by Stephanie Durden Edwards

Created on: November 05, 2009   Last Updated: November 08, 2009

As with any major parenting decision, debating whether or not homeschooling is right for your family is an exercise in research, patience, and realistic evaluation. There are many aspects to be considered and weighed carefully. What is right for one family, or even for one individual, child may not be right for another.

One of the first considerations when weighing the possible implications should revolve around the primary care giver in the home; usually the mother. This may sound like a backwards consideration; but it is imperative to have a realistic view of the demands home education will have on the person who will be adding a monumental job description to her already full life. Home education is full of many of the same rewards that parenting offers already; but adding the distinction as your child's, or in many cases, children's primary educator, can be daunting. Be realistic with your self and your expectations. No one will benefit from a mother who is so overburdened and overstressed she cannot function in the other capacities to which she already holds claim.

Another aspect of home education is cost. There are as many ways to educate your children at home as there are different home schoolers; and some ways are certainly more cost effective than others. Many home school publishers, for example, offer video classroom options, or even satellite schools. This allows the student to be taught by a Christian school teacher, all while within the walls of his or her own home. This method may be a good option for parents who are teaching multiple grade levels, or who are not quite sure of their own abilities to teach a certain subject. However, the cost of this type of class can be in the hundreds of dollars for a single subject. Traditional textbooks are also available, as well as the many on-line and distant learning schools that have sprung up over the past several years.

If the parent who will be teaching the children is also an income producer for the household, the question of finance will also have to be addressed. Can the family afford to lose that income? Care must also be taken if the at-home parent plans to try to supplement the lost income while at home. Home educating requires a great deal of time and energy; trying to wear too many hats at once may become overwhelming very quickly for the mother who has the responsibility of the children, care of the home, and now the education of the children as well.

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