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Homeschooling and the Family |
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According to the National Center For Education Statistics, almost 1.1
million children were homeschooled in 2005 alone. That's a lot of kids!
Once
upon a time, homeschooling was a radical statement -- something like a
declaration of independence. The conservative Christians advocated
homeschooling in the '80s and had it legalized it in every state. But the
typical homeschool of today is not religiously motivated.
Recent
surveys indicate that most parents are actually quite fed up of public
school systems where much of the learning is superficial and compulsory.
They are also concerned about negative school environments, including
drugs, abuse, and negative peer pressure. As a result, there is a
surprising mix of people forming the homeschooling world today. They cut
across all religious and regional boundaries. Their main aim is to provide
meaningful and productive learning through methods that strengthen the
bond between the various members of the family.
All of these
families have one thing in common -- a long and enduring commitment to the
sanctity of childhood. The needs of children in these families are
accorded a primary position. Many believe, and rightly so, that
homeschooling allows parents to bring children up in a more natural and
nurturing environment. Public schools can make a child nervous, diffident,
and downright mean. Children who get schooled at home are protected from
these damaging negative influences until they reach the age where they
able to handle it.
Homeschooling draws the whole family into the
schooling process. Almost everyone is put to work. The parents form a bond
with the children. Any experience at all can be turned into an educational
opportunity. Both parents are aware of exactly what is going into their
child's head. Parents also have a greater amount of control over the kind
of religious and moral values that the child imbibes. Even watching a
movie together can become a great learning experience. Trips to the local
library and other places become educational as well as recreational.
The
homeschooling family is usually dependent on the income of one earning
member. That often means that spending has to be curtailed. Proper
planning of expenditure is a must. This brings the family members
together, and everybody gets involved in the process of saving money.
Having
a parent at home to supervise, nurture, and care for the children, gives
your children love and care. Even the spouse chips in -- there is just no
room for boredom. Problems will crop up, and there may be a lot of
misgivings in your mind, but when you know your kids can always count on
you, and your kids know it too, homeschooling becomes a richly rewarding
experience.
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