Homeschool vs. Public School – Part 1

This week I have a series that my team and I have been prepping FOR WEEKS. We are so excited to share this topic with you. Those of you who follow me on Instagram and Facebook already know the topic of this week’s series. Huge shout out to those of you who commented and shared your thoughts and feelings with me! That is what will make this series great.

Homeschool vs. public school/private school

This has been on my mind as well as a lot of your minds! As the new school year approaches, I am sure that we are all concerned about our children, their well-being, and most of all, their quality of education. That is why I am dedicating this ENTIRE week to a 5 day series hashing out all the details about homeschooling!

What Can You Expect from this Series?

• The pros and cons of homeschooling
• Hashing out the validity of common stereotypes when it comes to homeschooled children
• Other options for kids who need 1 on 1 attention
• My favorite at home learning resources
• Real life stories from parents who homeschooled as well as moms who were homeschooled
• Ways to find curriculum
• And much, much more!

No matter if homeschooling is your ONLY option or if homeschooling will NEVER be an option, this series has something for you. At the end of the day, our biggest jobs as parents is to TEACH. You can be a teacher without being their homeschool teacher! All of us need to know how to better teach our kids and THIS WEEK I will give you SO many resources so you can be better! While preparing for this, I learned so much! I can do so many things better as a parent and I can’t wait so share it with you!

Let’s Start Out With The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling!

There is plenty of info online, but I honestly wanted to go straight to my audience to ask what you believed the pros and cons of homeschooling are. These answers are coming from people who have ACTUALLY “been there and done that”. We had over 100 readers share their stories and I read EVERY one of them so I can give you the best info that they had to share!

Let’s Start with the Pros!

• 1 on 1 interaction: Your kids will be able to learn AT THEIR PACE and get all the attention they need.
• Personal Tailored Curriculum: You can teach things at the pace of your child! You also can use examples while teaching using things they are interested in and understand.
• Flexible Schedule: You can do more family vacations, travel with Dad on work trips, take field trips any day, and travel in the off seasons when things are less expensive.
• Teach in Half the Time: Many of the readers shared how they can be done teaching at noon! Because there are less people to cater to, your kids can be done in half the time and have more time for social activities.
• Graduate Early: Many homeschool can graduate early OR have their associate degree by the time they are 18! That means 2 less years in college and WAY less money owed in tuition.
• Cost Effective: Many shared how homeschooling saved them money! You can get free curriculums, used books from the library, and many more tips!
• Control: You know what is being taught to your child! You also have no regulations on what you can and cannot teach.
• More Family Time: You get to spend quality time with your family in and out of the class room. No more sending them to school for 8 hours a day!
• Watch Your Kids Progress: You will be there for all the “OHHH, I GET IT” moments!
• Sibling’s Relationships Will  Increase: They will spend more time together, learn together, and even teach each other.
• Rebellion is Limited: This one was mentioned by over 4 readers that they homeschooled their children when they started to show signs of rebellion and that due to homeschool, they did not rebel (I think this definitely depends on each individual child though).
• No Homework: You can spend all the time you need to get the school work done and once they are done, they are done! There is no homework! Because of this, this leaves more time for family fun and extracurricular activities.
• Religious/Moral Training: Seeing that you have no limits on what you can and can’t teach, if you have religious views you can apply those in their everyday learning! One reader gave an example that if their daughter was having a hard time being honest and was cheating…instead of giving her detention, you could read a bible verse about honesty or talk a little bit about the example of Christ and how He was honest.
• Deeper Learning: One reader mentioned that her kids have mastered subjects because they end up reteaching them to younger siblings. When one doesn’t understand how to do a math problem, the older sibling can help tutor!
• Resources: Many shared that when they started homeschooling they were worried that because they did not know everything, they would not be able to teach! Nowadays, you can find online programs, worksheets, and training to help you know how to teach.

Now as you can see, there are MANY positive outcomes when it comes to homeschooling. Kids can learn, grow, and thrive right in the walls of your own home! But, at the same time, there are also negative sides of homeschooling. Many of you shared with me all the negative outcomes that are associated with homeschooling and I wanted to throw those out there too. Before parents make any decision, they should be educated.

The Cons of Homeschooling (as told by Fabulessly Frugal readers):

• Behavior: Kids often behave better for others. Some kids will listen to you as their homeschool teacher and parent, but some will not.
• Positive Peer Pressure is Missing: Some kids need to be motivated by others. They will do things if the 20 other students in their class are doing them, but if asked by their mother, they will not want to do it. When you are homeschooled, this pressure is taken away.
• Feelings of Inadequacy: Many of the readers expressed that as their child got older, they felt inadequate to teach so they sent them back to public/private school. You have to either know what your talking about OR find a program or someone else who does.
• Social Aspect: There are things learned at school that are not taught by the teacher. Kids need to learn how to interact, share, play with others, and go through hard times. I believe it is good for kids to be in a situation where they are different. There is something special that happens when kids have to stand up for what they believe. Whether they learn it in 1st grade or in college, eventually kids have to learn these social skills. NOW, these skills can be acquired in other areas (extracurricular activities, lessons, playdates, etc.) but public/private school is where most kids master these skills.
• Networking: Today it is all about who you know. When you are homeschooled, you miss out on meeting many people. Kids may have AWESOME, life changing teachers who they can look to as mentors for the rest of their lives. OR, someday when they need a letter of recommendation, teachers are always good options. It is so great for kids to have as many positive role models as they can and teachers can be a great option for this.
•  Bubble Effect: One reader shared how she was homeschooled and once she went to college she felt like her entire pre college life was in a bubble. She did not know common social norms, was never taught different things that are taught in public school and needed in college, and did not know how to handle all the BAD THINGS in the world. A positive thing about public school is that your kids will see the good and the bad and they will have to learn how to seek the good. Now this reader learned these skills, just when she was older!
• Special Needs: A lot of the moms who shared with me that they homeschooled did it because of autism, ADD, ADHD, or other special needs. This one is so difficult because there are honestly some schools that just are not equipped to help these sweet children succeed, BUT at the same time, some mothers expressed how they did not know either how to help their child learn in the most effective way. A good thing about some public/private schools is that they can have aids that went to school to know how to deal with children who need a little more assistance. If you can find these schools, you can change the course of your child’s life if they get the extra assistance and attention they need.
• Hard Work: Being a homeschooling mom is hard work! It is your job, ON TOP of being their mom! (or dad, there are plenty of dads who teach homeschooling too!) You have to prep for each day and make sure you are ready to teach your children the day’s lessons.
• Finances: If you homeschool, almost in every case, one of the parents is unemployed. That means that the entire family is depending on one pay check. In some families, that could be detrimental, but in some families it works.
• Lack of Support: Many moms shared how they feel all alone. Yes there are FB groups and email lists, but essentially, you are on your own. At times that may feel overwhelming!
• Being Misunderstood: Stereotypes are real! Many future employers may say that a homeschool child is naive or inexperienced! As sad as it is, it happens all the time. I wish that it didn’t! One way to get around this is to make sure your kids have PLENTY of activities and extracurricular activities on their resume!
•  Tired: A few dads commented on our post and told us that while they see that homeschooling is a huge blessing for their kids, their wife is now exhausted all the time, the house is not as clean as it used to be, and their wife never has any alone time where she can wind down. Some dad’s even said that it took a tole on their marriage.
• Miss Out on School Experiences: Kids who are homeschooled will interact with others and realize how they are so different. They will not have a senior prom, or a chance to run for ASB office. They will not experience those little (honestly meaningless) experiences that are some of my greatest memories. Yes any child can live without them, but someday they may look back and be sad they never got to experience that.

It All Depends on the Child

Now, you’ve seen the pros and the cons according to our readers. I found it interesting that many many many of our readers said that it “all depends on the child”. You are their parents. You know their needs, their learning styles, and their personalities. I have 8 kids and they all are SO different. Some love groups, some hate them. Others are great communicators while some aren’t. Some thrive under pressure and others do not. The list goes on and on. But before this, I thought there were just 3 options. 1)Homeschool 2)Public/Charter School or 3) Private School. But after researching and learning from all of you, I see that there are so many other options!

Other Options for Kids Who Need 1 on 1 Attention

Like I mentioned, it all depends on the child! If you notice that your child is not thriving at public school, there are things you as a mother can do! I am going to share MANY other options that you can do to take control of your child’s education and help them learn all that they can!

• Public School: If public school is your only option, that is okay! I personally love public school. YES, there are issues, but guess what, you can influence your child although you are not his teacher! First off, know what he/she is learning! Check their planner, review their grades/homework, and go to parent teacher conferences. Know what he/she is struggling with and help them at home. Praise them for all the good work they do. If that isn’t enough, talk to the school about a possible aid or find an after school tutor. Never make your child feel like they are behind! Just let them know that as their parent, you want to help make school easier for them! Show how fun school and learning can be.
• Private School: This one is an awesome option, but a very expensive option. Many private schools are better than public schools. They tend to have more funding, resources, and less regulations. If your child has some sort of special needs, many times private schools have the resources and staff that you need. Like I said though, this could cost a pretty penny so keep that in mind.
• Charter Schools: I see charter schools as the happy medium between a private and a public school. They are still public schools, but are not under all the regulations that many public schools are under. These schools do not charge tuition. But one thing that I love about charter schools is that they can teach in unconventional teaching styles! For example, they can take an arts approach, be targeted for the highly gifted kids, or even focus in technology. These schools offer great education, but they are not as common as private/public schools so you will have to search around to find one near you. AND they often have waitlists or a lottery enrollment system. So getting into these schools can be difficult. Click HERE to find a school near you.
• Homeschools: These are schools run by YOU in your own home! If you want to homeschool check out your state requirements. Some states require tests, a notice that the child is being homeschooled, and more! Be sure to be aware of those things.
• Online Programs: There are so many online programs that can teach your children right in the walls of your home. I know many people who do this because they do not feel qualified to homeschool their kids, yet to not want them to attend public school. I know of a program my church has called Liahona Academy where kids do all their schooling online (some being watching videos and doing worksheets while others are live feeds from a classroom).
• Half and Half: This is an awesome option I think. You can take this many ways! I have known kids who take all their core classes (math, science, reading, writing) at home and then go to the high school for elective classes. That way they are getting in the social, average teenager experience while still getting the education their parents feel is best for them. I also know parents who teach some classes and have their kids enrolled in online programs for the rest of the courses that they feel less qualified to teach.
• Other Help: There are SO many resources that are available to help kids. You can take them to tutors, find tutors online, order workbooks, apps, games, or books online! There are so many options. Just because your child maybe isn’t thriving in public school doesn’t mean the only option is homeschooling. You need to make an education plan that is perfect for them! Later on this week I will be sharing my favorite resources (whether you homeschool or not) to help your kids achieve academic success.

Now that you’ve seen a little intro to homeschooling, I would LOVE to hear about what you have to say. How have you determined the right educational path for your children? And how have those decisions affected your child’s life?

We are just getting rolling this week with our series and we have SO MUCH more to share. I am loving this because this is something I am passionate about. Not all children can be parented the same! They are all different, so embrace those differences. This week I hope to empower you to do that!

Coming Up Tomorrow:

• An AWESOME work at home opportunity
• A favorite way to HOMESCHOOL away from home
• Revealing one of the best up and coming educational companies I’ve ever seen!

You don’t want to miss out!