We  are dedicated to bringing you expert tips in parenting and the education of your child.  Today, we shall explore yet another option you could consider for the education of your child especially with the ongoing health scare and the increasing cases of rape and child abuse across the country.

Homeschooling is an education option where  parent elect to educate their  children at home rather than  sending them to  traditional public or private school. Families choose to home-school for a variety of reasons.  This includes dissatisfaction with the educational options available, different religious or educational philosophies, and the belief that children are not making desired progress  within the traditional school structure.

Homeschooling , though relatively new in Nigeria, is gradually gaining acceptance all over the country, and with the Covid 19 pandemic which raises lots of questions on the safety of the child in a populous school environment, parents are warming to the idea of homeschooling.

If you are a parent, and like many others,  you are considering the homeschooling option for your children, here are a few of the numerous  advantages of homeschooling  to  help you making your decision in taking that step. I also included  practical tips to help you while preparing for this exciting journey.

1) SAFETY FIRST:

Many people consider homeschooling their children for safety reasons. Their major concern is that their children may get into trouble in school, and they want to avoid this.  Cases like kidnap of the Chibok girls; collapse of school buildings in Lagos; child abuse and rape in schools ; and recently the health scare caused by the Covid 19 pandemic has heightened the fears parents have with the prospect of sending their young  children to crowded private and public schools .

If safety is your major concern for you as a parent, you are not alone, homeschooling is your safe alternative.

2) LOW GRADES OR POOR ACADEMICS:

For some parents, their major challenge is that their child is consistently performing below expectations in school  or in standardized examinations. Homeschooling may be what you need to do the magic and turn things around for your child and his future.

As I mentioned in an earlier post on how to get your child to do well in mathematics, in most Nigerian public schools  and even some private schools, there are over twenty-five  or thirty students in each class.  In this scenario, teachers may find it difficult to  keep up with the slow learners, so they lag behind in their studies.  You do not have to worry about a situation like this when homeschooling.

Homeschooling helps ensure the child is receiving quality learning, as all the teaching attentions are directed on the child. Similarly, for parents with special needs children who are unable to find a special need school for them, homeschooling could be a perfect intervention.  All you may need to  is a  trained and experienced home tutor for children with special need and engage his or her services exclusively for your child.

3) FLEXIBLE CURRICULLUM:

Perhaps flexibility is the most important reason why a lot of parents and guardians prefer homeschooling.  This is because In a home school, each child’s study plan is designed specifically for him or her,  rather than forcing the child to follow the same path as every other student in a formal school.  In a normal school in which a child’s educational path is managed by many different people, none of whom have an overall view of the child’s education or even much of a personal interest in the child’s well being.

There is total freedom and flexibility when it comes to the curriculum and learning styles; they can be tailored to fit the child’s need and understanding. There is no rush or pressure whatsoever. In fact, if a child has a strong interest in a particular skill or subject, homeschooling is the best way to develop it. Also, for parents looking at instilling some particular manners or values into their children, homeschooling can help achieve that.

4) CLOSENESS AND SPECIAL BONDING WITH YOUR CHILDREN:

Homeschooling promotes lifelong bonding between you and your child,  especially if you are the one doing the homeschooling for your child.  Parent /child  family bonding is  yet another compelling reasons some parents adopt the  homeschooling method for their children. This is because homeschooling  requires you to spend lots of time with your  children and this encourages bonding.  Spending quality time with your child  will help you  in identifying his unique abilities. It will also  encourage your child to feel free with you and  find it easy to confide or rub minds with you on issues important to him.

With homeschooling, parents can be sure never to miss important milestones or pivotal moments in their children’s life. In addition to that, the bond developed during homeschooling has proven to be one of the strongest bonds a parent can have with a child.

With homeschooling, it is easier for children to share their dreams and aspirations with their family; this also enables bonding with siblings and other close family members.

5)STRONG PERSONALITY AND  CONFIDENCE:

Home schooling helps  to build strong personality and instill confidence in your child if done right. When a child is home-schooled by a professional, he or she is comfortable in his or her own clothes, as there is no need to worry about wearing outfits from the latest trends. The child would never try to fit into whatever is in vogue at that time. This greatly helps your child in building a strong personality  in the long run.

In addition to that, there is no fear of being bullied, no room for negative influence, and no room for any abuse or assault from the outsiders.

7) THE COST FACTOR:

Home schooling is actually cost effective, both in terms of  money and your time.   Whether you are homeschooling yourself or  hired a competent home-school tutor for your children, you may end up spending  much less than if your children are attending a public or private schools in Nigeria.  Homeschooling  eliminate the cost of school runs and even special school wears for your children. To be candid, homeschooling saves parents a whole lot of time that would have been used to engage in a number of school runs. On a typical school morning, parents needs to  get the children ready, and drive them to school.

With homeschooling, all of these are totally eliminated as all the child have to do is wake up, take a shower and start the day. Very simple and straightforward!  This also saves time for homework, school projects and other assignments.

THINGS TO HAVE IN MIND WHEN DECIDING ON THE HOMESCHOOLING PATH FOR YOUR CHILDREN.

1) If you have a  degree or diploma on early childhood education, thumps up, you are halfway there !  But even if you don’t  have a recognized degree, don’t  sweat it.  All you really  need to do now is begin to read up everything you can lay your hands on homeschooling.   Start your research  about schooling guides  and the best teaching and learning tips for both you and your child. There are lots of useful  materials on homeschooling all over the internet and most of them are free.

2) Alternatively, hire the service of an expert homeschooling tutor to develop  a good homeschooling curriculum and study plan for your child. This  planning stages is very important  as the  curriculum  needs  to be prepared with care and consideration, and with your Child’s unique academic needs/ goals in mind,  as well as all the examinations in view .

3) If for some reasons your work schedule or career did not afford you the time to give your children the wholesome homeschooling experience you have always desired for them,  please don’t let even that stop you.  Just enlist the service of experienced homeschooling experts to help you in giving your children the exclusive homeschooling advantage they truly deserve.

4) Finally , you will also need to arrange for standardized testing system and examination  so that you will be to determine how well your child is doing, in comparison to children in formal schools. You may also need the help of experienced tutors for these tests, as well for processing your Child’s admission into higher institutions  for further learning when the time is ripe.