It's not surprising that many parents who have teens that struggle in mainstream school are considering home schooling as an alternative means of education for their children. While majority of parents don't see this as a viable option, especially if both parents have to work, there are situations where the decision to home school teens can be a beneficial one for teens. Of course, it's not an easy decision to arrive at. It takes a lot of commitment on the part of parents/guardians to make this kind of arrangement work for young people. Whether trying online high schools or going through traditional home school modules, there are definitely a lot of things to consider, and not all parents or guardians are up to the challenge.
What are the benefits of this kind of arrangement? Here are a few:
1. Flexibility in classes- Like most alternative means of education, home schooling affords parents to provide a lot of flexibility in the learning environment. Classes can go slower or faster without worrying about other kids in the classroom. Parents can focus on the challenging subjects for as long as the child needs help on it. It's simply something that's not always possible in a traditional classroom.
2. Flexibility in schedules - Home schooling children gives more freedom to parents on structuring the daily schedule. Some children learn best when they take short breaks every few hours. Parents can adjust this according to what's more effective to their children. Their schedules need not revolve around catching school buses, fixed break and lunch time, etcetera. Many children flourish better in this kind of arrangement.
3. More involvement from the family - When children are educated from their homes, they have a better chance of developing their relationship with their family. Parents get to be more involved in the growth and development of their children, they get to know them more, and they get to be more familiar with their childrens' strengths and challenges.
There are also some negative sides to studying from home. Here are a few of them:
1. Time and availability - Many parents these days are both working to earn a living for the family. This makes finding the schedule and the fortitude to homeschool their child a lot more difficult, especially for middle-class families.
2. Financially burdensome - If one parent focuses on homeschooling a child, it adds to the home expenses. Not to mention the fact that there's one less parent who will bring in an income to the home.
3. Stressful - For many parents, sending their children to school gives them quiet moments at home. A break from the stress of dealing with and disciplining the children. Parents who homeschool their kids need to deal with them more often than parents who send their children to school.
Many people are divided over the issue of whether this kind of alternative education is good for children or not. Ultimately, parents or guardians should know what is best for their children. Some children respond well to homeschooling, some don't. Some children and teens have special needs that are best met at home, some don't. What's important is to make an informed decision about it.
