I just read a six page diatribe on another website where the author basically said “homeschooling did not work for me, it may not work for you.” I found the article sad and disheartening, not because the author poked holes in the benefits of homeschooling, but because all of the reasons she gave were firmly rooted in many of the stereotypes that homeschoolers fight so hard against. I mostly disappointed because if a homeschooler validates the stereotypes than opponents will feel vindicated.
Fortunately most people who are considering homeschooling are investigators. If they come across this article, they will see that this person’s homeschooling experience only lasted a few years. They will notice that most of the problems were personality related. They will see she didn’t deal well with homeschool stresses. They will also see that homeschooling was not the right thing for that particular mom… and that is fine.
My problem is with people purposely trying to discourage others from homeschooling because they were not able to do it. I equate such behavior to a sprinter telling a marathoner that they will never be able to make the distance. Just because the sprinter is more successful at short distances, does not mean that the next runner will not be able to handle the 26 mile haul.
If you are a new homeschooler or someone considering homeschooling and come across an article such as this, please see it for what it is. The person who wrote it may have the very best of intentions, but it did not work for them. If you feel called toward homeschooling your kids, for whatever reason, read their article through the lenses of that being a personal experience, and the fact that no two homeschooling journeys are the same. While you should take their experiences and warnings seriously, you need to also know that they are talking from limited experience.
I always warn new homeschoolers about taking too much advice from current homeschoolers as the way they do things may not work for the new homeschoolers. Likewise, do not take too much advice from former homeschoolers either, because tales of their failures may ruin aspirations of success.
My most important advice for homeschoolers
*Have a question about homeschooling? Just ask.
* Have you seen the homeschooling curriculum glossary?