Homeschooling – Will This Be The Parenting Game-changer For Years To Come?

As rightly said and let me quote, “Education is at present concerned with outward efficiency, and it utterly disregards, or deliberately perverts, the inward nature of man; it develops only one part of him and leaves the rest to drag along as best it can. To educate the student rightly is to help him to understand the total process of himself; for it is only when there is the integration of the mind and heart in everyday action that there can be intelligence and inward transformation.”

To do this, the educator himself must obviously be integrated; so the right kind of education is of the highest importance, not only for the young but also for the older generation if they are willing to learn and are not to set in their ways. What we are in ourselves is much more important than the traditional question of what to teach the child, and if we love our children, we will see to it that they have the right kind of educators.”― Jiddu Krishnamurti, Education and the Significance of Life

This comes to my mind when I think of homeschooling as a game-changer for parenting.

But, let’s start with the basics. What is homeschooling?

In simplest words, the child is educated at home with new or old methods and methodologies as parents deem fit. It’s not about if the parent knows it all, it’s a journey,  quite different, or quite similar to the mainstream school system.

Do you plan to homeschool your children? Here’s what you need to know:

It lays a lot of emphasis on developing child’s character and being a way to unlock his/her potential. Parents are increasingly experimenting with alternative options. Homeschooling, normally, if started during formative years, gives a lot of emphasis on inculcating life skills. Games play an equally important role in homeschooling. Through free play, kids are more open and receptive to learning as they are not sitting in a closed room to go through the concepts.

The concepts are broken down in a manner that is conducive and suited for their learning. It’s because of Instagram, that I got introduced to homeschooling. Initially, it made no sense to me since we are used to the traditional schooling method. But to my amazement, I actually saw how creative the parents can get, from introducing phonics, letters, patterns, numbers or following the Waldorf homeschooling rules. It helped me understand a new perspective. And I was pleasantly reminded of how kids are naturally creative. All you need to do is help them and be there for them. 

Interesting facts about homeschooling:

1. Homeschooled kids are not subjected to peer pressure, bullying, and other negative influences that are all too common in today’s schools

2. Pace of learning can be determined by the student as long as the prescribed syllabus can be completed in time

3. One-on-one teaching can be especially beneficial for children with special needs or those that are exceptionally gifted and advanced

4. Personalization of content to suit to student’s needs

5. Repetition is enjoyable because kids are motivated to learn without the pressure of scores or other outcomes

The concept of homeschooling is still in a very nascent phase in India. While one of its most important benefits is to empower the child to learn at his/her own pace, it also needs an endless commitment from the parents (which makes me completely in favour of this concept) However, before you jump on the bandwagon, this old-new approach comes with its own set of responsibilities. The most important one, being parents’ responsibility to inculcate a sense of self-discipline to ensure a well-rounded ‘education’ for their children. Homeschooling calls you to relive your childhood, unlearn and relearn and let go. It does get overwhelming sometimes, but so is parenting in today’s world.

by Gitika Kapur