Written by Purva Brown
A few months ago, an old friend of mine visited from India. We had stayed in touch through Facebook, so even after a decade it felt like we knew each other, and the conversation flowed smoothly.
The one thing she could not wrap her mind around, though, was homeschooling.
“It’s such a huge responsibility!” she said, with awe in her voice.
Now, I’m used to these conversations. However, what she said next gave me pause:
“You are both a mother and a teacher to your children,” she said. “That’s incredibly scary.”
Well, I thought. She had a point, but it still wasn’t as scary as she was making it sound. It had to do with perspective. She was looking from the outside, but I knew the truth from the inside.
The Scary Thing That Isn’t
The fear of juggling parenting and teaching shouldn’t stop you from homeschooling.
Here are five reasons why:
1. You are free
I don’t mean to discredit any profession, and I have teacher friends with a real heart for children and education. However, because homeschooling is not a profession, you are not working for a paycheck. You are working for your children and your family.
You are not beholden to an institution with a committee for a conscience. There is incredible freedom in this. You are free to change course if something is not working. You are free to do things your way.
Serious? Yes. Scary? Not in the least.
2. You are uniquely positioned to know what your child needs
As a homeschooling parent, you are with your child all day and you can read her face like a book; you know what makes him tick.
You know exactly – exactly – where they’re going to need help and you can help them stop before they stumble. A teacher, no matter how good, cannot do this in a classroom setting. Being both mother and teacher is a huge advantage in this area.
3. You can work at your child’s pace
This is my absolute favorite reason to homeschool. Working at my children’s pace has freed me from whatever fear I had about homeschooling them.
I no longer have to be afraid of them not being in step with grade levels because I have realized how arbitrary grade levels are. So if you ask my kids what grade they’re in, don’t be surprised if they reply with, “What subject?”
4. Your child needs a parent far more than he needs a teacher
Elementary, middle and high school education is not all that different from parenting. It’s just an extension of it. You find the resources and tools you and your kids need and you provide them.
The reason your child is entrusted to you as his parent for at least 18 – 21 years of his life is because he needs a family more than he needs a teacher. If you’re trying to be a good mother, chances are you’re not going to have that hard a time being a good teacher.
5. You’re already doing it!
The reason homeschooling shouldn’t scare you is because you are already doing it. Did you teach your toddler to potty train? Have you broken up fights between siblings and taught them to “play nice?”
Every single moment you’re a parent interacting with your child, you are already a teacher. There is no difference. You are already both and it’s something to embrace, not shun and fear.
So although my friend admired our homeschooling family, I think there was a fundamental difference between what she thought we were doing and how we truly live.
We’re not homeschooling the two hours a day that we do sit down work. We’re homeschooling every waking moment because we don’t compartmentalize learning.
Motherhood and teaching are not disparate roles; they flow from and inform each other. I am not one person when I am teaching math and a different person when I’m making dinner.
And that’s the point. That’s the beauty of it. And it’s not so scary after all.
What did you think would be scary about homeschooling that you found isn’t really, after all?
If you found this post helpful, subscribe via email here to receive Jamie’s FREE ebook, Secrets of a Successful Homeschool Mom!
FREE BOOKS! Today’s best Kindle freebies/deals for your family
Great post. I totally agree that we are always teaching our children, especially with the homeschooling lifestyle but even those parents who outsource their kids’ education (though they may not realize it). It IS a lot of responsibility and that can be daunting, but conscientious parents will take responsibility for their kids’ schooling even if it takes place in a traditional school.
Question for the community: any tips on successfully teaching upper elem kids time management? My 9yo daughter has a list of independent work to complete during the morning and/or our afternoon “rest time,” aka the toddler’s nap, and she often will complete only half her assignments because she loses herself in a book. She is an avid reader and often will be reading when she’s supposed to be doing something else. I have taken away the privilege to read for pleasure before, but the behavior always crops back up. I’m considering putting a ban on pleasure reading until all her work is done. Makes me cringe because I love that she loves it, but I’m trying to instill an awareness of priorities and honestly, a work before play attitude (though I agree sometimes a child’s work is play!) Success stories please!
It’s possible your daughter needs a rest too, even if she’s not napping. You may, perhaps, “schedule” the pleasure reading during the toddler’s nap time. Then after the toddler wakes up, pack a knapsack with some of her independent work and take it to the playground/park/yard where she can work while the tot plays. It’s also possible that she needs your mental presence even if she doesn’t need your “help”. Consider letting her do her independent work with you in the kitchen while you prep dinner, or next to you on the sofa while you knit/pay bills/plan your next hs project/etc. You needn’t *do* the work with her, but working at the same table or in the same room can have value.
Some good insights. Thank you!