Are you frustrated with your child’s school? Have you been going back and forth with their school to advocate for your child? Were you concerned about what was being taught to your child this last year especially? Have you been shocked to hear what books are in your child’s school library? Homeschooling can lift these frustrations from your shoulders.
Although homeschooling does require effort, one of the rewards for your efforts is more control. Control over how your child learns, control over what your child learns, and control over your child’s wellbeing. If you are frustrated with your child’s current school situation, chances are that your child is also frustrated.
Every child learns in their own unique way and has their own unique interests. Homeschooling allows you to teach your child using the methods that work best for your child. Schools do not have the means for teaching children individually resulting in many children falling through the cracks. Parents often are reluctant to homeschool because they are not certified teachers. You are, however, the expert on your child and you have been teaching your child since they were born. You are the person who knows your child the best. Education does not have to be and should not be frustrating for either you or your child. After all, the goal of education should be to encourage a child’s natural curiosity and love of learning. Frustration is a roadblock to lifelong learning.
If you and I sat down to chat about your frustration with your child’s teacher, principal, curriculum, or school board, I would share my vision of you notifying the school that you will be homeschooling, waking up to a relaxed breakfast, a shared favorite book, a lesson on how to balance the family checkbook, followed by a trip to the park to count the number of life-forms in a square foot of park land. You would be in charge of what their child learns. You would have time each day to give your child a well-balanced exposure to the world by going into that world daily, seeing what philosophies of life work out well for people and which fail them. You would be living in the joyous world of curiosity.
A curious child is a child who is engaged with their world and their family. Curiosity is generally not encouraged in a school setting. Homeschooling allows your child and often your entire family to learn needed skills while studying something of interest to your child. For example, a stream study allows for your child to study species, collect data, determine water chemistry, study topographic/aerial maps of the area and add in some photography. If your child and family enjoy the stream study and want to learn more, consider joining conservation groups or study to be a watershed steward for more in-depth learning. If your child is not really interested in art, study art in your history studies or study photography to use in your school projects. No matter what interests your child, there are creative ways to interweave those interests into your studies. Think outside the box. Helping your child develop their critical thinking skills and develop their character will truly prepare them for the world.
As your child’s curiosity grows, you will likely see a happier child as well as a happier, less frustrated family. Engaged learning will give your child skills that they need for life. A curious child will learn to solve problems, to be a self-starter and to have more control over their lives. As Albert Einstein said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious”. Curiosity can be a lifelong blessing of homeschooling.