Many who have chosen to homeschool have not simply just jumped in without having a think about whether or not it’s for them. There are many things one must think about before taking the plunge and below are some things one seriously needs to consider before jumping on the homeschooling wagon:
- Time commitment – Homeschooling tends to take up a lot of time in your day. It’s not just about just sitting down with books for a couple of hours – especially if you, like I have, choose to homeschool pre-school/ nursery too. There are experiments and projects to be done, lessons to prepare, papers to grade [not at the preschool/ nursery level], field trips, park days and the list goes on. Some have found it useful to set out a schedule, while others are not so wound up on this.
- Personal sacrifice – The homeschool parent has little personal time or time alone. If care is not taken to set aside time for yourself, it is easy to never have time alone – you can literally be with your child/ children 24/7 **gasp**!
- Financial strain – Homeschooling can be accomplished very inexpensively, but for most, it means that the teaching parent cannot work outside the home. Some have, however, scheduled their time so that they are schooling five out of seven days and working the other two.
- Socialization – More attention will need to be given to getting your children together with others. The beauty of homeschooling is being able to have more control of the social contacts your child makes.
- Household organization – Housework and laundry still have to be done, but it probably won’t get done first thing in the morning. If you are one who’s adament about having a spotless house, you might be in for a surprise. Not only does housework need to be let go at times, but homeschooling creates messes and clutter in itself. It’s about better organisation – something I hope to focus on in this blog, inshaa`Allaah.
- Both parents in agreement – It is important that both parents agree to try homeschooling. It can be very difficult to homeschool if one parent is against it. If your spouse is against it at this time, try doing more research and talking to more people and then presenting your findings to him/ her.
- Is your child willing? – A willing student is always helpful. Ultimately, the decision is the parents to make, but if your child is dead against it, you might have a hard time of it.
- One year at a time – It isn’t a lifetime commitment – most families take one year at a time.
- Intimidated by the teaching?– If you can read and write, you should be able to teach your children. You don’t necessarily need to be a college professor to be able to teach your child/ children. Don’t let people put you off!
- Seeking Guidance – don’t forget that istikhaarah is important. Seeking the guidance of Allaah is paramount and as we know, we cannot live without it! Also, speaking to other parents is always a great help.
Schooling & Home 