Are You Thinking Of Home Schooling Your Children?

There's a trend lately that's spreading not only across the country but across the world. This is the decision of parents to home school their children. What would be some reasons why a parent would home school their children? Some parents decide that home schooling is the correct option because they don't agree with what's being taught in today's school system. Some parents believe the current curriculum stifles creativity; especially in young children. Some parents worry about peer pressure and the risk of their kids being exposed to drugs and/or alcohol and some parents object to the influx of illegal immigrants who barely speak English which slows down the education of the other students who may be bored because they're not advancing fast enough. The bottom line is that there are a myriad of reasons to home school but is it the right decision? Experts are on the fence over this issue and the fact is that it may be right for some kids and it may be wrong for others.

Social Skills

The experts who speak out against the practice of home schooling programs say that children who are educated at home and away from a traditional school setting won't develop the social skills that other kids will develop. This may pose problems for them when they grow into adults and have to enter the workforce. A traditional setting forces kids to make friends with other kids their age and it gets them familiar with having other kids around them at all times. Parents who home school, however, think this is nonsense and they say that as long as they make friends in the neighborhood or at the park, after school of course, then there will be no problem with them developing the necessary social skills that will carry them throughout the rest of their lives. It's all about balance, these parents say, and that social skills have nothing to do with a proper education.

Better Prepared

Advocates of home schooling cite the studies that say that kids that are home schooled are generally better prepared for college than kids schooled in traditional classrooms. This is because the kids can move at the pace they are most comfortable as far as their curriculum is concerned. In a traditional classroom setting, the more advanced kids may be dragged down by kids who aren't as advanced and thus may become bored as they have to wait for other kids to catch up with them academically. Parents can teach their children what they want them to learn, at the pace the kids are comfortable with and there are no distractions, no peer pressure and home schooling is generally faster than the traditional twelve year school career.

The Advantages

When parents home school their children, they know exactly what's going into their minds. They can tailor the lessons strictly for their children. Plus, they can give their children their undivided attention. This can't be done in a normal classroom, where a teacher may have thirty or more students. Also, their kids won't get into trouble, as often happens when they get around other kids their age. They won't be exposed to drugs, alcohol, or any bad seeds that can corrupt their child's naïve and innocent mind.

The Disadvantages

The main disadvantage of home schooling children is that they aren't preparing for the real world. For example, when a child gets up in the morning to get ready for school, they are, in essence, preparing for that day when they'll have to do the same thing to go to work. Home schooling doesn't force them to leave the house. They can get schooled in their PJ's, in the comfort of home and this can create motivational problems later on, as the grown up kids won't want to go to work when they can just stay home as they've always done.

Another major disadvantage is that some home schooled kids never learn to develop positive peer relationships. Going to school forces the kids to interact with each other, which is very important for healthy development. Sure, children may be exposed to other dangers, such as peer pressure and the like, but it's up to the parents to teach the children to say no when faced with this pressure. Taking the children out of the element completely will do little good. Peer pressure is everywhere, not just at school, and they can be exposed to it anywhere they go. So, keep your kids in school and prepare them to be healthy, well developed adults when they finally enter the real world.