The amount of parents losing faith in the public education system is growing day by day. There are many reasons for their concerns. But parents ask themselves what are the other possible options for their child if it is not public School. Some private schools cost as much as a year in college, so let’s rule that out! Homeschooling is a viable, affordable alternative to sending your kid into the public education system.

Public schools have quite a bit of filler time that is not spent engaging your child. There’s morning routine, snacks, recess, lunch, another recess, two class bathroom times, and pack-your-bags-up-it’s-time-to-go routines that are not educating your child. You may think it would be totally time consuming teaching your kid at home, but the time spent actively educating your child everyday would only be about four hours in your household.

Often, in one day’s time, if you are dropping off and picking up your child from school, you are spending an hour to two hours just getting everything ready and then the extra time in the car. Your days will possibly be more relaxed with better opportunity for a valuable learning experience when homeschooling. You are not making your daily plans fit someone else’s schedule. You are the schedule maker! Take a look at this website that two parents created after making the decision to homeschool their children. There is quite a bit of valuable information they provide.
http://childrensmd.org/uncategorized/why-doctors-and-lawyers-homeschool-their-children-18-reasons-why-we-have-joined-americas-fastest-growing-educational-trend/

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Public School

An adult might think that a public education was good enough for them, so why is it not good enough for their child? Public school might be perfect for their child, but it is not a one-size-fits-all organization. In addition, the public education system has changed in leaps and bounds over the years. It hasn’t been always for the better either.

Costs

If you have a child in public school, you know that the cost of it is minimal. The average price is right around a hundred dollars for the year to register your child. Depending on if the child is eating school lunches, there might be a weekly lunch fee as well. Many schools are also charging a slight technology fee so they are better prepared to offer a 21st century education with suitable computers and programs. However, when weighing the costs, you would pay almost as much for a week of babysitting than you pay for a full year of public school. You can’t beat that huge bargain of a deal.

Class Sizes

The government is far behind on the payments they are to be making to the public schools. As a result, schools are having to increase class sizes because of the lack of funding to hire more teachers. While a parent might remember having 20 students in their classroom as a kid, their child could very well possibly have up to 30 students in their’s. Common sense says that the less students in a classroom, the better the teacher will have a chance to properly educate each and every child. Adding more students into the mix will further hinder the teacher’s ability to ensure a quality education for everyone.

Safety

Every responsible parent worries a bit when their child is not at home or with them in some sort of way. And while teachers are some of the most trusted individuals in a community, they cannot protect every student every minute of the day. Bullying kids and unaccountable parents can make public school a jungle that is tough to survive. Too many horror stories are emerging about violent episodes in school districts across the globe. No matter how well you may teach your children right from wrong and how to correctly behave, other parents are not doing this with their own children.

Homeschooling Facts

Homeschooling is a parent led home-based education that more than two million kids are already participating in across the United States, and is becoming more and more prevalent in all of Europe as well. It is legal almost everywhere across the globe, and no two homeschools are alike. Each is individualized to some degree for the child. The child will not be constrained by other students that are struggling like in public school. Students can move at their own pace in any subject. This makes for a much better education experience!

Am I Qualified to Homeschool?

In most places, there really are no mandatory education qualifications to homeschool your child. Some of the homeschool parents that teach their child have college degrees, some only graduated from high school, and still a slim amount did not complete high school at all. Basically, there just has to be a stay-at-home parent in the household.

There are online programs for homeschooling if you are doubting you have the knowledge needed though. The internet has really been a game-changer for homeschooling. Many of these programs are basically free to use. And really if you aren’t qualified to teach your own child, then who is? You care more about him/her than any other person on earth. You want them to succeed. If you think your child is lacking in a certain content area, then you are more likely to find someway to strengthen their skills rather than a classroom teacher that has 30 other kids to worry about.

Will My Child Have Friends?

This is one of the most common questions I hear from parents considering homeschooling their child. Your kid will not be attached to your hip until they are 30 years old. There are numerous sporting leagues and clubs available to children nowadays that are not in any way affiliated with school. Much more than at anytime in the past. They will acquire the social skills needed as long as they aren’t sheltered.

Can They Still Go to College?

A kid can be homeschooled all the way through high school. When it comes time for enrolling in college, the colleges are looking more at standardized test scores and extracurricular activities than homeschooling grades. A high school diploma is a high school diploma. It usually has little to no effect on where it came from. To better prepare your homeschooled high school student, there are numerous study guides and programs they can partake in to be more ready for the standardized tests they will be required to take when entering college.

What’s the Next Step?

If you are truly considering homeschooling your child or just wanting to know more about it, there are several avenues to turn to. In quite a few communities, there are homeschooling groups that you can discuss things with. They could provide you with a fountain of information.

The website homeschoolbase.com is an extremely valuable site to review on anything to do with homeschooling. They have very knowledgeable articles, a community blog, and free resources to use in your curriculum. They also provide you with a roadmap to follow on the steps you have to take next.

Is it Time for a Change?

Only you can determine if your family will be better off with homeschooling rather than public school. The issues of concern with the public school system need to be addressed when figuring out if a change is needed. The key is to not become overwhelmed with the process if you do choose to homeschool your child. And remember, no one will care more about your child’s success as much as you!

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