The Five Worst Things about Homeschooling

You know it’s a state standard.  You know it’s something they’re expected to know by the end of the year.  But you’re looking at it and thinking, “Why on earth do I have to teach this?  I’ve never used this in my life. My spouse has never used this in his life.  Can’t we just skip over this one?”  But as sure as you do, it will be something that they end up needing in high school…or in college…or they’ll pick that one obscure career that actually requires them to know what a nimbus cloud is. Just when you think you’ve managed to get a handle on it, something happens, and everything is messier than before.  Maybe the baby pulled all the Tupperware out of the cabinet while you were explaining pre-algebra to your older daughter, or editing your son’s English essay.  Most days, you’re lucky to be able to throw a load of laundry in between lessons—and all while your friends are insisting, “It’s so great that you get to stay at home all the time.  I wish I had the time to clean!”   You don’t get to hand them off to someone else to deal with eight hours out of the day.  No, you didn’t have your children for someone else to raise them—but it would be nice if, every once in a while, they would butt heads with Mrs. So-and-so over whether or not they’re going to do their assignments, instead of you!  If they were lazy in public school, they're going to be lazy at home.  If they have a habit of daydreaming, they're still going to be daydreamers--and it's all yours to deal with.View the list »
All the time.  You never get away from them.  If your children are still young, they may well follow you to the bathroom, and if they’re not young enough to actually follow you in, they may well be standing on the other side of the door yelling, “Mom!  What do you want me to do now!”  You don’t get to go shopping by yourself.  Finding someplace else for them to be so that you can go Christmas or birthday shopping is every bit as complicated as preparing a military invasion.  Surprising them is almost out of the question, unless you do it after they’re already in bed for the evening.  If they throw a temper tantrum, or misbehave, or get into trouble, it's always yours to deal with, and there's not a lot of putting it off.

Homeschooling newsletter

You know homeschooling is the best choice for your family. You chose it for that reason. It wasn’t the kind of decision that you made arbitrarily, either. You did your research; you thought it out; and only when you were sure it was a commitment that you could live with long-term did you decide to make it a permanent arrangement for your family. And you love it. You have to love it, or you wouldn’t keep doing it; and most of the time, you wouldn’t trade this life for anything.
But it does have its downsides. Those downsides aren’t enough to consider throwing in the towel…most of the time.
There are times, though, when you would dearly love to have just a few days when your children aren’t all home with you, all is not in chaos, and it’s just you, the house, and a glass of wine and a good book.
Our top five follow in the list. Let us know yours in the comments!

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  • All the time.  You never get away from them.  If your children are still young, they may well follow you to the bathroom, and if they’re not young enough to actually follow you in, they may well be standing on the other side of the door yelling, “Mom!  What do you want me to do now!”  You don’t get to go shopping by yourself.  Finding someplace else for them to be so that you can go Christmas or birthday shopping is every bit as complicated as preparing a military invasion.  Surprising them is almost out of the question, unless you do it after they’re already in bed for the evening.  If they throw a temper tantrum, or misbehave, or get into trouble, it's always yours to deal with, and there's not a lot of putting it off.
  •  You don’t get to hand them off to someone else to deal with eight hours out of the day.  No, you didn’t have your children for someone else to raise them—but it would be nice if, every once in a while, they would butt heads with Mrs. So-and-so over whether or not they’re going to do their assignments, instead of you!  If they were lazy in public school, they're going to be lazy at home.  If they have a habit of daydreaming, they're still going to be daydreamers--and it's all yours to deal with.
  •  Just when you think you’ve managed to get a handle on it, something happens, and everything is messier than before.  Maybe the baby pulled all the Tupperware out of the cabinet while you were explaining pre-algebra to your older daughter, or editing your son’s English essay.  Most days, you’re lucky to be able to throw a load of laundry in between lessons—and all while your friends are insisting, “It’s so great that you get to stay at home all the time.  I wish I had the time to clean!”  
  • You know it’s a state standard.  You know it’s something they’re expected to know by the end of the year.  But you’re looking at it and thinking, “Why on earth do I have to teach this?  I’ve never used this in my life. My spouse has never used this in his life.  Can’t we just skip over this one?”  But as sure as you do, it will be something that they end up needing in high school…or in college…or they’ll pick that one obscure career that actually requires them to know what a nimbus cloud is.
  • This is especially true if you have more than one child that you are attempting to teach at home at the same time.  No matter how hard you try, it will always feel as though you are playing catch-up—even on the days when everything goes according to plan.  When you decide to homeschool, you imagine that it’s always going to be wonderful, lovely field trips like the one pictured here, and hands-on activities, with plenty of time to do all the other things that you want to do with your kids…and then reality sinks in.
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, Knoxville Homeschooling Examiner

My older two kids have been virtual schooled since January of 2012. My eldest will be going back to a traditional public school for middle school; my middle son intends to wait until high school. We do a mixture of the Virtual Academy curriculum and our own supplemental material.

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