glaringly obvious in a public school setting, even as young as kindergarten. 

The sad reality is that these children aren’t ready to be exposed to harsh realities of the world.  Because I homeschool, they won’t be forced to deal with these issues until it’s developmentally appropriate.

Small chance of bullying

Even before we started kindergarten, my oldest was bullied by kids in our neighborhood and at the playground. Since these are the same children she would have been attending school with, I knew it would just continue.

With homeschooling, I get to choose the children my kids are exposed to. Bullying will always happen, but it won’t make up the majority my children’s day.

My kids are best friends

My two oldest children are three years apart in age.  If they were in public school, this age gap would mean they wouldn’t get to spend much time together.  Because they are home together all day, they have become each other’s best friends. 

The kids get to do work at their own pace

One of the most difficult things I experienced as a middle school math teacher was having to teach lessons when some kids weren’t ready for them.  With 35 students in a classroom, there was no way to teach to the furthest-behind student while also meeting the needs of the advanced kids.

Since I am teaching my children one-on-one, if there is a concept they are struggling with, we can work on it for as long as we need.  Similarly, if there is a topic they excel at, we can work as fast as they want!

We get a lot of play time

My kids are morning people, so we can finish with chores and school lessons by lunchtime!  This allows them to have a lot more free-play time each day than if they were going to public school all day, followed by homework.

Even now as I write this, it’s 8:00 in the morning, my kids are almost done with their school work, and we’re headed to the splash pad in an hour!

No crowds

Speaking of going to the splash pad and having play time – one of the best things about homeschooling is we’re practically the only people at places like museums, the zoo, and the playground!

During the school year, most kids are in public (or other) schools. Other than field trips, we get free run of a lot of places! This means no lines, even at Disneyland, because we can take trips or go to the museum whenever we want!

We also LOVE using our Gabb watches to keep everyone safe. They have GPS locating, can make phone calls to pre-programmed numbers, and even track activity like walking. It makes it easy to send a kiddo off to the bathroom, for example.

If you want a discount for your own Gabb watch or Gabb phone, just use the code

No summer blahs

Because we take family trips during the traditional school year, we keep doing homeschool stuff all year round.

Lots of kids come home from school for summer break and they forget everything they’ve learned, they’re super energetic because they are used to structure and are now unstructured, and by the end of the summer they’re bored and parents can’t wait to get rid of them.

Our days don’t change much just because schools are closed because we ARE the school!

The evenings don’t feel crammed

We have fostered children in the past, and they attend public school.  The evenings always felt rushed and crammed because they would get home from school late in the afternoon, start homework, eat dinner, finish homework, and then it would be time for bed.  Or if we wanted to do extracurricular activities, it was even worse!

The kids get the sleep they need

Because we can do extracurricular activities in the afternoons, the kids are able to go to bed a decent hour.  They can also sleep in on days they need, or if they are unwell, we can take a break or have a lighter day.

Cons of Homeschooling

Now, before you think homeschooling is all roses, there are some cons as well.  It’s not perfect, and sometimes it can be difficult.

You never get a break

I was so excited when it was time for my oldest to start kindergarten.  I was looking forward to that break each day.  As a homeschooler, our family is together almost all of the time.  That leaves very little time for mental health breaks.  Running errands, cleaning, and all other responsibilities are done with children coming along.

You have to be both parent and teacher       

When I was teaching, I would have frequent parent-teacher conferences.  Parents were always surprised when I would tell them how much I enjoyed their child in class, because they apparently weren’t so well-behaved at home!

That can be true for homeschooling.  You and your child have to work together not just about chores or sibling relationships, but also for their education.  Just like you don’t get a break from them, they don’t get a break from you.

Your kids don’t get as much social time

But don’t get me wrong – we do have social time!  We go to co-op classes, choir, gymnastics, museum classes, park days, playdates, and more.  But it isn’t as much time in a social setting the way public school is.  If you live in a smaller area with fewer homeschoolers, then that can limit your child’s socializing a bit.

But as you can see from the Pros list, that limitation isn’t always a bad thing.  We have more freedom in choosing good friends and influences.  I don’t worry about my children’s safety, which is a very real concern in today’s world.

Conclusion

Overall, there are a lot more pros for homeschooling than cons, at least in my opinion!  Homeschooling, when done the right way, is a tremendous benefit to a child.

With technology available today, there are so many homeschool resources for children that help them get the best of both worlds: a good education and time to be children.