Expert: Cheryl Wheeler - 8/21/2005

Question
What are the main disadvantages of homeschooling and why?

Answer
To me, the main disadvantage of homeschooling is also one of the main advantages to homeschooling.  Namely that I am always with my kids.  As with the other disadvantages, this is something that I have been able to work around by relying on family and a modest amount of paid help.  

Related to this, but still separate is the fact that the house is never really tidy and that three meals have to be prepared daily rather than two.  :)  

For non-fundamentalists, I think the children's social lives are more of a challenge.  For example, I live in a city with  huge numbers of homeschoolers, but the overwhelming majority of these are very religious, to the extent that they do not want their children to be around other kids that are not of their particular religion.  And those families that don't mind being around people of other beliefs have IN MY EXPERIENCE trained their kids to be little evangelicals.      
I guess what it boils down to, is being able to find compatable homeschool families for you and your kids to hang out with.  It is a big problem and one that I have yet to completely and satisfactorally solve.  Of course, I am viewing this problem as a person who has moved around a lot.  If you and your kids have a network of friends in place, then this is (I would imagine) less of a problem.  

Please follow up with any questions.  Best of luck to you.

~Cheryl