Here are some of our favorite things about homeschool and some of the more challenging aspects.

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I’ve talked a lot about the flexibility of homeschool and that is our biggest pro. I love that I don’t feel “behind” when Viv is sick and I know she won’t have to worry about making up work. Or if we decide to go down to Dad’s warehouse and help him load the trailer for his work week ahead, we can. Totally guilt free.

Or our friends call and ask if we want to meet up to go to a playground or meet for lunch. Or we go spend the day with Grandma. Or it’s a BEAUTIFUL sunny, warm day and we pack up and picnic at our favorite park. We get to decide and do all those things. Or we can stay in our pajamas while we do our school work.

There were weeks we did all the activities I came up with and some weeks where we did one thing (or no things). That’s a big pro–you do what works for you for that week, that day, or that hour, depending on what kind of life is happening around you. It really allows us to lean into life instead of a strict schedule.

This is particularly nice in the morning. Viv has never done well when we are on a strict time schedule. If we have to hurry her in any way, 99% of the time it’s met with tears and her apologizing because she’s going to slow and then we’re late. While this is something I’m hoping she grows out of, if she were going to school, there would be zero option for her to be late all the time.

I’m grateful that this is something we can work on at home and at our own pace, little by little without the added stress and pressure of waking up “on time” and zooming out the door so we aren’t late and her day doesn’t start out rushed and feeling behind.

Another pro we really enjoyed was being able to travel during non-peak times, which saved us time and money. We often will take off on a Tuesday and come home on a Friday, or do a midweek overnight stay somewhere. We’re able to do that because of my husband’s work schedule, and because we can take homeschool with us anywhere…or just pick up where we left off when we get home.

When we go on vacation, we do at least a few things that are exposing us to the local culture. Which isn’t always as exotic as it may sound. This can simply look like eating a food thats popular in the area. For example, in Florida you’ll almost always find Grouper fish on the menu because it’s common to the Gulf.

Here in Minnesota, lots of visitors and newcomers are surprised by a popular ritual called a fish fry where you go fishing on a lake and then fry up all the fish you caught on a grill and share the meal with a bunch of other people. They’re also popular in restaurants on Fridays during Lent for practicing Catholics.

We may also try an activity we don’t usually do regularly, such as canoeing Lake Superior on the North Shore of Minnesota. Or totally immersing ourselves so we get the full experience of wherever we’re staying (you ever go camping and you’re without electricity or running water? That’s pretty outside my norm). All of these experiences are not something you get inside of classroom. They’re just…not.

And as much as public school might try…sitting indoors in a classroom for 5-6 hours per day when there is barely even 9 hours of daylight during Minnesota winter is just not an environment we can picture our kiddo thriving in.

I made it a priority that we got outside for at least 10-15 minutes for fresh air and daylight each day,sometimes more in the summer, but in the winter especially when sunshine and fresh air are a true gift.

Another pro is being able to decide which subjects to lean into. Once they get into first grade and beyond, there are some state requirements that come into play. But what there aren’t are requirements telling you what they can’t learn.

We’re in a time where art class and gym are the most common cut curriculum due to funding or because there’s more pressure for students to learn MORE in other subject areas. Many schools don’t offer other languages until high school, but with homeschool you would have the time and ability to start a foreign language at a much younger age.

Along those lines, things that are considered extra-curricular in traditional school can actually be worked into a homeschool schedule. Last fall, Viv took a dance class during the day once a week at 10am. Friends of ours have taken archery classes, art classes, piano lessons or other instruments, etc. and it didn’t take away from any family time. This is just another way that flexibility is incorporated into our homeschool life.

Additionally, we take a lot of breaks. We take snack breaks. Meal breaks. We get up and use the bathroom. We get up and stretch. Sometimes we start talking about something else entirely. We have time to be silly. We have random living room dance parties. We make time for fun, because we can.

In case I haven’t made it abundantly clear yet, actual homeschool book work and learning doesn’t take longer than 1-2 hours per day for younger kids, or 3-4 hours per day for older kids. Actual learning taking place in traditional school is only about that too if you factor in all the slush time, especially with pick-up, drop-off, bus rides, or however you get to and from school.

I haven’t talked about any cons yet, and it wasn’t on purpose I swear…there just aren’t very many of them for our family. But let’s talk about some.

One con is something that I learned quickly last year. It’s tempting to turn every single outing or experience into a “lesson” or something to learn from. But it becomes exhausting for you as the teacher and parent to over-explain everything in an attempt to educate your kid.

I also learned this mostly comes from a place of insecurity and feeling like you need to teach them every single possible thing to overcompensate for the fact that they don’t go to a traditional school setting.

It is possible to just go to the zoo for enjoyment. Without learning everything we can about animals and their habitats. Sometimes it’s just fun to watch the monkeys swing from branch to branch.

Not every trip to the nature center needs to be a quiz to identify which animals are furry, which have feathers, and which are reptiles. We can just watch and enjoy a nice walk outside.

Along those lines, another con is how much I felt like I had to un-learn.

I went to public school growing up and then public college. Everything I know about school is in a public school setting. There are many times I have had to remind myself that we do not have to do it the way schools do. If there’s any easier way, a more convenient way, a cheaper way (or more expensive), or just a different way than I’m used to…it is not WRONG. It’s just different.

It’s interesting to figure out how your own kid learns and to accept it might not be the same way you learn. We’ve made some adjustments in that area so that I am explaining and “teaching” in a way that Viv is receptive. This can be challenging. And some days will be tougher than others as we navigate how to learn new things together.

This is either a pro or a con depending on how you view it. It could also be considered neither, but it does deserve some discussion because it’s one of the first things people make known as their concern with homeschooling and one of the most common questions we get asked (you can check out the FAQ’s here).

I felt that this one needed it’s own section because this is by FAR the most widely asked question or comment when people find out we homeschool. And it was definitely something we asked about with the families we know who homeschool already and the answer is surprising obvious.

I think there is this stigma that kids who are homeschooled are weird or super religious. I don’t consider our family to fall into either one of those categories. But homeschooling has also become much more accessible and easier to do in the last few years, which is why more and more families are leaning into that option.

Socializing has never been an issue for us, mostly because Viv’s social calendar is way more packed than our own. She loves to be with friends and family, and gets plenty of opportunities to be social.

Being social doesn’t just happen in school for kids.

There are playgrounds, libraries, extra-curricular activities, and events that she attends that get her plenty of social interaction with kids her own age. We are hardly hermit crabs.

If you aren’t sure how to get your kid to socialize from a homeschool perspective because they are shy, introverted, or having some social anxiety, there are plenty of low pressure options too. Community education classes are surprisingly great (and typically inexpensive) for getting kids together with other kids their own age doing a communal activity.

If they’re interested in a sport or activity, look into options that aren’t within a school district. Clubs, community education, studios, or co-ops are great for this. However, I will say to to do your research because many schools are homeschool-friendly and allow homeschool kids to try out for their school teams too.

There are options. You just have to look around and you’ll find them.

Bottom line: There are going to be pros and cons to homeschooling the same as there are pros and cons to traditional schools. It’s up to you to decide if the pros outweight the cons. For us, it was a slightly nervewracking decision, but all of the pros made our decision pretty clear.

And the more we settle into this as our lifestyle, the better it’s becoming.

Until next time,