When I was little, I knew a family who home-schooled their children, and they were, back then, the stereotypical home-schooled kids — socially awkward and super-brilliant. But with so many school districts failing, and so many well-educated moms or dads opting to stay home and raise their kids, home-schooling is become more and more popular, and the kids who are being home-schooled are more and more… normal! If you’re been considering the possibility of home-schooling your children, it’s important to know when it’s a good idea, and when it might be more unnecessary work. Here are 7 reasons to consider home-schooling your children.
If you live in a very rural area, chances are your little ones might spend more time on the bus than they do in the actual classroom. If you have the time, dedication, and expertise, it might be a better idea to home-school your children, rather than send them to school, hours away.
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If your children have special physical or emotional needs, sometimes they need the social interaction with other people at school to develop, but for some children, a school environment might be detrimental. If you’re not sure what’s best for your little one, talk to their pediatrician or counselor, as well as the school.
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It’s a horrible thing to face, but if your child is being bullied, and you don’t feel the school is doing enough to deal with it, you may want to consider home-schooling her, at least until you’re able to find a solution at the school you like, one that makes you and your child feel safe.
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Some kids with special abilities and talents may not be getting the attention they need to really flourish and shine at public school. You may want to consider home-schooling, or private school, if this is the case. You certainly don’t want their talents to be wasted!
This is far and away one of the most commonly-heard reasons from moms and dads who home-school — their local district is failing. It’s important to consider, though, that sometimes a school that’s in a bad district can still be good itself. Before you make the decision to home-school, it’s a great idea to do a little digging about the individual school, down to the classroom level.
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My daughter was especially brilliant and interested in the sciences, so when she got into high school, and her public school wasn’t focused enough on science, we pulled her out and sent her to a charter school that was more science-heavy. If your child has an interest or talent in a particular field of study, especially when they’re nearing college age, it’s a great time to consider an alternative school, or even home-schooling.
I’m not going to get on my soap-box about vaccinations, but I am going to say this — if your children aren’t vaccinated, they should not be going to public school. If your religious, political, or other beliefs have informed your decision not to vaccinate, then you may want to consider home-schooling, to keep your little one, and the other children in their classrooms, safe and healthy.
I’m sure there are other reasons to think about home-schooling your children, but those are the ones I hear most often from the people I know who have gone that route. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s rewarding, and for some children in some situations, it really is the best option. Do you home-school your kids? Why or why not?
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