This question popped into my head the other day after some light reading. I’m not talking the basics here like math, english, science, etc. As a homeschooler, what is homeschooling teaching my child? The life lessons homeschooling can teach a child are endless. I have come up with a few that I will be listing. If you have any ideas to add, please feel free to leave a comment.
One big lesson I am teaching my child is not only is it okay to be different, it is an advantage. Using homeschooling as an example, we homeschool. Compared to his cousins and the friends he had when we first moved up here, that is different. All of his cousins and friends went to school, whether it be public or private they went. He is often asked “Why aren’t you in school?” when we go to stores during the day. He knows that home schooling is “different.”
I’m teaching my child that different doesn’t mean better or worse and it doesn’t mean good or bad. I’m teaching him that just because two people are different it doesn’t mean they can’t be friends. All it means is we think differently, have different opinions, and different needs. It means we are all human.
I am teaching him how to think differently. If he is having trouble with something I help him look at it in a different way. If he is having problems with a friend I help him think about it from their point of view. Thinking outside the box and being able to see different points of view are very important life skills. I am also teaching my child that not only is it okay to be different, it’s even better to have a multitude of different people around you. When a problem arises you will have a multitude of different ideas to work with to solve that problem.
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