One of the dreaded thing do once you convince yourself, your spouse and children about homeschooling is answering to your well meaning family or friends about your decision. Homeschooling gets bad rap sometimes in news and other media that no wonder people are confused. While there are bad parents who may misuse homeschooling to hide their neglect and abuse, there are lot of good parents who homeschool their children for actually educating their children. It is same way there are lot of bad and good public school parents too. How you educate your child has personal choice, as long as they are learning, and have a well growing and social skills to grow in well adjusted adults.
How to Tell Friends and Family about Your Homeschooling Choice?
So, how do you answer questions from family and friends about your decision to homeschool without being judged and without argument and feeling guilt in either sides. Follow this 3 tips to share your decision about homeschooling that makes you and them feel good;
1. Tell them homeschooling is legal
Homeschooling is legal in America, Canada and many other countries. For more details see our homeschooling resources for individual state or country of your choice. Making sure what you doing is legal, will comfort your well meaning friends and family in your choice of homeschooling. If they need more convincing you can show them HSLDA website for official information for re-assurance.
Just make sure you follow the right process to register your private school, go through public school or private school independent study program or whatever specific process for your local state is. File those paper work in times, gather vaccinations or proper forms from your pediatrician and all requirements, attendance and proper records and grade for your child just to be in legal side.
2. Tell Them Many historical and famous people were and are homeschooled
There has been many famous past presidents, novelists, scientists have been homeschooled. There are also current celebrities and famous intellectuals are homeschooling their kids in today’s world. Current president hopeful Rick Santorum believes and homeschools his kids, will smith’s kids are being homeschooled.
Read or send them our famous homeschoolers article to see how many famous, successful and smart people have done homeschooling and it worked for them and it will work for you and your children too.
3. College actually want Homeschoolers
One of the big problem many well wisher friends and family with homeschooling is that the child may not be able to go to prestigious college, or become a doctor or an engineer. Assure them that many ivy league and other colleges actually want and look for homeschooling graduates in thier colleges. Your child can become a doctor, president, engineer or whoever he/she wants to be even when he/she is homeschooled.
I have seen it personally many homeschooler really sought after in colleges, and some actually starting a college at earlier age such as 14 due to being already ahead in education. But you do not have to take my word for it, you can see article here for homeschooler really wanted by colleges or do search on yahoo yourself to share it with friends and families.
Answering Homeschooling Questions Help Sources:
Homeschooling the Child with Autism: Answers to the Top Questions Parents and Professionals Ask
Asking Questions, Finding Answers: A Parent’s Journey Through Homeschooling
Conclusion:
Many well meaning friends and family question and concern may seem annoying but if you truly look it, they have child’s welfare at heart to make sure he or she is succeds in education and finds a good job or career to support himself or herself when adult. Once thier concerns are answered properly, they will see it homeschooling as choice in education just as you do. And having right support from friends and families is always better than not having any.