Misconceptions of Homeschooling - Part 1

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Today I want to talk about some common myths and misconceptions around homeschooling. However, I wanted to address something first. I just saw an article last week about how the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that schools require all students and staff members to wear masks when they return to in-person learning this fall. The reasoning was because many students are not eligible to receive a the covid vaccine due to being under age 12. The FDA is not expected to make a decision on whether young children can be vaccinated until after the school year starts.

Sara Bode, who is the chairperson elect of the AAP Council on School Health Executive Committee stated how it is important to use every tool in their toolbox to keep children and others safe from covid. She said that by requiring masks, it is the most effective strategy to create consistent messages and expectations among students without the added burden of needing to monitor everyone’s vaccination status. 

Now, as of today when I am recording this episode, the CDC is expected to announce the recommendation of requiring all students, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks in grades K-12 for this school year. 

I have an opinion about fear, covid, lies and truth and so much more surrounding these statements, but my heart goes out to those who may feel exhausted and just plain over it all. I don’t even send my kids to public school and when I heard the news, I felt my stomach drop thinking about how frustrating that will be for both parents and children wanting to attend in-person this fall. It’s now been well past a year of dealing with the upheaval over covid and I cannot even imagine the sheer emotional trauma so many have endured.

Sure, I get wanting to protect others. I get wanting to protect ourselves. I get needing to do things to stay healthy and free of diseases. The idea of wearing masks, vaccinating, and social distancing makes sense in the general idea of it…well, when it doesn’t include money, power, and control.

But the idea that by requiring everyone to wear a mask is how to create CONSISTENT MESSAGES AND EXPECTACTIONS????? Expectations about what? 

Y’all, I just can’t. It gets me all kinds of riled up and it’s not even my kids who would be required to do this!

Except for the fact that stuff roles downhill. It’s a snowball effect we’ve seen before and we will inevitably see it again. So while it won’t change how we homeschool, it will eventually effect our extra activities.

And THAT? That is enough to make my blood boil.

I am not only frustrated and fired up for my OWN kids, but for yours as well! As if childhood and young adulthood was not difficult enough with learning, growing, and hormones, now let’s just keep them in a state of confusion, worry, fear, and teach them to judge their peers based on whether they are forced to wear a mask or not.

Geez-o-pete. 

Before I worked in the medical field, I worked at a daycare for over 10 years. This was before I was a parent or even married. I remember that every time we got a new kiddo or teacher, they seemed to go through this phase of getting every single cold, cough, or weird and gross infection. The reason was because when you are around people in a closed environment, and you’ve not been exposed to those diseases before, your body has to figure out how to fight it off. Your immune system has to adjust. It was always so frustrating for those who came in to daycare and got sick the first few months.

Same happens when kids go to school. They are more likely to get sick because of the same situations. 

Does that mean we willingly put them in harms way? Of course not. But that is the same for anything else in life. We do what we can to protect them knowing that there’s only so much we can do.

But it doesn’t stop with just physical harm. It includes mental, emotional, and spiritual harm.

So what happens when you get to the point when your child is at a crossroads and you have to decide what is best for them?

That’s the thing, YOU should get to decide, as the parent…the one who has their best interest at heart…the one who saw them come into this world, taught them to eat, walk, brush their teeth, dress themselves, and ride their bike. The one who is with them throughout their lives, even when others come and go. 

The decision should be up to YOU as to what is best for them until they are of age to decide. And don’t even get me started on those who think 11-year-olds should get to decide what is best for them and not their parent. Whew. 

So now we ask…what do you do…as a parent…when others are trying to make the decision for you when it comes to what is best? Easy. You don’t let them. You stand up and say enough is enough. Does that mean your child is going to be excited about it? Nope. Sure, they might feel relieved because after all, they are not tiny adults. They are not meant to make adult size decisions. Some may feel relieved, and others may feel angry or embarrassed. They don’t understand. Even when you include them in facts, information, all the things. Their brains are not developed enough to understand every single thing. Shoot, I’m 42 years old and I STILL don’t understand it all. It’s supposed to be a life of learning, right? 

When it comes down to it, it’s about the FREEDOM to do what we feel is best. 

For us, that means we homeschool. It works for us, even on the not-so-great-wanna-pull-my-hair-out days. It means starting over when something isn’t working. It means adjusting expectations and finding a way to persevere. 

Both of my kids are in competitive gymnastics. Sports are such a great way to emphasize other areas of life. The kids learn about self-discipline, focus, teamwork, perseverance. That can be said for homeschooling as well. Life lessons happen while doing life. 

There are so many misconceptions about homeschooling. From needing to be a certain level of knowledge, to having to stay home full time, to the age-old question of “but how ever will they socialize?!”

I thought I would address some of those myths and misconceptions. Maybe you’ve heard them, maybe you’ve thought them, maybe you’ve not even thought about them. But here we are, talking about them regardless!

Misconception #1: Homeschool is the same as school at home. (All kids learn differently, and we have the freedom to take our time in finding out what that is, what works, switch it up and go at a pace that works for each child – it is not sitting at a desk for 8 hours – it is not tests)

Misconception #2: Homeschoolers are weird and unable to socialize 

Misconception #3: You need to have an educational degree or certain level of education to properly teach your child

Misconception #4: You must be a stay-at-home parent, be patient, organized perfectly (planner included), and appear to “have it all together.”

There are so many things that I thought prior to choosing to homeschool. And to be perfectly honest, I still worry about some of the ones I’ve mentioned. Being homeschoolers doesn’t mean all is well and perfect and ideal. There are still times when I question what we are doing. There are moments when comparison happens: “Is my child learning the right things? Do they measure up to their peers? Should I be doing the same curriculum as someone else because it seems to be working so well for them?”

Comparison. Worry. Fear. All things that happen when you first start looking at homeschooling. But I have never heard someone say they REGRET their choice. There are so many wonderful things that come with the choice to homeschool that when those moments of doubt and worry start to creep in, you have to make the decision to find the good and hang on to it. 

See, the reality of misconception #1 was homeschool is not the same as school at home. The good from that is that I don’t WANT homeschool to look like school. I love that I can experience life right alongside my kids and watch them IN.THE.MOMENT when something clicks for them. To laugh with the stories we read together. To squeal with them as we see how an experiment works. And to celebrate as we learn things together. Things I never knew, or had forgotten, or get to learn in a new way. 

The reality of misconception #2 is that kids are weird no matter where they are educated…so are adults. The good is that…who wants to really fit in anyway? I know, that sounds so cliché. But it’s the truth! Everyone is weird. It just depends on who’s saying who is weird in the moment that makes a difference. The good is we get to embrace and celebrate our differences. Plus, when the kids are in an environment that normalizes their abilities, characteristics, personalities, and preferences then they know that the way they are is anything less than perfect. Plus, there is SO much to do as far as activities do, you will find yourself saying you may be socializing too much, lol.

The reality of misconception #3 is that there is nothing that you cannot figure out when it comes to having the knowledge to teach your kid. The good is that in those moments when you struggle, when you aren’t sure you can teach a subject because it’s not your strong suit…the good is that your kids get to see you struggle and work through it. They see you as someone who is still learning, even as an adult, and it helps them to realize they don’t have to know everything all at the same time. They can grow a lifetime of loving to learn.

And the reality of misconception #4 is that you can work full time, part time, work from home, or have home life be your only full-time job and still be able to have a successful homeschool family. You can homeschool no matter what your life looks like. Does it mean you may have to make some sacrifices? Yes. Does it mean you may have to go looking for help to figure it out? Also, yes. The best things in life truly are worth fighting for and figuring out. The good thing about working so hard to figure it out when the answer isn’t obvious? You get the result of knowing you did the best thing for your family, despite the roadblocks. You can hold onto the pride of working hard at something you believe in.

There will always be haters, doubters, nay-sayers. No matter what you do in life. No matter what your KIDS do in life. People judge things they don’t understand. Sometimes those people who are judging us are ourselves.

When making a decision or following through with one, we need to weigh the risk versus benefit. I’ve heard that a lot in the medical field but it can be said with life overall. 

Is the risk of deciding to follow your conviction worth the benefit? I can tell you that if we were talking face to face right now, my answer would be a resounding YES! I truly believe anyone can homeschool if given the right resources and support. That’s why you’ve got ME!

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