Is Homeschooling Hard? 4 Effective Ways to Deal With the Challenges

You can learn information on whether homeschooling is hard or not and how to homeschool your child from this guide.

As evidenced by statistics, which show that the number of students attending home schools has been rising at a rate of between 2% and 8% annually in recent years, homeschooling has been steadily gaining popularity in recent years.

Concerns about how challenging homeschooling might be in comparison to public school persist despite this trend. Public school is not more difficult than homeschooling. However, there are particular difficulties that come with homeschooling that affect both parents and kids.

By the time you’ve finished reading this, you should have made up your mind about homeschooling your kid.

Is Homeschooling Hard?

The decision to homeschool your children can be rewarding as well as difficult.

Financial Considerations

For a homeschooling parent, one of the biggest expenses is typically educational materials. Another expense to take into account is the cost of facilitating additional learning opportunities, such as field trips and extracurricular activities.

The average cost of homeschooling one child is around $600 per year. In contrast, public schools can be significantly less expensive for a parent financially because they are funded by taxation. See Do You Get Paid to Homeschool?

Homeschooling Regulations

State laws differ significantly when it comes to homeschooling regulations. If you’re planning to homeschool your child, some of the critical issues to look out for in your state guidelines include:

• Does the state need to be notified when you want to homeschool your child?
• Are there any state officials to whom you must submit your lesson plan?
• Does your state mandate that you annually have your child’s academic progress evaluated?
• Are you required by law to keep a record of your child’s grades and other schoolwork?

A parent also has the additional responsibility of adhering to state laws governing homeschooling. In the case of public schools, this responsibility typically rests with the administration, leaving parents with few legal concerns.

You may be interested in How to Make Homeschooling Fun?

Legal Qualification to Teach

While the majority of states permit parents of any educational background to homeschool their children, a few of them have specific requirements, such as that the parent who is primarily involved in teaching must possess a high school diploma or GED.

If the parent doesn’t have these qualifications, they’re only allowed to homeschool through an umbrella school under the supervision of a certified teacher.

On the other hand, teachers in public schools are typically required to hold certification in the subjects they are teaching. Given that their children are being taught by professionals, parents can relax knowing that they are doing the best for their kids.

Homeschooling puts the burden of qualification on the parent, particularly in states where homeschoolers are required to take particular subjects.

Finding the Right Curriculum

Finding the best teaching method for your child among the many homeschool curriculums available requires extensive research and careful thought. The job of implementing the curriculum most effectively falls to the teachers in public schools, which already have a predetermined curriculum in place.

It’s crucial to remember that most parents opt for homeschooling because they are dissatisfied with the content and delivery of education offered by traditional schools. Additionally, a lot of parents who homeschool their kids are more assured in the specialized curriculum and tailored learning environment they can offer them at home.

Reasons Why Homeschooling is Worth It

1. Family time. From spending everyday moments at home with your loved ones to taking annual vacations on your timetable rather than the schools.
2. The lightbulb moment. Nothing can compare to the joy of seeing your child finish their first book in your lap after just learning to read. Or the pride in a child’s eyes as they look up at you after mastering fractions.
3. Make education specific to each student. There is very little room for self-expression or time to catch up when students fall behind in public schools because it is typically expected that every child will learn in the same way, with the same subject matter, in the same environment. They follow their own learning schedule at home, so they are never really behind! Additionally, you can teach according to their preferred method and take into account their preferred learning style.
4. Longer to nurture passion. You can pursue interests in your own time, similar to the previous benefit. You can spend hours outside if your child is enthusiastic about learning about nature. If they’re into art, they can explore a variety of galleries and experiment with dozens of different mediums without having to ring a bell or keep to a schedule. It also gives you time to pursue your entrepreneurial interests if you have any.
5. Actual life experiences. Not that non-homeschooled kids don’t have access to these opportunities. Although it’s possible, we homeschoolers don’t usually or deliberately do it that way. A homeschooled child can be present at home to witness a birth if you live on a farm and one of your animals is giving birth.

How to Cope With the Challenges of Homeschooling?

Homeschooling can be an enriching experience for parents and kids once your structure is solidly in place. Here is some advice to help you overcome some of the challenges that homeschooling parents may encounter.

Reduce Homeschooling Costs by Sharing Resources

Homeschooling your first child can be expensive, but after you’ve set up your library, classroom supplies, and curriculum, the cost of homeschooling each of your subsequent children decreases.

Sharing resources with other homeschooling parents can help defray the cost of investing in fresh instructional materials. You could possibly share the cost of purchasing the curriculum with another homeschooling parent you know who has similar plans, or you could use the curriculum yourself.

Check out local and online used book sales where you can buy and sell teaching resources at discount prices.

Stay Informed on State Guidelines

An important resource for information on homeschooling legal requirements is your state’s homeschooling organization. To keep up with state requirements for homeschoolers, make a point of frequently visiting their website.

Talk to other parents in your area who are homeschooling their children. Homeschooling forums on social media and blogs are useful channels for exchanging advice and providing motivation and support.

Social Opportunities

By collaborating closely with their local community and homeschooling networks, a proactive homeschooling parents can successfully create social opportunities for their child. For instance, organized sports are a great way to help your children develop their social skills and teamwork.

The Home Schooled Sports Network is a helpful online tool that encourages homeschooled children to organize themselves into teams and host sporting events.

In accordance with some state laws, public schools must permit homeschooled students to take part in extracurricular activities like clubs and sports. If this opportunity is available to homeschoolers, get in touch with your neighborhood public school.

The organization of group field trips to parks, museums, art galleries, and other locations is made easier by homeschool co-ops, which are also a great way to build a support network of like-minded parents.

Academic Performance

Your child’s academic success can be prepared for by selecting the appropriate curriculum and creating a supportive learning environment.

Think about your child’s preferred method of learning when choosing a curriculum. You can choose the best method for your child’s classes by finding out what and how they prefer to learn.

Establish a space where your child can study quietly and comfortably. Think about a space that is open and big enough to accommodate desks, supplies, and learning tools.

Making the space inviting and exciting requires a lot of natural light, good airflow, vibrant colors, and amusing educational posters. Don’t forget to occasionally hold the class outside on a beautiful day.

Public Schools Vs. Homeschooling

Public Pros

• provides parents with the freedom to work away from their homes.
• Given that public education is free, it is inexpensive.
• a thorough curriculum.
• A team of experts instructs and trains your child.

Public Cons

• The pressure to pay for extras like fundraisers, extracurricular activities, etc. is put on parents.

• Given that they aren’t allowed to learn at their own pace, slow learners may suffer.
• Some educators lack enthusiasm for their work and may not treat students well.
• Peer pressure and other harmful influences may cause kids to give in to drug use or other vices.

Homeschooling Pros

• The education of a child is under the control of the parents.
• The amount you spend on homeschooling supplies is under your control.
• According to their child’s strengths and weaknesses, parents can modify homeschooling lessons.
• Being in your care makes your child safer because they are shielded from bullies and harmful influences.

Homeschooling Cons

• Homeschooling requires time and energy commitment.
• Parents may have to dig deep into their pockets because homeschooling materials are pricey.
• If parents do not include a foreign language in their curriculum, lessons might not be well-rounded.
• It might be difficult for parents to homeschool their kids if they have bad parenting habits.

Conclusion: is homeschooling hard?

Homeschooling can be hard, but it can also be a highly rewarding experience. While it may require more time and effort from parents, it can provide children with a personalized education and a more relaxed learning environment.

Homeschooling may not be the best fit for every family, but for those who choose it, the rewards can be great.

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