You mustn’t make the mistake of thinking that home-schooling your child is all fun and games. Remember that you are taking on a huge responsibility, and if your child goes wrong somewhere, it is not his fault, but yours. Education at home, just like it has great advantages, has certain disadvantages as well. Firstly, you’ll need to put in massive effort, and have great dedication. Are you ready for this? Don’t get into it if you have a busy job, or a hectic schedule. Your child might need constant supervision – will you be able to handle that?
Home-schooling a child requires the parent to have good knowledge himself, and access to good teaching methods. You cannot expect to put textbooks in front of your child and expect him to learn. Sometimes, teaching a child isn’t easy, as children tend to ask lots of questions that are uncomfortable to answer, especially if you’re not trained for it. Also, remember that you will have to chalk out the curriculum yourself, and this is by no means an easy job. You’ll have to provide the materials, which private and public schools usually provide.
If your child has a learning disability, will you be able to teach him well? You might feel a sense of frustration sometimes. There are trained people in special schools who are cut out for this kind of work, and when you take it upon yourself to do everything, it is a disadvantage when you feel you are not living up to your own expectations, or those of your child. Remember that you have taken full responsibility on yourself, for your child’s education, and that in ordinary cases, you could have blamed the school or the whole education system for your child’s academic shortcomings – but that will not be possible here. If your child goes wrong, the only person you can blame is yourself.
The main disadvantage of a home-schooled education, however, is that it deprives the child of the school atmosphere. There is not much opportunity to make friends, and besides, attending a school helps a child develop social skills like talking, interacting, playing, and sharing. He will get to meet people from all walks of life, and will understand the diversity in people. Home-schooled children tend to feel lonely and isolated.
So if you are considering home-schooling your child, remember to look into the disadvantages as well as the advantages. While home education is tremendously rewarding, it can get very challenging, and it’s important to keep that in mind.
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