Negative Aspects of Homeschooling

When parents begin to consider homeschooling as an educational option for a child, they naturally wonder what the negative aspects of removing a child from a traditional educational setting might be. Knowing the negative aspects of homeschooling is important before making a final decision. As a parent who has home schooled my children for more than 10 years, I'd like to offer what I feel are the negative aspects of home schooling. Be prepared though, because these so-called negative aspects probably won't deter anyone from homeschooling a child. These just happen to be what one mother considers to be the most negative aspects of homeschooling.

The Kids are With You Almost All of the Time
Undeniably, this is also one of the most positive aspects of homeschooling. However, it is likely that the primary teaching parent in most homeschooling families would agree that it can be overwhelming at times to rarely get a break from the kids. Personally, after more than a decade of homeschooling multiple children, I still only very rarely feel overwhelmed by having the kids with me most of the time. Having the kids with you almost all of the time eliminates blocks of uninterrupted time. This can make things like housework more stressful. It can make things like quiet phone calls with a friend nearly impossible. So, although those who are considering homeschooling likely feel that having the kids with them most of the time is one of the best things about this educational method, just be aware that there are times when it can feel like a negative aspect of homeschooling.

Homeschooled Kids are Home for Lunch
And for every other meal, as well. Again, this is also one of the best aspects of homeschooling. After all, the kids will actually have time to eat their lunch, eat it in a peaceful atmosphere, and will likely eat healthier at home than they would at public school. When my children attended public school, they had very little time to eat their lunch. My oldest daughter, when in junior high school, actually had days when she didn't have time to eat at all because the food lines were so long that she wouldn't get to purchase her food before the bell rang! During the years that my oldest son attended public elementary school, the lunchroom was extraordinarily loud with kids screaming and talking, and the adult lunchroom monitors repeatedly rushed my son, and other students, out of the cafeteria to recess before they'd even finished half of their lunch. However, despite the fact that a parent can feel good about the fact that their homeschooled child will have ample time to eat a peaceful meal, preparing every single meal for them can sometimes make a teaching parent feel like meal prep and kitchen cleanup never really ends. This is particularly true in families where there is more than one child, and it is definitely fair to say that perpetual meal preparation can feel like a negative aspect of homeschooling, at times.

Homeschooled Kids Sometimes Hate Schoolwork
This may be more prevalent in kids who have previously attended public school. For instance, I notice in my children who have attended public school, there is sometimes a negative attitude about schoolwork. In contrast, the only one of my children to have never attended public school loves his schoolwork, and begs for more. Dealing with negative attitudes about schoolwork can definitely feel like a negative aspect of homeschooling at times. However, just ask any parent of a public-schooled child, and they will likely tell you that homework is often a time of negativity, tears, and frustration in their home. So, it's not as though parents of public-schooled children get to avoid the negative attitudes associated with schoolwork, either. The good news, is that as homeschoolers, parents and kids can take all the time they need to explore and master a concept. That fact alone is extraordinarily beneficial for parents who want to make learning a very positive experience. Still, trying to encourage and motivate a child who is not thrilled about a particular subject or assignment can, at times, feel like a negative aspect of homeschooling.

Friends and Relatives May Not be Supportive
Adopting full responsibility for the education of a child is not an easy decision to make, nor is it an easy task once the decision has been made. Homeschooling requires unwavering dedication, as well as the willingness and ability to ensure that your child receives the best educational experience possible. Unfortunately, it isn't uncommon for friends or relatives to have a less than stellar understanding of what homeschooling really is. This ignorance can lead to a lack of support, or even outright opposition. Unwarranted criticism from friends and relatives can easily become a negative aspect of homeschooling.

Homeschooling Can Be Expensive
It is true that providing educational field trips and quality materials can easily get expensive. Sometimes these expenses can feel like a negative aspect of home schooling. Especially if you need a particularly pricey item, such as a really decent microscope. However, keep in mind that homeschoolers do get to offset some of those costs by spending less in other areas. For instance, homeschooled kids don't typically need to own as many clothes as public schooled children. When my son attended public school, he needed five pairs of jeans and at least the same amount of shorts, as well as tons of different shirts to rotate during the school month. These days, he utilizes about half the amount of clothes he used to need. Additionally, eating at home is more cost effective than purchasing school lunches. The money you spend on school supplies goes directly back into your own homeschool, as opposed to being donated to a public school classroom. Good backpacks can be really pricey, but a home schooled child will not need a new one every school year, as theirs won't get worn out the way they do when being dragged back and forth to public school each day. Additionally, your family won't be incurring other mandatory school-related costs, like ASB fees, locker fees, materials fees, P.E. fees, etc. I couldn't believe all of the mandatory fees we incurred once my daughter started junior high in public school, and it just got worse with each passing year. So, although the expenses of education can sometimes seem like a negative aspect of homeschooling, you will be avoiding many costs associated with public school.

The Teaching Parent is Under a Lot of Pressure at Times
The decision to take full responsibility for a child's education is not one that should ever be taken lightly. The decision to homeschool will affect every aspect of life. The pressure to excel in this endeavor can sometimes feel like a negative aspect of homeschooling. Nobody wants to fail their child, and if a public-schooled child isn't receiving a good education, the parents can simply blame it on the inadequacies of the school they attend. Obviously, in a homeschool, the parents are entirely responsible for the quality of the education being provided. It's important for a family considering home schooling to list their overall goals, and then discuss ways to achieve those goals. The good news is that nearly any parent who is willing to sincerely take on the true responsibility of homeschooling, is likely capable of succeeding at it.

Homeschooling Takes Over Your Life
During the years that a family educates their children at home, every aspect of life is affected. From time consumption, to the fact that homeschooling books and materials reside in every room of the house, a negative aspect of home schooling is that it can seem to take over at times. The fact is that there are times when a homeschooling parent wants to distance themselves from education in some ways. It helps to designate one room or area for home schooling materials, so that the rest of the house can feel like a home, rather than a classroom. The homeschooling takeover can affect more than space, though. For many of us, it influences where we vacation (it's always nice to get something educational out of a trip, after all), what products we buy, and to some degree, even who we associate with on a regular basis. There are times when home schooling starts to take over to such a degree that a family may feel that every meal, every movie, and every outing are structured around trying to squeeze some kind of educational benefit from it. At these times, it's important to remember that balance is your friend. Don't worry about wasting an educational opportunity; as time passes you will find that your children have learned to extract educational information from just about any observation or experience.

When done well, the benefits of homeschooling far outweigh any negative aspects a family may encounter. During the times when I feel most overwhelmed, I remind myself that the experience of attending public school was far more stressful than homeschooling has ever proven to be for us. Between dealing with teachers who didn't want to teach, confusing curriculums, schoolmates who acted like criminals and school administrations who ignored it, teachers who made no effort to line their teaching up to flow with what was taught by teachers of the following grade in the same school, plus hours of pointless homework, any negative aspects of homeschooling pale in comparison with the issues we experienced with public schools.