Over the past decade the number of parents opting to home school their children has risen by almost 77%. In fact within a short span from 2003 to 2007 the number of home schooled children increased by almost 37%. You may think the recent string of school shooting may have something to do with this rising trend, but that is not the case. Here are a few great homeschooling pros and cons to help you understand:

Doing the Right Thing for the Wrong Reason

The reason why home schooling is catching on is because of the numerous academic benefits it offers, which were previously not so obvious to parents. Although tragic events like the recent senseless shootings at various school around the country have prompted parents to look into this option, if not for academic, then for security reasons.

It is quite understandable that the anxiety caused by the recent incidents could have pushed you and various other parents towards seriously considering home schooling as a security measure. In most cases the children themselves are so traumatized by the events, that the thought of going to school makes them anxious and scared, which greatly hampers their performance in class. In this case you need to calm down yourself and get proper therapy for your child, since home schooling is not a security bubble you can put your child into. Remember that there is absolutely no way of protecting your child from such incidents forever without mutating their normal and healthy growth. The outside would is a mix of the good and bad, the sooner you familiarize your children with this idea the better their chances of living a normal life.

…and the Right Reason is

The reason why you should consider home schooling your kid is because of the academic and personal benefits it offers. To begin with children who are home schooled tend to score higher in studies than kids taught in traditional schools. A blatant example of this ideology is the fact that some of America’s most brilliant minds were nurtured at home through home schooling, e.g, George Washington, Abigail Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington Carver. During the time when these great names dominated the American society, America enjoyed the highest literacy level in the world.

While few parents are aware of these benefits, the idea of home schooling is still catching on rapidly and in some circles is now considered a mainstream educational alternative.

Benefits of Home-Schooling

So if you have by now made up your mind about homeschooling your kids, here are a few things you need to keep in mind about how to homeschool your child:

To begin with you need to check what your state laws dictate concerning homeschooling, while some states only demand you file a letter of intent, others have stricter rules which you need to follow to the dot in order to have your kids home schooled. However, don’t get discouraged by the mention of strict laws, complicated curriculum and record keeping of the child’s progress, since it is not as tough as it seems.

Relax. The first thing most parents considering homeschooling worry about is if they are qualified enough to educate their own kids and whether homeschooling will isolate their kids socially. Before you start out on this challenging journey, find your bearings and be confident in your abilities as a parent and a teacher.

Make Hay… this is not just a golden opportunity for your kid to get exclusive one-to-one attention in a classroom environment; it is also an opportunity for you to spend quality time with your kid. This is your chance to do all the things you wish their school had indulged in, like nature walks in order to teach them about the environment and so on.

Make Friends. The fear of isolating your kids and you could lead you down strange roads, so before you make any social blunders join a homeschooling support group in your area. Here you will get to meet like-minded parents, share their experiences, suggestions and get to have a whole new set of social contacts to enjoy. Same will happen for your kids, they will get to meet other children who are in the same situation and wont feel so alienated after all.