There are tons of resources available to teach your children the best education rather than traditional schooling. Now, you as a parent can provide your child with education through virtual schools, e-learning, or homeschooling. It has made many things easier for parents.
But just as everything with advantages comes along with disadvantages, these resources have their highs and lows. Which sometimes will make you opt for traditional schooling rather than these modern ways of teaching.
If you are concerned about your child’s education at school and are considering homeschooling, you might be worried about whether it will be beneficial for their education and growth. Whether you should go for it or not? Let us solve this puzzle for you.
Why do Parents Homeschool their Children?
Homeschooling is opted for due to several various reasons that differ from family to family. Some families prefer homeschooling due to their religious beliefs which they want to protect and make their children stay in that circle.
Some parents choose to homeschool as they want to have more control over their children's education and capabilities. Some want to go for it as they think they can better teach their children and help them improve their skills under their observation.
Some family heads are connected to such jobs where they have to move from one place to another more often so they prefer to homeschool rather than go into the dilemma of school transfer every time.
Some belong to political families and for protection, they opt for homeschooling. The factors vary from one home to another and it solely depends on the situation.
Why Homeschooling is a Bad Option in 2024?
Although homeschooling has its advantages, as said before everything that has advantages is always followed by disadvantages as well.
According to a survey by Highspeed Training, most of the parents felt stress, exhaustion, and frustration and found it difficult to deal with their kids during homeschooling.
Here are some most important disadvantages of homeschooling children in 2024:
Requires A Stable Working Environment
Lack of Boundaries
You might prove a Bad Teacher
Isolation And Social Skills
Missing Out On Making Memories
Lack Of Motivation And Creativity
Learning Ability
No Set Routine Or Curriculum
Less Active
Requires Self Discipline
No Easily Accessible Facilities And Resources
Financial Burden And Lack Of Time
Requires a Stable Working Environment
If you want your child to go to school from home, your child will need a school-like setting at home to help them focus. Having a study room requires a study table and computer in a quiet space.
This may be difficult if you don’t have the space for a study room. Not having a quiet and stable environment to work in can make it hard for your child to focus on their studies.
Lack of Boundaries
It will be difficult for your child to focus if you have a rowdy family and younger children. Being constantly interrupted can break your child’s concentration. Not having boundaries between family and school can make it seem like your child isn’t working as hard as school-going children or that their studies aren’t as important.
Often when homeschooled children complain about too much housework or not being taken seriously they hear the phrase ‘you don’t even go to school’ from their parents. They can also be told off by other siblings who complain that they don’t have it as hard as them or aren’t as tired because they don’t leave the house.
You might Prove a Bad Teacher
If you are thinking of teaching your child by relying solely on the education you received as a child you are walking into a big trap. Your child’s curriculum isn’t the same as what you learned as a kid. You might struggle with teaching new topics you don’t know and will find you and your child equally confused.
Teaching is a skill. If you know the material, but can’t get the information across to your child, then you may face an obstacle in your child’s education.
Furthermore, you won’t just be a teacher, and your child won’t just be a student. Your relationship might make it easier to communicate, but it can also be that your child won’t take you seriously as a teacher and will brush off what you tell them.
As a parent, you might not see your child as a student and will fail to teach them respectfully like a teacher would, especially if you get frustrated. This can negatively impact your child's education and your relationship.
Isolation and Social Skills
Homeschooling your child means they don’t get to interact with other students the way they would in a classroom or on a soccer field. Not being around children of their age can cause your child to become isolated and have trouble working and communicating with others.
Even if your child has siblings who are around the same age, children need friends with similar interests besides their family.
Becoming severely isolated from not having access to other peers can negatively affect your child’s mental and emotional health. It can cause your child to suffer from social withdrawal and have low self-esteem because they have trouble interacting with others. Being cut off from others can also lead to depression and anxiety.
Missing Out on Making Memories
By being homeschooled, your child will miss out on big milestones in their life. Your child won’t be able to experience the joys of field trips, class parties and sports days, bake sales, and the little joys that a school environment brings.
This also includes the infuriating memories of partners who don’t help with a project, wearing a uniform or going on a bus at six in the morning. Even memories like these have their charm for a child who hasn’t gotten to experience them.
It may not seem like a big deal to an adult, but if your child sees other children their age interacting and enjoying time together, they will feel the weight of the memories they never got to make.
Making good memories during school helps with the stress that comes with education. Not having a healthy balance between learning and enjoying life can cause your child to lose motivation and have trouble understanding their studies.
Lack of Motivation and Creativity
As mentioned briefly above, another disadvantage of homeschooling is a lack of motivation. Being at home all the time will cause your child to become bored with their environment.
Your child also won’t get to experiment and change up the way they learn by doing group projects. This can dampen your child’s motivation and ability to be creative. Research shows that the biggest problem homeschooled children face is motivation.
If your child doesn’t have the motivation to learn, it will be harder for them to take in the information thrown at them. This is especially true if your child has different learning abilities.
Learning Ability
Every child has different learning abilities. Some children are visual learners, while others find it easier to learn by listening. Some children find it easier to work with others, while others prefer to work alone. If your child finds it easier to work with others or learn interactively, they may have trouble learning at home.
No Set Routine Or Curriculum
Being at home all the time means your child doesn’t have a set routine the way they would if they went to school every day at the same time.
On lazy days and days when a student isn’t feeling upbeat, sometimes having to get up and go out of the house helps them get back on track. However, this is not the case for homeschooled children. Your child might struggle to follow a schedule if they aren’t moving around during the day.
Some countries provide a syllabus for parents to cover when teaching their children from home. However, if your country doesn’t provide these resources, your child might not be learning the important and necessary stuff they need to know to complete their education.
Less Active
Homeschooling can also impact your child’s physical health. Being at home all the time means your child misses out on going out daily and participating in gym class. Being physically active at home will be hard because your child will only be able to play solo games.
Requires Self Discipline
Some parents think that homeschooling means they can give their child a textbook and their child should teach themselves, and only come to them when they need help while studying.
This is a big No!
Your child will need a proper teacher who can help them learn and study. However, learning from home does require your child to have self-discipline. This can be difficult if your child has trouble finishing their work or is young.
No Easily Accessible Facilities and Resources
Your child will need access to gyms or professional order to keep their physical health in check. They will also need access to facilities and equipment to complete their assignments, like science labs. If these resources aren’t easily available, it may be hard to learn from home.
Financial Burden and Lack of Time
Preparing a study room and giving your child access to necessary facilities will come with a price tag.
As a parent, you will be required to purchase the materials your child will need. Textbooks can be expensive, even if you rent them. If you can’t teach your child you will also have to hire a tutor. If you think you might struggle with supporting your child at home with extra finances, then maybe homeschooling isn’t the best option.
It is also important to point out that teaching your child yourself will require you to put in hours as a teacher along with a parent. Teaching will mean you have to spend time going over the subjects, planning a lesson, teaching, and reviewing with your child. You will have to manage your stress while performing this duty.
Other Options
Another option besides teaching your child yourself is to sign your child up for online schools. Attending online school can give your child a set routine and curriculum. Your child will also be able to interact with other students of their age. However, they will still need access to other facilities such as gyms and clubs to fulfil their mental and physical needs.
Takeaway
Homeschooling can be good for some children, especially if they have trouble learning with others whereas it can be a bad option for some other children. Make sure you discuss these points with your child and listen to whether or not they want to be homeschooled.
Ensuring the well-being of your child’s physical and mental health can help your child rise above and beyond in their academic pursuit. That's why you must keep an eye on both perspectives of homeschooling. We have compiled the disadvantages of homeschooling for you. Now, the decision is all yours!
Excellent Article ,Can you write next article on Best solution for the Homeschooling or possible strategies so that we can balance all the things and provide valuable homeschooling ? What should we do as a parent if we live in countries where we prefer homeschooling?