Back in the late ‘90s, had you mentioned the idea of homeschooling your child to anyone, you probably would’ve been labelled “the over-religious” family. A family that wanted their child to grow up with staunch religious beliefs that conventional schools didn’t have to offer. In today’s day and age, however, the stereotype that homeschooling is only for religious extremists, has died a death. Given the stark realities of modern educational institutes and the extent to which they expose children to dangers like substance abuse, bullying and violence, parents today are increasingly open to the idea of homeschooling their children. Of the many benefits that homeschooling has to offer, one of the greatest has to be its impact on the relationship parents and their kids develop. Here are five amazing ways homeschooling improves parent-child relationship:
- It Fosters Communication Between The Parents And Their Child – Parents whose children study at public schools often complain that their kids don’t communicate with them often. They come back from school, head to their room and stay glued on to their smartphones/laptops. They rebel to things as basic as eating dinner at the dining table, saying that they are “busy” and would, therefore, prefer eating in their room. Homeschooled kids, on the other hand, spend most of their time with their parents and, therefore, have innumerable opportunities for interacting with them. Their parents thus, become their sounding board, their best friends and advisers. No wonder one of the most common reasons for parents to choose homeschooling over public schooling for their child is to enhance communication, emotional intimacy, and to develop close family ties (Romanowski, 2001).
- It Makes The Child Garner Greater Trust In His Parents – Homeschooled kids, as opposed to public schooled kids, have greater trust in their parents with regards to matters such as their belief systems, knowledge, values and the understanding of the society. Children studying in public schools have a great influence of their teachers in their lives concerning matters related to knowledge, values, beliefs, and worldview (Good and Brophy 1987; Blizek 2000; Brophy 1996). Public school kids’ value systems, therefore, to a great extent, get shaped up by their teachers and peers, and chances are, that these could also have many fallacies and shortcomings.
- It Provides More Opportunities For Family Activities – Kids studying in public schools have packed schedules, both during, and after their school hours. The weekend is probably the only free time they have on hand for leisure and charitable activities, however, more often than not, even that goes by with them catching up on sleep, watching TV or playing video games. On the other hand, homeschooled kids have a lot more time to spend participating in activities like camping, picnics, community involvement, field trips, etc. with their parents. The National Home Education Research Institute reports that homeschooled children engage in community service projects more often as compared to traditionally schooled kids. Participating in these activities together helps a great deal in strengthening the bond parents share with their children.
- There Is Better Understanding Between Parents And Their Child – Because homeschooling gives parents an opportunity to work closely with their kids, it helps them understand their strengths and weaknesses better. It helps them pin down their child’s aptitude and interests, whether it is linguistic, logical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal or naturalistic. The kids also garner a better sense of their parents’ exceptions, leaving almost no room for misunderstandings or clashes. According to research, homeschooling creates more “adaptability” and “cohesion” in families as compared to conventional schooling (Allie-Carson 1990, p. 17). Parents of kids who are public schooled don’t have the benefit of getting as involved in their kids’ lives and vice versa. This can cause them to have a lot of unrealistic expectations for their kids and can, therefore, put a lot of pressure on them.
- The Parents Push Their Child To His Full Potential – Unlike a public school set up where kids have to succumb to a lot of oppression from their peers that can bring down their self-esteem levels, homeschooled kids are a lot more self-assured and confident. According to Livestrong.com, homeschooled children, especially girls, have a higher self-esteem because they don’t have to suffer their peers’ judgemental behavior. Their parents play a huge role in helping them discover their niche and reach their full potential, by encouraging them to trust their capabilities. This, in turn, causes the kids to develop a sense of gratitude for their parents and helps bring them close.
Though parents across the world have mixed opinions as far as homeschooling is concerned, one cannot ignore the escalating acceptance it has had over the recent years, with many employers and universities open to welcoming homeschooled candidates. Sure, as a parent, homeschooling is a lot of responsibly, but it’s one worth every bit of effort put in.
Featured author:
Aradhana is a writer from India. She covers topics concerning parenting, child nutrition, wellness, health and lifestyle. She has more than 150+ publications from reputable sites like Huffington Post, Natural news, Elephant Journal, Lifehacker and MomJunction.com to her credit. Aradhana writes to inspire and motivate people to adopt healthy habits and live a stress-free lifestyle.