5 Common Homeschooling Misconceptions

When people find out you homeschool, it can lead to some crazy questions or comments. Most of the time, people are genuinely curious about what we do and how we do it. Here a five common homeschooling misconceptions.

1. It takes different forms. What about socialization? Homeschooled children don't know how to act "normal" like their public school peers.....and so on.
I have written other posts on this, but it comes up so often, I thought I would cover it here. First of all, education and "socialization" should be two different things. If your child's main purpose to going to school is to socialize you might want to spend some time thinking about that. Second, there are plenty of social activities that homeschoolers can participate in. We have a homeschool co-op that meets monthly, are very active in 4-H, meet once a week for a play date at the park,regularly visit an assisted living facility, and attend church every week. Third, I find that homeschoolers can relate to people of all ages because they are around more than just people in their own age group. Also sibling relationships tend to be much stronger because of all the time they spend together.

2. I am not "qualified" enough to teach.
There is no one more qualified to teach your children than you. A four year degree does not make you a better teacher. No one knows your child better than you do.

3. I can't teach things like Algebra, I haven't used it in 20 years!
One of my first questions when I started homeschooling was," What happens when her knowledge exceeds mine?" The answer is pretty easy. Help them find a way to learn it. The Internet is a great tool that can be used by your child to learn things you may not know a whole lot about. The library is another tool that can be used. Private lessons, online courses, homeschool c0-ops, a skilled person you may know all can contribute to your child's education.

4. People think the homeschool has to be like public school (7 hours a day, 5 days a week, piles of textbooks...etc)
It does not have to be anything like public school. You can teach whenever it works out better for your family. Some children are early birds and like to get going first thing in the morning, other children learn better in the afternoon. We only spend 2-3 hours a day, 4 days a week on "school." Some children learn better with textbooks, some are hands on learners. There really is no wrong answer. You have the freedom to do whatever works out best for your family.

5.Homeschooling is very expensive.
It really varies. You can spend next to nothing by using the library, Internet, and "real life experiences," or you can spend hundreds of dollars on a "curriculum in a box." You can end up in the middle, buying what you like from different companies. Buying used can help save some money, check out www.ebay.com, Craig's List, or used curriculum sales.

Oh yeah, and one more. Yes, I love homeschooling my children! I thank the Lord every day for a supportive husband and being able to keep them home. Our lives are a little chaotic, my house is never spotless, but we learn a lot together and have a lot of fun!

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