Homeschool "Laws"

Most people are familiar with basic economic principles, such as the Law of Supply and Demand or Law of Diminishing Returns. These so-called laws explain complex patterns of behavior in simple terms. What would such "laws" look like for homeschooling? Here's a few I could come up with.


1) The Law of Diminishing Inputs and Expanding Outputs

Parents spend half as much time teaching each child to read than you did his older sibling. By the time they get to the youngest, the child some how figures out how to read almost entirely on his own through some mysterious process of osmosis.

2) The Law of Inverse Cost

The more money spent on a program or curriculum, the less likely it is to work well. If the curriculum is free, it will probably work perfectly.

3) The Law of Guilt Reduction

Gifting or selling curriculum that did not work well for your child alleviates the guilt associated with buying it and then not using it.

4) The Law of Critics and Supporters

The biggest critics of your family's choice to homeschool will often become your greatest supporters.

5) The Law of Socialization

Parents who sent their children to school because they were concerned about socialization will remove their children from school because of concerns about socialization.

6) The Law of Park Day Politics

Maladaptive behaviors pertaining to popularity and belonging to the "in crowed" typical of junior high will be demonstrated by at least one parent at all homeschool events.

7) The Law of Unanticipated Academic Progress

After a year of making no progress followed by a three month summer break, a child's ability to spell or do math will suddenly jump 2+ grades levels for no apparent reason.

8) The Library phenomenon

The average homeschooler will collect enough books to stock a small library. Bookcases outnumber all other home furnishings.

Update: Since I originally posted this, I thought of one more.


9) The Law of Curriculum Insecurity

Regardless of how well their curriculum is working, homeschoolers will look through the latest educational catalogs and check out what their friends are using in hopes of finding a better/easier/cheaper/more suited to their child program.

Can you think of any more?


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