Homeschooling is a choice made by the parents, however not everyone may be as comfortable with the concept. Also there may be actual valid reasons why you should not homeschool your children. These are a few.
When Parents Disagree About Homeschooling
Homeschooling involves the full support of both parents. The stay at home parent will be monitoring the actual education of the homeschool students, but the earning parent is just as important. If either one is not in favor of homeschooling the children, it will lead to a very dysfunctional family. When the parents are unable to present a united front to the children on this main issue, they undermine each other’s authority. The children go through a lot of upheaval and it can all be quite a strain. Emotionally and financially the situation will be a mess. So unless both mother and father are excited about the idea of homeschooling, don’t venture into it.
Finances and Hidden Costs
At first glance it may seem that teaching your children at home is a cheaper option than putting them through regular school. Incorrect. If you homeschool your children, one parent will be giving up their job to stay at home with the kids. Survival is not easy on a single middle class salary. If you have financial obligations such as mortgages, elder care, or even medical conditions, homeschooling may not be a good idea. The extra income from the second parent working is not a luxury in these cases, it is a necessity. Better to let the children go to school. Also the study material and other resources that you need to invest in while homeschooling can turn out to prove rather expensive. Can you afford it? Take a good look at finances before making the decision.
Temperament of the Homeschool Teacher
Basic nature of a person can not be changed. If you are a patient person who will plan with meticulous detail about the lessons and activities that your homeschool student needs to cover during an academic year, you are off to a good start. However if you think that you will simply buy a homeschool curriculum and let your children study while you supervise them from a distance, just don’t think about the option to homeschool. A homeschool teacher has to be involved in every aspect of their student’s lives. If you lack the patience and tenacity to do so, this is not meant for your family.