Is homeschooling right for you?

Should every family homeschool? The answer is no. There are some people who shouldn’t homeschool.

So here’s my little check list:

1. Are you mentally healthy? Would the stress of homeschooling exacerbate an existing mental instability? Do you have healthy boundaries? Parents, who are living vicariously through their children, produce neurotic children. Of course, parents with kids in school can make them just as crazy, but the child at least has less exposure.

2. Do you have a stable, safe home environment? If there is abuse or addiction in the home, children may be better served some place else. Prolonged exposure to bickering parents does not increase a child’s feeling of well being.

Note: It is important to have a clear picture of how a good parent behaves. Our society has a much distorted view on parenting. Many adults don’t have the basic skills for good parenting. If you were raised in a way you would not like to repeat, have you taken the time to educate yourself on parenting? Under stress, we usually revert back to what we saw as a child. Homeschooling is a great practice ground for becoming a better parent. You can’t do that unless you have a vision of where you want to go.

3. Do you, as a parent, love to learn? Or are you willing to learn? Are you excited by documentaries and museums?

4. Are you flexible? Parents who are able to “roll with the punches” do a great job educating their children. They are able to adapt to the changing needs of there children. (Note: when trying new curriculum, buy it on ebay.com or one of those types of websites. If it doesn’t it work for your kid, sell it and move on. Or check with other homeschoolers to see if they have the curriculum and are willing to let you check it out.)

5. Are you willing to work hard? This doesn’t mean homeschooling is a joyless drudgery. It means that you must put in consistent effort. This is not for the lazy.

6. Can you color outside the lines? If you are a conformist, then homeschooling would be very stressful. Homeschooling isn’t about keeping up with the crowd or pleasing others. It’s about meeting the needs of your child and family.

7. Can you handle rejection? Homeschooling is a process of trial and error. Some times your best efforts will not be well received. Kids don’t always like what they need. It's ok if your in-laws don't like it.

8. Do you love your children?

If you answered yes to these questions, then homeschooling is right for you.