Is Your Child Ready to Face Criticism for Your Choice to Home School?

If you have decided to home school your children and you are the first to do so among your friends and family, chances are you will receive some type of criticism. As an adult you made an educated and informed decision to take the path of home schooling. Before you even told the first person; the one most likely to support your decision, you had your arguments set. You knew before the first comment was made that you had investigated enough to be able to answer most any question and concern that was thrown at you.

If you home school your children, you will be asked to defend your position at some point. It might not be a blatant question directed at you or your ability, but you will hear the undertone of the comments or the direction that the conversation might go. But again, you're ready. You have searched the internet, talked to parents, read books and you have all your ducks in a row.

What about your kids? Are they ready? Do they know how to respond when they are walking through the grocery store and some little bitty; most likely an ex-teacher, walks by and asks your kids why they are not in school. You have all the arguments, you know what to say and how to respond; but do they? Have you armed them with the ammunition to fire back when hit with the questions and the criticism?

Some children don't even realize right away that they are home schooled. Some don't know any other life. If you have kept your child in home school groups, sports and activities, more than likely neither you nor your child have thought about it. When they get the raised eye in the grocery store and the comments, they need to be ready. Until it happens, you might not have put much thought into it. Children really can defend themselves if they have had open communication and understand why the decision was made to home school.

Open communication is so very important and chances are, if you home school you are already on your way to open communication with your child. Once explained and reviewed, a child, given the chance to speak, will answer appropriately to almost any question brought up before them. Home schooling is certainly more acceptable now than it has been in the past and it is much easier for a child to handle when armed with the proper words to do so. Support groups are available and will help build confidence in not only you but in your children.

The criticism is bound to come; either to you or to your child but preparing for it and talking it through will help everyone involved. Parents must prepare their children for so many things in life and when ever a parent does anything that is out of the norm, questions are raised. Home schooling is no different than any other action a parent takes and as long as a child is ready for questions and comments, he will do well in life.