Pros and cons of homeschooling by a real parent

There are many advantages of normal schooling.

A child have his/her own social life.

At school they work, play and learn together in group of same age.

Activities and interactions at school add many life long impressions. Have teachers specialized in their subjects and many more facilities for learning and extra curricular activities.

Facts about homeschooling :

Then why homeschooling? Though different homeschooling families have different reasons for homeschooling. One common reason is almost all of them are dissatisfied with today’s system of education. Homeschooling is very popular in US and now getting popular in India too. Reasons of popularity in India are obvious as parents are more conscious now.

Before considering option of homeschooling, one must take advantage of normal school into consideration because growing with same age group is very very important. Fortunately now we have many options for this too in homeschooling, a child can join different activities like dance, sports, drawing etc. of her interest and can have group of almost same age. Learning facilities we can be provided at home with some planning, a library with story books & reference materials also can set less expensive maths/science lab with marbles, different measuring instruments, compass, magnifying glass etc. About trained teacher, it is not necessary for parent to have specialized training of  teaching and in fact you know your child which is a very strong point for a parent as teacher.

Now are you convinced that it is possible to learn at home? Second important thing in homeschooling is parents role. Over all education of child from character to academic is now parents’ sole responsibility. If you are not fully convinced, one of parents is not agree, can not take such responsibility for long time then please don’t go for it.

It requires at least one parent stay at home and assist child in education. Every child is unique and so does her learning pattern, interests, temperament etc. so you have to create your own way.

Example of others can give you direction but you know your child best. About teaching different subjects,  if you love learning there are many different ways which can make study attractive.

And as an educator our role is as Madam Montessori said : to cast a ray of light and pass on.

Apart from knowing your child you know yourself too and most of the time parents subconsciously try to impose own dreams, thoughts, ideas on child. As a homeschooling parent you have to be away from it.

Advantages of homeschooling :

• Creativity or originality is difficult to preserve in conventional schools. To be creative and innovative one needs freedom of expression. Learning is very personal and in classroom every student presented same curriculum at same pace. Instead of real learning which is useful in real life mostly student have to remember teachers instructions and facts from books. To find different resources and make best use of them is the heart of homeschooling which in progress builds self learning and self motivating personality.
• As learning is not limited to classroom walls it is more real, more fruitful and becomes life style. Where even lower standard exams creates board exam like environment, homeschoolers are free of exam phobia. Instead comparing and competing oneself with others they compete with themselves.
• Freedom to follow will according to own interest and life style without stress makes child happy within and more energetic. Better family attachment as spending more quality time together. And it builds healthy environment for healthy development of child as well as family.

Disadvantages of homeschooling :

• If you like neat and clean home then it is difficult with homeschooling. While homeschooling, as children remain at home they can not stay without activities which mostly  creates mess.
• It is sometimes hard to find time for yourself .
• Sometimes child may develop carefree attitude. Child may form mentality that she is different from others-need to show that we are too part of society and difference is just that we have taken unconventional path for better life.

Disciplined routine and time management helps to overcome these disadvantages and sometimes child helps in cleaning home too.

At last I must say homeschooling is not for all but it is alternate way for education for parents who are conscious for preserving creativity and developing independent thinking  in their child, not want to go for horse race kind environment of school and most importantly wish to save precious childhood.