Among the most-debated downsides to homeschooling is the lack of social interaction. In public and private schools, children associate with other children, learning how to develop relationships with their peers, face confrontations and adjust to not having their parents around. They also acquire friendships and learn the concept of sharing. A homeschooled child has limited social exposure and relies on his parents to teach him social skills.
Accredited teachers have the education, ability, skills and resources to teach a broad range of subjects and improve the learning experience. In fact, some teachers have the same class all day, teaching all the necessary subjects. Parents who are the education providers may not always have the knowledge and resources to teach their children effectively. For areas in which the parent is not well educated, she will have to do her own studying and learning.
Public and private schools offer extracurricular activities in areas such as sports and music. Without special effort to find such activities, children who do not attend public or private schools are limited to recreational extracurricular activities.
A child enrolled in public schools incurs very little cost. For a parent electing to homeschool her child, the cost must be considered. The parent will have to invest in school supplies, textbooks and other necessary materials. This cost increases with the number of children who are being taught at home.
When a parent decides to homeschool her son or daughter, she becomes the primary source of education and development, in addition to having the role of the parent. She is responsible for establishing a curriculum, teaching, grading, and reporting attendance and grades to the state. She is also responsible for preparing meals and organizing field trips. The parent must make a full-time commitment to ensure that the child reaches all of the required educational milestones.
A parent who chooses to homeschool his child makes sacrifices. Parents with children in school have the luxury of time for themselves while their children are in school. Parents who homeschool their children give up this privilege. Additionally, when making a commitment to educate your children at home, you are sacrificing a second income and leaving the responsibility of supporting the family to the other parent.