There are plenty of positives to homeschooling, but also many negatives depending on a child’s specific needs. Choosing homeschool may open up loads of opportunities for a child. However, it could also keep them from beneficial in-person programs and keep them from socializing with children their age. On top of that, some parents simply lack the teaching skills necessary to successfully homeschool. This is what one Missouri mom focuses on in a TikTok video as she says not every parent should choose homeschooling.
Megan (@lifewithmegannicole) shares an opinion that may leave some parents feeling a little heated. She says, “There are a lot of parents homeschooling their children nowadays that have no business homeschooling their children.” Megan homeschools her children, but says that it’s definitely not for everyone, and some parents need to accept that.
As Megan goes on to say, not every parent is meant to teach another parent’s children. She says of herself, “There is no way that I could be a teacher.” However, she points out many homeschooling parents are allowing their children to get behind. She’s seen videos where homeschool parents say their second or fourth grader are “spending thirty minutes a day on school work.” On top of that, kids who are going into middle school are being taught “basic reading skills.” These are skills that they should have learned in kindergarten. She says of these parents, “You are doing your child a disservice.”
Megan says that parents need to make a decision about whether or not to homeschool their child by taking a look at the big picture. She falls somewhere in the middle on whether or not it’s best for your child. However, in the end, she says, “I think you need to do whatever is best for your family.” That should always be an option for parents to consider. But Megan states that parents may have “strong beliefs” on homeschooling being the best option even if it isn’t right for them. This is why they need to sit back and consider everything as a whole. Do these parents have the right qualifications to be doing it? Will their child’s unique situation benefit from it? As a parent, there’s a lot of questions you need to ask yourself before you simply jump in.
One commenter agreed with Megan, “Everyone’s ‘unschooling’ which is fancy talk for ‘I’m letting them do what they want.’” Another shared, “Public school teacher here. They often get sent back because homeschooling is hard. They are grades behind in reading and math and parents don’t want to hear it.” Parents also sometimes fail to see it for what it is. One commenter explains, “Homeschooling becomes educational neglect sooo quickly.”
As a parent whose children have experienced both the public school system and cyber school, there are so many benefits from both. With online schooling, you still have the assistance of real teachers right at your fingertips to support your journey and ensure your children stay on track. However, homeschooling may not be as regulated in certain areas. In the end, parents need to work with these systems to ensure their children get what they need out of their educational experience.
