3 Amazing Benefits of Homeschooling Your Children Long-Term
Do you wonder if there really are any benefits to homeschooling your children? I believe there are too many to mention in just one article. Today I’m writing about just 3 of the many amazing benefits of homeschooling your children long term.
Benefits of Homeschooling Long-Term: Changes
The first amazing benefit of homeschooling long-term that I want to mention is about change. Growing up and going through certain changes, or puberty, is not so tragic when you get to go through them in the comfort and safety of a loving home. This is one of the advantages of homeschooling that your children may not appreciate as much right now, however, it can provide such a different experience in their lives. Changing clothes for gym class, embarrassing accidents, and growing more in certain places, maybe even before everyone else the same age, are all things that can be so awkward and uncomfortable, and kids can be so cruel to each other sometimes.
When you are homeschooling, your children have you to go to whenever they have issues or questions about changes happening in their bodies. You can have safe conversations and lessons with them individually. They don’t have to be embarrassed in a classroom full of other children giggling and being silly. They aren’t subject to having to talk and learn about certain things on a public-school schedule. You get to deal with them as an individual on their timeline when they are ready.
I remember “health” class in public school. I was mortified when the discussion between the teacher and students was not serious or helpful. Instead, the teacher urged the students to use slang terms for body parts, and everyone was laughing, etc. I hated it! Now, I understand some children and families would be just fine with that, but if your family is more private about these things, then homeschooling is definitely the better choice.
When my girls were younger, we went for a walk one day. Out of the blue, one of them asked me a question about one of these issues. I was able to answer her question truthfully, and it wasn’t sitting at a desk with schoolbooks open in front of a bunch of other boys and girls her age. It was just a casual conversation that just came up as we were walking. One of my girls replied, “That’s disgusting,” and the other just said, “Oh.” No drama, no giggling, no slang; just an honest, casual conversation. After that, we went on walking and talking about so many other things that little girls like to talk about.
This is how it can be for you too. Just casual conversations throughout the day in the safety, grace, and love of your home.
Benefits of Homeschooling Long-Term: Learning Their Way
The second amazing benefit of homeschooling that I want to talk about is that you can educate your children according to their strengths, weaknesses, and interests.
You will find that as your children grow up there are things they are really good at, things they need more help with or more time to learn, and things they love as well as things they don’t like so much. And, if you have more than one child, you will see they are all so very different. I think it’s pretty amazing that children can be raised in the same house by the same adults and yet be so very different in all kinds of ways. I learned this lesson pretty early on in our homeschooling days.
Learning came very easy to my first child, so I was not hesitant to continue homeschooling when my daughter was old enough to start school. However, when she didn’t learn as easily as her brother, it threw me for a loop. I used to think that if I had her first, I might not have kept homeschooling. LOL! Praise the Lord! He knew I needed the easy one first. Several years later we found out my daughter had dyslexia. You can read about that story in here.
In a school setting, children are all taught the same thing at the same time at the same pace. There is no individuality. Unless, I believe, there is a special need, and then a child might get some extra help to keep up. On the other hand, if they are homeschooled, they can go at their own pace. You can let them stay at a lesson until they get it. There is no failing, because they keep doing it until they understand and can get a good grade. This also means there is no such thing as being behind
Another example could be the curriculum you use for each child. Maybe there’s a subject like economics that your child is not too interested. Instead of having that child spend lots of time doing extra activities, you can simply buy them some workbooks. They will read and answer questions instead of doing lots of hands-on activities. Another child might really be interested in that subject, so you would provide that child lots of hands-on opportunities like cooking dinner and baking desserts, etc.
Watch your children, listen to them as they work and play, and you will discover their individual needs and be able to tailor their education to fit them.
Benefits of Homeschooling Long-Term: Flexibility
Lastly, let’s talk about flexibility. This is one of the most amazing benefits of homeschooling! By flexibility, I mean you homeschool your children on your terms. You make the schedule, and you decide what days and times you will be doing school. If your children need more sleep in the morning, you let them sleep in and start school a little later. Maybe they are early birds, so you start school early in the morning and are done by lunch. You get to do what works for your family and change it as your family changes. It’s one of the beautiful aspects of homeschooling.
Flexibility When Life Happens
If your children miss school for any reason such as illness, there are so many options for making up those missed assignments or days of school. Sometimes you child will still be able to get some work done even while they are sick. If not, you have the option to make up the work by adding some extra time to their days once they feel better. Or maybe you do some of that school work on a Saturday. Maybe you don’t even make up those days depending on the laws in your state. Instead you just continue where they left off and keep working.
I loved having this flexibility as a homeschooler. Doctor or dentist appointments didn’t cause my children to miss school; we just worked around them. When my then seven-year-old was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, we all got to be with him in the hospital and learn how to take care of him. When he came home, I didn’t send him off to school and hope he would be attended to carefully. I was able to be very involved, because he was home with me all day. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
When I started homeschooling, I could never have known that 9 or 10 years later, my 4th child would be diagnosed with this autoimmune disorder, and I would have the privilege of being able to stay home with him and oversee his care. What a blessing! That’s just one example of a million different circumstances that could happen where homeschooling allows for the flexibility of the situation.
Flexibility Plus Routine
Before I finish, I want to make it clear that I believe homeschoolers should have a schedule and a regular routine. Children need stability in their lives. They need to know what to expect each day and be ready to accomplish their work. However, flexibility is needed when things come up unexpectedly in life or when our children need something a little different that eventually helps them excel.
If you would like more information on homeschooling and some more tips on how to implement the things mentioned in this article please click the image above, and sign up for my free homeschool freebie library. There are printables for the kids and homeschool guides for you! More items are added all the time. Also, when you join the freebie library, you will be able to get access to my homeschool newsletter as well.
I would love to know your thoughts and if you have you have any questions.
Please send me an email Mary@whatabouthomeschooling.com
Wishing you all the best,
Mary
~”…and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.” Prov. 16:21