Home Schooling: Preparing a Child for More Than Academics

A variety of reasons motivate parents to home school their children. The most common ones I have heard are to (1) allow children to learn in an unstructured environment, which is studying at their own pace, and to (2) encourage individuality. Unstructured learning and a strong sense of individuality do attribute to academic success. However, they can have a negative effect on a child in adulthood. America has changed a lot since it was founded. It is a now complex racially, culturally, ideologically diverse society with over 300 million people. The structure of our society requires social interaction in everything we do. Not only has America changed but the world has changed as well. Because of technology it is a lot smaller now. America now has to compete with the world with such basic things as higher education, money, employment, and natural resources. Unlike in the past now people are judged on their ability to interact and be considerate of people who are different. So children must be prepared to function socially in this new environment.

In theory organized schools serve this purpose. However, so many distractions such as bullying, drugs, sex, low academic achievement, and violence plague schools. American children are not being prepared. So many concerned parents home school to protect their young from these wails. Home school parents must not just consider their children's academic achievement. Home school parents should ask themselves the following.

Will my children:
be able to relate to other people as an adult
be prejudice
be able to work with people who are different
be able to follow directions from people they may not like and disagree with
be able to submit to the authority of others
be able to function in a structured environment with time restraints
have a superiority complex

How a child turns out as an adult will determine the answers to these questions negatively or positively. If children are too sheltered and have little contact with people who are different, in their adulthood these questions will be answered negatively. Their progress in life will be limited.

Structure
As upside down and as backwards as our society is becoming, it does maintain a certain level of structure. People must be at work on time, work during a specified time period, meet deadlines, follow instructions to complete a work process etc. so teaching a child to maintain structure at an early age is important to prepare him or her for society.

Studying
When home schooling , set school time, a time to begin and a time to end, and stick to it. Also set time for each subject. However, if a child is having trouble with a particular subject, such as English or math, give more time to that subject. When the child gains proficiency in the weak subject, then a structured study time can be set for it.

Assignments & Projects
Each day give children at least two short assignments to complete. Make one assignment a timed quiz. The second one should be completed and turned in when school time ends. For projects, assign a book report, or research project. Set a date for when it must be completed and turned in.

Dress For School
Another advantage of home schooling is the freedom to dress comfortably. Instead have children dress fully, with the exception of shoes, as if they were going out to school. This trains children to be appearance conscious at an early age.

Household Chores
Assign daily chores to do after school, and set a time when the chores must be completed.

Self- Regulation of Behavior
Regulating ones behavior is an important virtue in a crowded, busy, highly competitive, highly stressful society. If you cannot hold your cool in a situation or keep your feelings and beliefs in check, your opportunity for employment and business relationships can be hindered. A parent can lecture a child on how to behave. However, there is not any real test for children when they are among people they are familiar with. When they start to whine and throw fits, parents, when tired or busy, tend to ignore them, give them time out, or give them something to quiet them down. This does not encourage self-restraint and self-composure. If bratty behavior goes without reprimand at home, children will act bratty in adulthood.

Extra Curricular Activity
Involving children in extra curricular activities, such as sports, music, arts, or academic competition, puts them in situations that bring about a level of pressure and stress. Extra curricular activities force them to be with unrelated people. It forces them to work under the authority of someone other than a parent. They will learn time management of studies, chores, and practice; learn how to deal with pressures and stress of working with a group and accomplishing goals with a group; and learn self-restraint and self-composure around group members.

Social Interaction With People Who Are Different
Many home school parents prefer to keep their children in social circles of people of like religions, political beliefs, social status, race, etc. Only associating with ones own kind does not really prepare children for society when they reach adulthood. As stated before, our nation is so complex and diverse. In work, travel, neighborhoods, and practically all that we do we come in contact with someone different from us in one or more ways. If a person is not accustomed to being around a variety of people, he/she may experience severe culture shock and embarrass him/herself by saying or doing something insulting.

Teaching children we are all God's creatures and must therefore be respected is not enough. You actually learn how to peacefully co-exist around others by physically being around them. So when trying to familiarize home schooled children with diversity in a positive way do the following:

Have children to study about the issues and culture of the races and ethnic groups in America.

Get to know families of other races and ethnic groups.

If you live in a town with public transportation, take the children on bus rides to get uses to being around crowds of different people.

Take part in children community activities that have participants of a diverse group of children, such as a children's community choir.

Take the children to visit in parks that are visited by a variety of people. Spend some time on the playground and allow the child to interact with other children on the playground.

Home schooling can reap academic rewards and allow a parent to have complete control over a child's education. Yet home school parents must consider children's ability to assimilate in society in adulthood. One's ability to assimilate with others and function under structure and pressure will determine ones ability to function in our ever-changing world.