Worried about Starting Homeschooling

by Juliet
(North Somerset)

Question
Hi, I am a 38 year old mother of two (7yrs and coming up to 5yrs).

Both girls enjoy school once they come out but they never seem happy to go in. Whenever they are off ill and we play schools at home they seem to work really hard and enjoy it. I am worried home schooling is more for me so I can have my children at home and not feel like I'm missing them and filling in the hours til they return.

Would they miss out on some vital part of a school education?

My husband is worried they will be social lepers!!

I have tried telling him it's all more group based now and is actually not that far from private schooling - in the respect that they will often be working in small groups rather than 30 children including any and all disruptive elements.
Am I right in this?

Also do they miss out on hearing and weight checks which are carried out at school from time to time?

Answer
Hi Juliet
It is natural to have lots of worries when you are thinking about home educating your children.

The socialization one comes up a lot but is really totally unfounded (I have a rant about that here!) Home educated children are out and about lots meeting adults and other children. And didn't your husband ever have a teacher tell him 'you aren't here to socialize!'

I love homeschooling and, as you point out, find a lot of benefits over school based education. Take a look at my pros and cons of homeschooling pages to get an idea of the good and the bad.

You say, "Would they miss out on some vital part of a school education?".

Well, firstly many home educators would argue that there are a LOT of flaws in a school education. So why would you model your education on that? Also, whatever form of education you choose, there will always be gaps. Part of teaching your children is giving them the skills to be able to fill the gaps when they spot them. I talk about this in my education in a box blog post.

If you are still thinking of home educating then I would recommend you find some homeschoolers near you and go visit a group. We are always happy to share our experiences. I would also recommend the book Free Range Education as a good place to start.

Good luck, and let me know if you have more questions on your journey.

best wishes, Julie.

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