Disadvantages

What are the disadvantages of homeschooling?

Homeschooling by definition requires the parent to take responsibility for his child's education. In order for homeschooling to be done successfully, the parent (or parents) involved must assume new responsibilities and new roles. Homeschooling takes time and interaction with your children. If you have limited time to spend with your child, the time required to homeschool could be considered a disadvantage.

When you homeschool, you also assume the responsibility for seeking and finding enrichment and extra-curricular activities for your child. Things that may be provided by a school now must be provided by the parent, such as music instruction, library visits and socialization opportunities. Planning and providing for these activities could be a disadvantage to someone with time constraints.

There may also be financial constraints for someone considering homeschooling. Services and materials provided for free by the public school system are now the responsibility of the parent. Textbooks, materials and other necessary resources such as dictionaries, maps, etc. must now be acquired by the parent.

All of these aspects of homeschooling may or may not pose a problem for a parent, but each aspect of homeschooling requires a level of effort on the part of the parent that may be greater than that experienced as a parent of a preschooler, or a student attending public or private school. These concerns would only be considered a disadvantage if the parent was not able to adequately meet their child's needs in these areas.