Homeschooling is Easy to Defend
If you are considering homeschooling or are already doing it, you know it can be a pretty controversial decision. I am sure you have heard complaints from dozens of people and at least one has told you that keeping your child at home could damage their personality. You may have heard some crazy threats from well meaning teachers. And you are left wondering; “How do I defend my choice to homeschool?”
Your not alone. Most families that choose to educate their kids at home face these challenges from friends, neighbors, and teachers. But homeschooling is easy to defend. Allow me to outline very briefly a solid three part defense that you can use with anyone picking on you.
First, you have statistics on your side. The statistics favoring homeschoolers are overwhelming. Kids who have been taught at home don’t just out perform their public school counter parts by small margins. They outdo the average public school kid by 30 points. It is also important to point out that these statistics don’t change if the parent providing the education has no college experience. A college degree doesn’t really matter in the process of teaching your kids from home.
Also, money doesn’t matter. The average family teaching their kids at home spends less than $500 a year. In contrast, the local public school can spend as much as $9,000 per child, per year. So the public schools are spending an excessive amount and ending up with scores that are much lower than the average homeschooler.
The second defense that you will need to use are the negative alternatives to homeschooling. This will address head on the concerns that most individuals have regarding socialization. The lack of socialization is a common complaint against home education.
But is this a fair point? The socialization found in most public schools is not ideal. It is out of the parents control. The child attending public school, and even private school, can be exposed to all kinds of things that you as a parent would not approve of. You might remember what things you learned from your friends when you were in school. The awful things your parents were probably trying to shield you from were revealed to you through friends at school.
These negative examples are valid points that must be used as a defense. It is reasonable to point out what a child is spared by staying home.
On top of this, you could share the alternative social events that your child attends. Mention the sports teams they play on, or the dance lessons they take every week. Maybe it is music lessons or Boy Scouts that they enjoy. Remind your opponent of these weekly events.
Finally, share your decision to homeschool as a personal conviction. Instead of demanding that all parents should homeschool, inform the other party that it was a personal choice made based on the conscience. If the person you are talking to can’t accept that, ask them where their authority lies in making such a strong case against your conscience. They should not feel threatened by your choice as long as they know it is your own conviction and not a law you want to mandate for their life.
Who knows, they might be convinced by the end of the conversation. If you keep your cool, share the facts, and welcome the conversation, you will probably win their support.
