Picture this – it’s a perfect world, you have perfect children, the education system is wonderful and you and your kiddos love it!
Wouldn’t that be awesome?!
Then there’s reality – you are in an imperfect, crazy, surreal world in unprecedented times.
Schools are closed, the kids are home, and you are now in charge of their education!
What’s a mama to do?
I am a homeschooler, but I haven’t always homeschooled. My two oldest went through public school K-12, the next two came home when they each hit middle school and my youngest came home in 4th grade.
So I’m imagining that how you feel now is how I used to feel when summer was coming – and I knew I’d have FIVE kids at home ALL summer!
Yikes!
Why do Homeschoolers Homeschool?
I did an informal survey to find out why homeschoolers chose to homeschool. My original reason was because of two things – bullying and middle school changes in general.
My survey responses ranged from giving children a personalized education, spending more time with their kids, educating children with special needs and bullying problems.
But this was from people who decided to homeschool.
Why Do You Homeschool?
When I asked if people have had to start schooling at home because of Covid-19, and if they would continue to do so, I got this response:
“I will if I HAVE to, but I don’t consider this homeschooling either. This isn’t how any learning/school is supposed to be done!”
And that mama is right.
Crisis Learning
We are in unprecedented times.
As overused as that word has become, it is the best expression of what we’re experiencing.
And that leads me to this, if you started homeschooling because of the Coronavirus, you and your kids are “crisis learning.”
You didn’t ask for this experience, and neither did your kids.
What Will You Do?
So here’s my question, will you continue to homeschool when things return to normal?
Maybe before Covid-19 you had been toying with the idea of homeschooling, or possibly the thought never entered your mind.
However, you find yourself in a groove and you’re all enjoying it. It could be that you had not only never considered home education, but you have no intention of continuing when the schools reopen.
Just so you know, this is a safe place!
Remember, this is Imperfectly Perfect Mama – we all “mom” differently, and that is just fine!
But if you are on the fence, I have 5 reasons why you should quit homeschooling!
1. Time
When I was thinking about homeschooling, I had a friend say that if I didn’t love being with my kids 24/7 I shouldn’t homeschool.
Okay, let’s be honest, does any mom truly love being with their precious offspring day and night?
Good, whew, I thought it was just me!
So here is reason #1 – time.
If your schedule was packed full pre-Coronavirus, and you have to fit homeschooling in when and where you can – on top of your own full-time job that is now from home, plus the other 95 things you do in a day – you should probably quit.
Educating your own kids should be a priority and will take a huge chunk of your time.
What that means is that the kids will be with you, underfoot, all the time. All. The. Time.
2. Socialization
My mother-in-law lives with us and here’s her take on homeschooling :
“How in the world will they learn to get along with other people??”
Sometimes I have to go in another room and roll my eyes a few hundred times and pretend to bang my head against a wall.
My kids are socialized. Really they are.
The three that I homeschooled graduated high school – the baby just did!
My kids have all gone to college (youngest leaves in August), and they have done just fine, thank you very much.
Teaching your kids at home doesn’t mean that you never let them do anything outside of home. Just like families whose kids go to public or private school, my kids have participated in scouts, sports, band, and theatre.
They’ve also had the chance to try fencing, archery, horseback riding, and dance. They’ve taken classes through co-op and under other teachers.
So, if you truly feel your kids won’t get enough socialization, you should send them back to school.
But don’t judge their socialization by this Covid-19 crazy world, because frankly, none of us socialize right now.
3. Passion, Patience and Motivation
This reason is a combo one. I struggle with anxiety and sometimes my passion for everything just disappears.
I used to have a knee-jerk reaction and quit everything! Now, I know that things will get better, and my passion will return.
My desire to homeschool has never left – I believe it is the best fit for my kids and our family.
Through the years I have given them a choice to go back to public school and, except for one kid in one year, they always say “no”. (That kid went for one year and came back home.)
But it is a passion and it’s combined with patience for the process and motivation for the end result. Does that make sense?
Because you have been forced to homeschool, you might lack that drive, and at this point, I don’t think many people in the world have patience! Your motivation might be just to survive until things get back to “normal.”
Remember what I said at the beginning – this is a judgement-free zone. It’s okay if you feel this way!
4. Family Disagreement
If you and your significant other do not agree to homeschool, it might not be the best fit for your family.
At first my hubby didn’t really support homeschooling but he will tell you now that our kids are well rounded, well adjusted, and well educated.
5. Getting a Good Education
It is important that your kids get a good education. In the homeschool world there is this thing called unschooling, but that is not the same as not schooling.
Unschooling is child-led schooling where you follow the child’s interests and passions.
If you cannot structure your time and days to educate your kids, you should quit homeschooling.
It takes some organization, but also flexibility to homeschool. It’s not always easy, but when you are committed to it, it’s always right.
In The End…
Let’s be honest, in the end what all of us moms want is for our child to be happy, healthy, and well educated.
Do you have the time, ability to socialize your kids, the passion and motivation, help from your partner, and the structure this homeschooling venture will need?
What does education look like in your post-Coronavirus world? Will you be a homeschooler? Or will you “quit” and go back to your new, old normal?
Check out my favorite blog posts on homeschooling:
- Jen Dodrill History at Home
- Everything you need to start homeschooling – AKA homeschooling 101
- Learning style – how does your child learn?
- 4 tips to make your homeschool planning easier
I want to hear what you decide!
