Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands: The Advantages of Homeschooling

Let's face it: public schools in our nation are quickly becoming the battleground to confront issues like political correctness, multiculturalism, and religious rights, among many others. The "wall of separation," that the Founders intended is quickly becoming more and more distorted to marginalize history and accommodate the easily offended.

So as your child's education becomes watered down or skewed, what are you to do as a concerned parent? Discussing these concerns with teachers or administrators definitely does not go as far as it once did. Sometimes the only thing for it is to take matters into your own hands. Yes, I am sure you can guess my meaning: begin homeschooling.

You may not feel confident taking charge of your child's (or children's) education, but here are a few reasons why going "the traditional route," can be beneficial to your child and your family as a whole.

First off, we have a tendency to ship our offspring to someone else from a very tender age. Career-oriented parents, whether by necessity or desire, often have to hand their children over to daycare just so they can go to work each day. This means that we miss out on those major milestones--everything from our baby's first smile to their first words and steps.

Our society places emphasis on "education," at an earlier and earlier age as time goes on. Some parents enroll their children in preschool at three and four years old. But if you honestly consider it, what is the purpose of preschool? Children make a few friends, learn to finger-paint, and understand the basics of reading. You may be forfeiting more formative moments to strangers over things you could easily teach your children yourself.

The same concept applies throughout a child's years, not simply when they are in the pre-K age range. Research suggests that parental involvement reduces underage drinking and illicit drug use, and what better way to be involved than to oversee your child's academic instruction?

Another benefit has a circular relationship with the last I just explained: the more time you spend teaching your children, the more you are able to understand their academic strengths and weaknesses. The more your understanding grows, the more you are able to personally tailor their education to a pace at which they are comfortable.

This would be impossible in a public school setting because there exist three different levels according to the state: below average, average, and above average. There is no "just slightly above average," or, "only a little behind."

One key advantage to homeschooling is one that may sometimes be frowned upon: having your child removed from the mainstream peer group may be of great benefit. Peer pressure and peer bullying are some of the most damaging yet virtually un-punishable (unless it escalates to physical violence) offenses your children can be exposed to.

While it is not a good idea to shelter your children entirely, it is a good idea to control at least some of their interactions so that they do not have to go through the torture of alienation, threats, teasing, or other problems that sometimes come from the negative side of peer interaction.

It can, of course, be daunting to try to undertake your children's primary education. But it is important to carefully weigh the advantages with your personal situation and abilities.

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