What You Need to Know to Home School Your Kids

There's a trend lately that's spreading not only across the country but across the world. This is the decision of parents to home school their children. What would be some reasons why a parent would home school their children? Some parents decide that home schooling is the correct option because they don't agree with what's being taught in today's school system. Some parents believe the current curriculum stifles creativity; especially in young children. Some parents worry about peer pressure and the risk of their kids being exposed to drugs and/or alcohol and some parents object to the influx of illegal immigrants who barely speak English which slows down the education of the other students who may be bored because they're not advancing fast enough. The bottom line is that there are a myriad of reasons to home school but is it the right decision? Experts are on the fence over this issue and the fact is that it may be right for some kids and it may be wrong for others.

The experts who speak out against the practice of homeschooling programs say that children who are educated at home and away from a traditional school setting won't develop the social skills that other kids will develop. This may pose problems for them when they grow into adults and have to enter the workforce. A traditional setting forces kids to make friends with other kids their age and it gets them familiar with having other kids around them at all times. Parents who home school, however, think this is nonsense and they say that as long as they make friends in the neighborhood or at the park, after school of course, then there will be no problem with them developing the necessary social skills that will carry them throughout the rest of their lives. It's all about balance, these parents say, and that social skills have nothing to do with a proper education.

Advocates of home schooling cite the studies that say that kids that are home schooled are generally better prepared for college than kids schooled in traditional classrooms. This is because the kids can move at the pace they are most comfortable as far as their curriculum is concerned. In a traditional classroom setting, the more advanced kids may be dragged down by kids who aren't as advanced and thus may become bored as they have to wait for other kids to catch up with them academically. Parents can teach their children what they want them to learn, at the pace the kids are comfortable with and there are no distractions, no peer pressure and home schooling is generally faster than the traditional twelve year school career.

Of course these are only a couple of views as to the pros and cons of home schooling. It all depends on your children, how receptive they are to your teaching abilities and whether or not they can concentrate at home. These will all be very important factors in deciding on whether or not home schooling is for you and your family.