There are many unexpected advantages to homeschooling. We will investigate three of these. Which unexpected advantages of homeschooling are you enjoying the most?
There are many advantages to homeschooling. Our kids perform better academically, we get to have a say in their education, and our families tend to be closer. But, these are all somewhat expected advantages of homeschooling.
When I began homeschooling I knew there were advantages, but there were a few that I was not expecting!
More Sleep for our Kids
A recent study found that teens are starting school too early to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation can cause depression, weight gain, and brain fog. Many teens are expected to start their school day when their brains are not even fully awake.
Homeschoolers are able to start school when they are ready; they are not rushed in the morning and are able to get a good night’s rest. This unexpected advantage of homeschooling means that our kids are more ready to face their academic challenges than their public school counterparts.
Increased Responsibility
Homeschooled children tend to be able to work more independently, and are more responsible for their own education. They tend to have more chores, allowing them to have better life skills. This increased responsibility makes it more possible to stand on their own two feet as an adult.
Homeschooled children tend to be more responsible and more apt to think independently. Homeschoolers who have attended college claim that they feel more mature than their dorm mates because they know how to think for themselves and are less likely to cave to peer pressure.
Lack of Socialization
Yes, that is right, lack of socialization is an unexpected advantage to homeschooling. What does this mean?
Our children are less likely to succumb to peer pressure in schools because they are not in those “groups”. They are less likely to deal with bullying, violence, and other negative aspects of public school socialization. They are not grouped by age and gender and expected to just “get along” with kids only their own age.
Public school socialization is not really socialization. In fact, recent studies have found that, “The socialization of home-educated students was often better than that of their schooled peers.”
Why? Because they are able to live a normal life, in the “real” world with people of all ages. They are not in a school building for the majority of the week, confined to a desk, in a room with 20 other children that happen to have been born within the same year.
There are many unexpected advantages of homeschooling, these are just a few! What have you found to be the most unexpected advantage of homeschooling?
Author Bio: Misty Bailey is the blogger behind Joy in the Journey and the podcaster behind Joyfully Homeschooling. Her goal in this online space is to encourage and inspire you on your homeschool journey by providing practical tips for real-life homeschooling. Through real stories, real struggles, and real-life, Misty encourages her blog readers and podcast listeners to embrace imperfection and strive for a more joyful homeschool.
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