Are Homeschooled Siblings Closer Than Public Schooled Siblings?

If you asked most homeschooling families what they liked about their homeschooling lifestyle, they would likely have quite a bit to say. One effect of homeschooling that some homeschoolers who previously had children attending public schools are surprised about themselves, is that their children seem to become closer siblings than they were before.

This may seem hard to believe. After all, homeschooling siblings are together far more hours during the day than siblings who attend separate classrooms in public school. One would likely think that homeschooled siblings would be so tired of spending so much of their time together, that the fighting and bickering would become worse.

Many homeschooling parents however, are very pleasantly surprised to find that their children actually develop better relationships with each other than they had while attending public school. My own family experienced this personally when two of our children began homeschooling. I wondered how it would work out, because we also have another younger child at home. The two children who were going to be homeschooling already were at each other's throats almost anytime they had to be in the same room. We used to joke that they were like an old married couple, constantly picking and harping at one another.

It was a nice change when we noticed that they were not fighting during our first days of homeschooling. We never thought it would last, though. We assumed they were just caught up in the excitement of a new lifestyle. We expected things to get worse as the novelty of being together 24 hours a day began to take its toll.

But things didn't get worse. In fact, we watched in amazement as, day after day, week after week, these two siblings who could hardly stand to be in the same room together before, began to grow very close. They were talking nicely to each other. They were sharing and laughing with one another. Before long, they were like best friends; helping each other and offering emotional support. We were thrilled, but stunned. And then the unthinkable happened. They began to embrace their little brother in the same way they had taken to one another. The two best friends, became the three musketeers.

Are homeschooled siblings closer to each other than public schooled siblings are? Many homeschoolers who's children previously attended public school would say so. I have heard stories similar to ours repeated over and over. Maybe this change took place in our children because they had to learn to work together as a team; or maybe it happened because they finally got a chance to really know each other. Whatever the reason, it is an amazing thing to see.

If you are considering homeschooling, but have reservations because you believe your children may fight more than they do now if the time they spend together increases significantly, you may be pleasantly surprised.