Your Top 5 Homeschooling Fears

1. Will I ruin my children?

Unless you are neglectful or abusive, you can’t do worse than public schools. Whenever I’m convinced I’m the world’s worst parent and my children are doomed, I remind myself of the statistics on homeschooling. Most home educated students excel academically and socially, and go on to homeschool their own children.

2. I don’t want my children to miss out on recess, back to school shopping, pep rallies and other fun experiences.

We often look back on our school years through rose colored glasses. We remember the fun - not the hours of boredom, useless memorization, bullying, and nonsensical rules. Our children will have their own, equally fun memories without all of the disadvantages of public school. As for friends, how many of your elementary school friends are you still in contact with?

3. I don’t own a denim jumper.

School attire shold be the least of your homeschooling fears. You don’t have to wear a denim jumper to homeschool, but you can if you want to. You can also grind your own wheat or buy white bread. You can sew your own dresses or shop at the mall.

You have the freedom to choose – your values, your homeschooling method, your schedule, your lifestyle. With homeschooling, one size does not have to fit all.

4. What if my kid is not accepted to Harvard?

We have all heard the reports of homeschoolers who’ve won spelling and geography bees, gone to college at age 15, wrote novels, and cured cancer – oh , wait, that hasn’t happened... yet. Take a deep breath! Lower your expectations. A little lower... There. That’s good. Your goal is not to impress the neighbors. Your goal is to do what’s best for your child.

5. What if I forget to teach something?

Step away from the homeschool curriculum catalogs – you don’t need 3 math programs! When your child leaves home there will be gaps. Homeschooling is not about cramming your child’s head with facts and figures, it is about giving your child the tools to learn.

When is the last time you solved a quadratic equation? Used the periodic table? Recounted historical dates? Much of what we learn in school is not used in real life, and some of what we use in real life wasn’t taught in school.

In the words of the late John Holt:

“...no matter what the tests show, very little of what is taught in school is learned, very little of what is learned is remembered, and very little of what is remembered is used. The things we learn, remember, and use are the things we seek out or meet in the daily, serious, nonschool parts of our lives.”

For additional information that will relieve your homeschooling fears, follow these links to learn about:

• Homeschooling Benefits,
• Homeschooling and Socialization,
• Homeschooling Pros and Cons,
• Overcoming Disadvantages of Homeschooling,
• Famous Homeschoolers, and
• Homeschooling Facts.