Benefits of Homeschooling: 7 We Did Not Expect

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

You know the top benefits of homeschooling (Hey, Common Core! Hey progressive agenda! Hey creepy sexual discussions led by the gym teacher! 😉 )

But wouldn’t you like to be able to share some other benefits of homeschooling? With friends and family who don’t share your views?

Here are 7 perks of homeschooling anyone can get behind!

Family Benefits of Homeschooling

1. A Closer Family

A great Conservative thinker once wrote imploring parents to share conservatism with their kids. In the car, before bed, and around the dinner table. You know, in the margins of life that you have to be with your own kids.

But when you homeschool, you get to spend most of the day as a family! Not just the leftovers. And that has some huge perks!

You will be the one your child turns to for help. Not a peer. Or a teacher. A mama!
You will be the one to share your student’s joys and successes! To celebrate and congratulate and motivate.
Siblings will play, talk, and learn together. Regardless of age and sex. Instead of passing in the hall from time to time.
Grandma, Grandpa, and other extended family can play a bigger role in your child’s life.

2. Freedom to Travel!

If there was ever a year to leave NJ and its radical leftism behind for a few weeks at a time, it was 2020. And boy was I glad that we did not have to stay close in case schools opened up again mid-COVID,

You may not work. And your hubby may work from home.

But if your kids are in school, then you still live and die by that calendar. Instead, we travel as the mood (and weather) strike.

The Carolinas in October? Yes, please. Maine in July? You bet!

Here are just some reasons you can find to beat feet mid-year.

Family parties (birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holidays)
Field trips (National Parks, museums, theater and music performances)
Off-peak vacations (You can often book a resort for half-price just a couple weeks before or after every one else’s spring break!)

3. Knowing Children’s Friends

To your youngest children, you are the sun, moon and stars. But as your children near their pre-teen years, their friends will influence them more.

So you will want to know those friends, and know them well. Here are some reasons why.

To cut close ties with friends who consistently encourage your child to make wrong choices. Yes, we all make mistakes. But if your child has a friend who consistently chooses the do wrong, it may be time to reconsider that friendship.
So you can provide additional perspective and information as you need to about any topics that come up. The pre-teen years ignite a ton of curiosity to an easily influenced audience. So when things like dating, horoscopes, or even politics come up, you will want to be able to chime in or redirect as you need to.
In order to stay aware of arguments, joys, and other pulls on your child’s heart and mind. If you went to school as a child, you may have answered, “Nothing,” more than once to your parents’, “What did you do today?”, “What’s wrong?”, or, “What’s new?”, leaving them clueless as to what was going on in your mind and heart. But when you keep school at home and friends close, you will not have to guess.

Health Benefits of Homeschooling

4. Healthy Sleep

There seem to be more times than not that kids need more sleep. Have you experienced any of these?

A teething baby
After a demanding sports practice or game
During pre-teen and teen years
While feeling under the weather
Following an intense assignment
The day after a holiday or celebration

But if you have a child in school, sleep will take a back seat. For all of you. Because the homeroom bell waits for no one.

And do not even think about letting everyone get to bed early to make up for it. Because once soccer practice is over you will still have more to do.

Like help with homework
Or prep the next day’s lunch
And set every one’s clothes out

But when you homeschool? You are in charge of the time your kids need to wake up. And go to bed.

So if high school needs to start at 10 AM. While reading works best after dinner. Then you get to plan your day that way.

5. Better Diet

When kids are at home, they can eat what and when they need to. Yes, options for packing homemade lunch have improved.

But there are still bumps in the road to eating well for a child in school. Here are a few we have seen.

Lunch is at the time his or her school sets, not when his or her belly asks
Some college-bound kids skip lunch to fit in more classes to boost their transcripts
Schools can ban foods that are common allergens (such as eggs and nuts). Many of which are main protein sources for picky eaters
Kids who go straight from class to sports practice after school can go hours without food

But when your child learns at home, you can set meal times and menus. To line up with his or her body’s needs. As well as your school schedule.

Educational Benefits of Homeschooling

6. Individualized Education

Each child learns best in his or her own way. And no two ways are the same.

So it makes sense to meet your child where he or she is. Rather than trying to adapt the child to your teaching style.

Even schools know this. They call it “differentiated instruction”.

And some teachers work hard to teach class material a zillion different ways. To try to meet the needs of each child in class.

But when you homeschool, you can focus all of your time teaching the way your child learns best. Here are just a few examples.

Use beans or other counters as math manipulatives
Spend more or less time on a subject as your child needs
Limit noise or other distractions for a child prone to sensory overload
Let your child stand, sit, or move during and between lessons as he or she needs
Teach with video, via reading aloud, or silent reading according to how your child learns best

In school, most teachers do try to teach according to the different learning styles of his or her students. So he or she will spend some time teaching the way your child learns best. But most of the time, it is your child who will have to adapt how he or she learns to meet the teacher how he or she teaches.

However, as a homeschool mom, you can teach the way your child learns much more often. Which means he or she can walk away with a greater understanding of what you teach.

7. Time to Pursue Talents and Hobbies

Until at least high school, most schools give each child the same time each week to try each non-academic subject. Once a week is the norm for music and art.

At home, you can let your child loose to learn those things that light his or her fire. Which gives a child the chance to truly consider and prepare for what he may want to spend his or her adult life doing.

My children have spent hours some weeks on all of these activities. Which the time constraints of a day in school would just not allow.

Drawing, with videos or books as a guide
Reading about topics that spark their interest (engineering, missionaries, artists, biology)
Building, with Lego or Magna-Tiles
Sculpting with polymer clay
Writing (plays, stories, songs)
Performing music (singing, violin, tin whistle)
Designing (Barbie clothes, paper dolls, doll houses)

Yes, your child needs to learn the basics. But a child who learns at home can go beyond that. And go from a child who loves what he learns to a child who loves to learn!

Why share the benefits of homeschooling?

Here’s the truth, Mama. I believe that even if I taught my children next to nothing they would still be better off in my home than in school.

For so many reasons. And I’m guessing you feel the same way.

But there may be people you love who are not in love with the idea. (Cough. In-laws. Cough, cough.)

You can make it easier for them to support you. By showing them that the people they care about most (your children) are actually better off at home for reasons even they can get behind.

Take note of the reasons most likely to resonate with the not-so-enthusiastic-about-homeschooling people in your life. And then back off and give them space to get on-board!