It`s perfectly normal for parents to find themselves doubting their decisions sometimes and one of the decisions that can be a real anxiety producer is choosing to keep your kids home. Even if you are completely convinced that it`s the best thing . . . there will be days when you wonder.
I was homeschooled my entire life and there were times, entire years, in fact, when I did NOT want to be homeschooled. I pleaded with my parents to let me go to school, I complained bitterly about having my mother as my teacher and just generally made life unpleasant. It`s important to mention that this started when I turned 11 . . . a notorious age for being difficult!
However, while I, and my sisters, did pass through stages where we wanted to go to a “real” school, it did all work out in the end. Three of us did end up going to high school, I was the only one who finished school at home, and the truth is that my sisters ended up hating the public school, with it`s long hours and strict schedule.
So, what can you do if your kids are against homeschooling at some point in this journey?
Understanding WHY Kids Don`t Want to Homeschool
If you know what is setting your kids off, then you might be able to address the issues yourself. I`d recommend talking to your kids and finding out just what their concerns are, but here are a few common ones.
They want something that the school offers. In my case, this was the drama program. Obviously, acting out a skit with one sibling just isn`t the same as participating in a school play.
Possible Solution: Find out if your local school allows part-time students, your kids might be able to attend just one class. If not, look for alternatives, in my case, this was a church drama program and acting lessons.
They want more social interaction. This often happens as kids get older. While they may have plenty of loving siblings, hanging out with your brothers just isn`t the same as having friendships outside the family.
Possible Solution: Make sure your kids have ample access to others their age at church, a homeschool group or extracurricular activities.
You and your child are in conflict. It`s hard enough maintaining a parent/child relationship, much less a teacher/student relationship on top of it. Often, kids will wish they were in school just to get away from you.
Possible Solution: Try to work it out with your kids, but also consider their need to be away from you sometimes and find ways to let them get away from the house sometimes.
They want to graduate. For older students, this can be a driving motivation behind their wanting to attend school. After all, it isn`t very exciting to end your high school career with a fancy dinner with Mom and Dad!
Possible Solution: We`ll be looking at graduation options for homeschoolers next week, but you might want to look at national groups that offer ceremonies for homeschooled students or find out if your child can participate in the local graduation somehow.
Again, your child will be the best person to talk to about why they want to attend school. Find out the reasoning, make your reasons for homeschooling known and then see how you can come to a solution together.
Tags: children, going to school, graduation, homeschool, homeschooling