Three Things You'll Lose To Home Schooling

Everybody knows that every rose has its thorns. Not every home is cut out for home schooling. If everyone you've met and talked to favors home schooling, chances are you've seen the brighter side of home schooling already. The option is the road less traveled, so to speak, and deviating from the mainstream practice of sending your kids to traditional schools is a feat in itself.

Dwelling on the positive outlook alone isn't enough however. Think twice. If this trend were so great, your whole neighborhood would have jumped to join the bandwagon already. What's keeping the mainstream society from keeping their kids home schooled? Are you and your family totally prepared for home schooling?

Don't be in the dark about the sacrifices you need to put up with in this nonconventional way of educating your brood. Check out the list and see if you and your household have what it takes to really take on the challenges of home schooling. You'll know you're ready when you're willing to lose the following just to gain the advantages associated with home schooling.

• Some Bucks. Although at first glance home schooling is an inexpensive way to give your child an education – you save on tuition, uniform, miscellaneous fees, bus fare, etc. – in reality, home schooling will still require you to shell out some bucks. It can be quite financially taxing in a number of scenarios.

First, the move might be difficult for households that normally rely on income coming from both parents. If you're a working mom or working dad, you will need to give up your job to home school your child. Second, a time will come when you find yourself academically inadequate to teach a subject matter and you will be compelled to hire a tutor for your child. Personalized education always sports a hefty price tag and more often than not, the rates of the private tutor also hint of the quality and quantity of information you'll be getting from the services offered. You will not find knowledge to be cheap.

• “Me” Time. A huge chunk of your time will revolve around your child. You'll surely miss the quiet times you have to yourself when everyone else is out of the house: no more Martha Stewart shows on the lifestyle channel, fewer opportunities to try out the new recipes you've read, lesser time to fix yourself and your looks, and leaner chances to cultivate your favorite hobbies. In home schooling, expect your personal growth to take a back seat as you spend your time “growing” your child academically.

• Order in the House. If you're the finicky type who has obsessive-compulsive notions of keeping everything neat and in tip-top shape, be prepared to see your house a notch more disorganized. Since you'll be attending to your student on a 24/7 basis, expect some mess and clutter to build up from the books you've just purchased and the progress records you'll want to file. In addition, you'll be behind your usual housekeeping, dishwashing and laundry routine. Even if you're a multi-tasker, expect some degree of your effectiveness to be diminished. Striking a healthy balance between study time and home neatness will prove to be a challenge, but if you're determined, you can do it.