Homeschooling
An honest, practical look at homeschooling that weighs the real benefits and challenges to help families make clear, faith-driven decisions.
Read Time: 5 minutes
We homeschoolers can be an odd bunch. I once read that most of us give lip service to the idea that homeschooling isn’t for everyone. Still, if you scratch the surface even a little, you’ll find a devoted evangelist, one who secretly believes that everyone would homeschool their family if they just knew how amazing it can be!
I suppose something like that may be true of me as well. So I can only beg the reader’s forbearance and attempt to lay out the advantages and disadvantages to help each family make its own best decision.
Advantages of Homeschooling:
Homeschooling gives you control over your family schedule. You do not have to endure rushed mornings and exhausted, homework-filled evenings. Homeschooling allows you to set the rhythm of your days and weeks in line with your values. In addition, you have the flexibility to live “off peak” and take breaks when it makes sense for you, not for the school district.
You have the freedom to follow your family’s interests. Children are born curious, and homeschooling can help maintain that love of learning. As the teacher, you can not only tailor your studies to what delights your children, but you can also incorporate your own priorities and Biblical faith into your curriculum in a wide variety of ways.
Time is invested in family relationships. We all need peer-group friends, and there are many ways to help your kids find them. But the relationships your children form with you and with each other could be infinitely more valuable. And spending their days free from peer pressure, bullying, and social comparison can provide mental and emotional safety that some kids—and parents—will deeply value.
Drawbacks of Homeschooling:
Homeschooling takes time and money. Economists use the term “opportunity cost” to describe the true cost of something as the value of other things that could have been done with those resources. And homeschooling takes a lot of resources! A homeschool parent spends so much of their life teaching their children. The opportunity cost is that this time can’t be spent on paid work, caring for others, ecclesial volunteering, or any number of worthwhile—sometimes essential—activities.
Homeschooling will bring character issues to the surface (yours and theirs). Whatever pride, laziness, selfishness, or other sins lurk in our hearts and in our children’s hearts, spending that much time together forces us to deal with these issues. Long-term, this can be an advantage. But in the short-term, we need to be prepared to struggle through difficulties, big and small, that you can’t rely on a school-teacher to handle for you.
There is no guarantee of success. Perhaps this does not need to be said, as no educational method can guarantee that our children will grow into faithful and successful adults. But there may be a subtle temptation in homeschooling to think we can control every variable, keep out “the world,” and ensure our children make the right choices. In case we need a reminder of our own Biblical doctrine, sin always comes from within. There is no magic solution to avoiding a frightening, ungodly world, and we need to make our family’s educational decisions with our eyes wide open to this reality.
Questions to Ask Before You Begin:
Is this where God is directing our family? How to educate our children should always be a matter of prayer. Whether we are just starting out or are already moving down a particular path, it is so important to align our will with our Father and be humbly open to whatever He directs.
Is my spouse on board? Homeschooling is not just an educational choice; it is a lifestyle. No matter who is doing the daily teaching, homeschooling will have a massive effect on your family culture, schedule, and finances. As a couple, you may face extra questions around lost income, division of labor, educational standards, expectations for housekeeping and maintenance, or handling critical relatives. The exact answers to these questions can vary. What is always vital is shared goals, honest communication, and appreciating each other’s contributions.
What kind of support system would I have? It isn’t strictly necessary to have supportive parents and in-laws, experienced mentors, other homeschoolers in your ecclesia, or active co-ops. But these are factors that make a great deal of difference. If you are starting without them, you may need extra prayer and planning.
Am I capable of teaching? Surprise—this isn’t a question you need to worry about! Many parents think that they aren’t qualified to homeschool because they don’t have a teaching degree, or never understood higher-level math. But classroom management is so different from one-on-one education. Teacher training is not a relevant qualification. And if you could find this article, read it, and understand it, you are capable of teaching your children the basics and of finding outside resources for the more difficult subjects.
Tips for New / Potential Homeschoolers:
Research the laws in your area. Homeschooling is legal in every state and province of the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia, though it is banned or severely restricted in some parts of Europe. Rules about reporting, standardized testing, and other requirements vary widely. You can find most of the information you need through an internet search. Set aside some time to ensure you are doing everything properly.
Check out local groups and resources. There are so many co-ops, activity groups, sports leagues, and other opportunities available! Some public school districts offer full or partial options for learning at home, and others welcome homeschoolers to participate in sports and after-school activities. Local community centers or groups offer extracurricular activities, support for parents, single classes, or full curriculum options. Again, set aside some time to research, and don’t be afraid to visit multiple co-ops or facilities before you commit.
Get some help choosing a curriculum. There is a bewildering variety of materials available, in every conceivable style and price point. Whole books and websites are devoted to simply understanding the options—this much choice can be overwhelming! Talk to others and ask lots of questions. Current and former homeschoolers can be great resources in this and other areas, as can young adults who were homeschooled themselves.
Set a schedule that avoids burnout. No parent gets 100% of their needs met at this stage of life. But only you know what will make your lifestyle joyful and sustainable in the long term. For me, it was daily time alone, when my girls were strictly forbidden to leave their rooms. For you, it may be regular exercise, specific standards of house-cleaning, or social time with other adults. Figure out what your non-negotiables are, and plan a daily or weekly schedule that (mostly) provides them.
Finally, whatever educational path your family chooses, we know that teaching our children is a huge responsibility, one of the most important that our Father has given us. May He bless each of us with creativity, wisdom, and strength to discern the best path, and to faithfully carry it out.
Nancy Brinkerhoff,
Denver Ecclesia, CO