Even though homeschooling has grown by leaps and bounds over the past several years, there are still many people out there who don’t know much about it at all. There are a lot of misconceptions that are perpetuated about homeschooling that just aren’t true. So today, I hope to clear up some of that confusion and help people understand what homeschooling is really all about! Here are eight homeschooling myths that most people still believe (but just aren’t true!)
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Homeschooling Myths #1 – Homeschool Means “School at Home”
This is something that I know many people who do not homeschool their children think of when they think of homeschooling. They assume parents simply do their best to recreate school at home. For most homeschooling families, this couldn’t be further from the truth! Especially for those of us unschoolers, recreating school at home is definitely not the goal.
One of the most wonderful things about homeschooling is that you do not need to worry about trying to replicate what schools do. You are free to create the version of school that works best for your family. There is so much freedom, so many choices, it’s really exciting! So forget about “school at home” if you are new to homeschooling. The possibilities are endless.
Homeschooling should be done for several hours a day
Another one of the most common homeschooling myths is that it takes a long time. There is this belief that homeschool should be done every day, or at least five days a week, for several hours a day. Many people believe that since “regular” school lasts for six or more hours a day (not to mention homework!), homeschool should as well.
When you think about how much time is actually spent “learning” in school, you can begin to see how this is just not true. There is time in the morning spent on announcements and roll call. Time between classes, time for crowd control, lunch, recess, handing out and collecting papers, etc. There are also many students per teacher, all with different levels of ability. With homeschool, the education can be much more focused and one on one. This eliminates much of the time that would need to be spent when teaching a larger group of students.
So really, depending on the age of the student, several hours a day of homeschool seems a little extreme. Good luck getting your elementary school child to sit at the kitchen table for six hours a day! It’s just totally unnecessary.
Homeschooling Myths #3 – Homeschool Kids are Too Isolated
Tell most people that you have decided to homeschool your kids, and I bet the first thing they ask is “but what about socialization????” The myth that homeschooled kids aren’t socialized is one of the most common. It’s definitely not the case for most homeschooled kids these days.
I guess this all depends on your idea of socialization and what that should look like. As an adult, I bet you don’t spend your time only interacting with the same small group of same aged adults for the same set amount of time each day. Whoever decided this was the best way for kids to learn about socialization is beyond me.
There are so many many opportunities for homeschooled kids to socialize. Without being stuck in school kids can have the freedom to go places and interact with kids and adults alike.
For example, my daughter has been in dance class, horse riding lessons, a homeschool science class taught at a local children’s museum and a really wonderful homeschool nature class. She has regularly visited libraries, parks, playgrounds, museums, zoos and many other places with the opportunity to interact with other people. We have both made very close friends that we met during these activities.
Also, as you get more into homeschooling, you will meet other families doing the same thing. Now you will have the opportunity to get together and have the kids learn together or just play and hang out. You can look into local homeschool groups, which are growing more and more every day. Facebook is a great resource to connect with other families. Your kids will definitely not lack for socialization so long as you put in a bit of effort.
Homeschool Must Be Done on a Set Schedule
Another common thought that many who are new to homeschooling get into their heads is, homeschool must be done on a regular schedule. Certainly if this fits the needs of your family then do it, but it really doesn’t have to be that way.
My daughter has trouble sitting still and staying focused for long periods, and that’s one of the many things that makes homeschooling so great. The freedom to do things however works best for your family! You can do school any day of the week, any time of day, and this can look different from week to week. You don’t need to do it every day, you can take days off whenever you like. The choice is yours!
If you are the type of person that does best with a schedule, great, then do that! Come up with a schedule that fits the needs of your family, but allow some room for flexibility. Nothing bad is going to happen if you “skip school” for a day of homeschool, or stray from the schedule. As you become more familiar with homeschooling, you will start to notice and hopefully take advantage of learning opportunities that may not necessarily fit into a schedule. To me, that’s the beauty of it.
You Need Teaching Experience to Homeschool
This is another homeschooling myth I hear a lot when I tell people we homeschool – they ask if I was ever a teacher. Nope! But I didn’t let that stop me. I know how to learn, I know how to find and relay information. Perhaps most important of all, I know my kids. Add in a healthy dose of patience, and I’m perfectly equipped to teach my children – and so are you!
I mean no disrespect to teachers, as I am sure their job is extremely difficult! When I was younger, I tried my hand at substitute teaching, and it was a disaster. But teaching my own kids, on a schedule that suits me (or not on a schedule at all) is entirely different.
There are so many resources out there, you won’t even believe how much information and help you will come across. So no, you definitely do not need teaching experience in order to homeschool your kids!
Homeschooling Myth #6 – You Need to Follow a Certain Curriculum
Now I know different states and countries have different rules, and some may very well have guidelines or even requirements on what subject you must teach your children. I am lucky to live in a state with very loose requirements, and I am certainly grateful for that. But for the most part, you should be allowed to decide on your own curriculum. For unschooling families, that might mean you don’t choose one at all!
If you do intend to follow along with what your local school district is doing, that’s fine too. Just know that you don’t need to be rigid about it. No harm is going to come to your kids if you do the subjects in a different order, or skim over some of the subjects that your kids really don’t happen to like. If it’s something you as their parent don’t think is important and your kids hate it, you don’t need to do it at all. There will always be time later if they show more of an interest.
For those seasoned homeschool families, you know that there are many different styles of homeschooling. Even families that teach in a very structured way don’t necessarily follow the type of curriculum that their local public school would follow. It’s all about freedom of choice.
You Can’t Homeschool if You Work Full Time
Many people send their kids to school simply because they have to go to work. I totally understand that. I was lucky enough to work full time at home since before my first child was born. Many of you may be finding yourselves working at home now too! But even if you work outside the home, as long as you can find childcare for your kids when you’re not there, you absolutely can still homeschool!
As I said before, there are no rules as to what time of day school can take place. As it is, most kids are doing homework in the evenings anyway! So you can homeschool your kids then too, or any time you like. You do not need to devote hours a day to school, you can do what works best for you.
If you have a spouse or partner, you might be able to work different schedules in order to make homeschooling work and lessen the burden of childcare. If you can work from home, you can give your kids activities to do while you work, and do the active teaching when you’re done for the day.
Whether you have always dreamed of homeschooling your kids or whether this is something you’ve had to do because of problems with your child’s school, I hope you will give yourself a break, relax some of the rules, and understand that many of these common thoughts about homeschooling just aren’t true. If you want to homeschool, you can make it work. There is so much freedom and choice in it, you might be surprised how easily you can manage to fit it into your life, no matter how busy you may be!
