Will Homeschooling Ruin My Kids?
Will Homeschooling Ruin My Kids? What are the unbelievable risks of homeschooling your kids? It’s a question that gets asked by many new homeschoolers.
I like definitions, so let’s start there.
To ruin means to destroy or cause to disintegrate.
And since I’m assuming you are not a violent criminal posing as a homeschooler, let’s just take that off the table. So, the short answer is, “No,” you won’t ruin your kids by homeschooling them.
But even beyond that, homeschooling can have countless positive benefits.
For one thing, the individualized attention your child receives and the ability to tailor the curriculum to fit their interests and learning styles is unmatched. Add to that the flexibility of homeschooling, and you’ve got a recipe for success that would be hard to replicate in any other setting.
Plus, homeschooling creates opportunities to learn in any setting. You can take field trips and visit museums and libraries with greater frequency. You can also customize the entire learning experience to suit the way your child learns best. This allows kids to receive the education they need while simultaneously investing in their emotional and social development.
So, no, homeschooling won’t ruin your kids – on the contrary, it could very well open up a world of learning experiences that they may not have been able to access while in a conventional school setting.
BUT.
You will mold and shape them. And like all human interaction, it could go one of three ways.
- Really well
- Poorly
- Combo of really well and poorly
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but homeschooling is just a method of intentional education and parenting. It’s not a perfect method, it’s not foolproof or failsafe. We are imperfect, passionate people who are raising imperfect, passionate people, so the room for wild success and failure is vast.
But, like many things, there are things that you can do to ensure a more positive than negative outcome.
The key is to be intentional in creating a learning plan that’s specific to your child’s needs, interests, and goals.
Take the time to delve into how your child learns best and how to apply those principles in day-to-day education. Additionally, it’s important to find a balance between educational elements and self-care, such as rest, relaxation, and recreation.
Finally, remember to be patient and flexible — like with most things in parenting, there will be missteps, but with a supportive and intentional environment, there will be many more successes.
- You can choose an educational pedagogy that has been successful throughout the ages- not all education is created equal.
- You can choose quality literature, movies, and music – the old Sunday School song that admonishes, “Be Careful little eyes what you see, etc.” is so appropriate for child-rearing.
- You can choose to study- really study and wrestle and run after- your faith with your children.
- You can pray.
- You can partner with other like-minded people going in the same direction educationally and in life. True North, baby.
Will Homeschooling Ruin My Kids? I hear you, still asking and wondering!
But look. Even if you do all the “right” things -whatever that means- like you never get sick, discouraged, have financial difficulties or in-laws who undermine you or a bad hair day- your kids and you might will make mistakes, be oppositional or go in the wrong direction. Maybe just slightly off track and maybe so off base, you wonder if either one of you will survive.
Us Mommas have a tough time with these kids living their own lives.
They are our hearts, walking around outside of our bodies, and we love them so. And when they suffer, we suffer. And homeschooling allows us to get to know each other really well, our strengths and our weaknesses, our joys, and our sufferings.
And maybe that all sounds discouraging, but it’s just messy. Because people are messy. Your kids need an education. Who better to provide that education than their loving parents? It’s Biblical.
It’s the way of the wealthy, educated elite: providing private, individualized instruction. And you have an investment in your kids in a way no one else will.
Maybe you are not as equipped as you feel that you need to be, but honestly, that is easy to remedy by the following:
- Find a great educational pedagogy and the resources YOUR family needs to succeed*
- Find a tribe of like-minded travelers*
- Do the work homeschooling requires
- Have FUN and enjoy the fabulous journey that homeschooling can provide you and your precious children
Will homeschooling ruin your kids? The short easy answer is No.
Will Homeschooling Ruin My Kids? The more complex, realistic answer is you will struggle, work, cry, and experience joy. It is worth it.
*Need help? Our Academic Advising might be just the answer.
