Now that our daughter is six, we get a lot of surprised faces followed by a list of questions - when she tells people she is homeschooled.
So here are five myths we’ve heard and their clarifications…
1. Our Home Is A Formal Classroom
You will not find a whiteboard or desks when you come to our home. We prefer to spend most of our time in experiential learning.
2. Homeschoolers Are Afraid Of School Pressures
While it may seem families choose to homeschool out of fear. The reasons for homeschooling are as varied as the families themselves. Personally, we homeschool because our 6 year old, who was 3 at the time, asked.
3. We Are Monetarily Rich
I’ve heard of single parents homeschooling, as well as two working parents who homeschool. Our family is able to homeschool due to an abundance in family, friends and local resources.
4. You Need To Be Licensed And A Certified Educator
Nope — no fancy degrees, test scores or certificates needed to homeschool. Being your child’s loving parent is more than enough.
5. Your Children Will Be Socially Awkward
Ha! This one kind of makes me laugh.
This largely depends on two things:
Your child’s personality, and
Your definition of being socially awkward
One public school teacher explained to me that homeschooled students have a hard time transitioning to the rules of public school.
For example, they weren’t aware that they had to ask permission to use the bathroom or take a break from class.
They allegedly also have a hard time making friends.
In my experience with homeschoolers, they tend to have close relationships with people of all ages, not just their immediate peer group.
They also tend to be able to have very in-depth and sophisticated conversations about a range of topics.
In regards to not understanding school rules - that makes perfect sense.
We are not raising our children in institutional settings — so it’s understandable that they may take some time to adjust to a more rigid lifestyle.
What stereotypes have you heard about homeschoolers? Which stereotype do you bump into the most? Need to schedule a one-on-one? Use code: HEART2HEART.
Until next time...
Love The Journey,