People have become so engrained into the routine of government led schooling that they are often confused when home educated families do things a little differently.
It is these misunderstandings that so often lead to the “I didn’t know it was a school holiday” comments when they see children in public during routine school hours.
But with the current state of the UK education system and the recent figures proving that home education is on the rise, more and more families are now faced with the judgement of these misconceptions and stereotypes.
So, here are just a few things home educators wish more people understood about they way we teach our children.
Everything is learning
Going to the shops? Budgeting, maths, social skills.
Gardening? Life cycles, habitats, patience.
Simply going for a walk? Exercise, way finding, geography.
Not every lesson needs to be taught inside a classroom (and so often government schools take their lessons out of the classroom too). And not every school lesson needs to be replicated. Some school lessons are only taught to ensure every child has access to things their home life may not already provide.
You already know your child gets exercise daily, has space to run or has a physical hobby? No need for a scheduled PE lesson. You already know your children have access to technology and know how to use it safely? No need for tonnes of scheduled IT lessons to cover the basics.
Education is life, life is education.
Schools don’t spend 7 hours learning
With all of the admin, warehousing, assemblies and playtimes, schools only spend around 3-4 hours a day doing focused work. A timetable from my children’s past school showed that on one day of the week, they only spent 2 hours that day doing work. And that classroom time is then within a class of 30 other children, with little tailored support.
Focused, one-on-one classroom time with a parent/other for 3-4 hours is plenty and is far more efficient than what they would —or would not — be absorbing from regular schooling situations.
There are multiple methods
Over the past few years, social media has become flooded with commentary about home education, particularly around terms like “unschooling” and “free learning.” These phrases are often used dismissively, framed as evidence that home education lacks structure or seriousness.
Alongside this, the rise of the “crunchy mum” stereotype has further caricatured home educating families.
As a result, some people have come to view the entire concept as little more than children running freely without guidance, discipline, or meaningful learning. These are actually just two types of home educating that some use and a lot of the time these are used only as temporary methods until a steady routine that fits everyone is found.
I use the traditional method but with flexibility in mind. We have a home classroom, we have a timetable and lesson plans. But if it’s sunny outside, we also leave the classroom and do some garden work or head to the playground instead. Finding a routine that fits the family and the personal ideals of the family is important and what works for one family may not work for another.
Which is why it is so important to not use generalisations when discussing or judging home educating. Spreading harmful stereotypes could stop families from trying home educating, when it could actually be the best thing for their set-up.
Homeschool kids are not unsocialised recluses
This one leads on from the former. Another stereotype. This time one that says homeschool children are unable to have friends, socialise or learn how to behave in social situations. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
There are many specific home-ed groups, clubs and hobby spaces now where children can meet up with others and form friendships. It is also a really good space for the parents to meet up with others who understand the situation. For me personally, it’s great to be in a space with other parents where I know my choice to home educate won’t be questioned or judged.
There are even school-type events now held for home educating kids so they don’t feel like they have missed out on what social media tells them are important milestones. Proms, dances, graduations.
Along with these groups, literally every second of life is a chance to practice those skills and learning how to be a good human. Engaging with people while shopping, attending an appointment, even having a sibling or cousins.
Forced proximity within a large group of people is not the only method and does not guarantee friendship, kindness to others or learned social skills.
Home education does not make children ‘clingy’
I will be honest, one of the biggest reason I chose to home educate was because my children are already clingy. And being physically dragged away from me or their father by a teacher, while they are full-body sobbing, isn’t going to change that. We did three years of it. They didn’t “get used to it”. And to be frank, why should they?
Why is dragging a small crying child away from their parents five mornings a week considered normal now? We are lucky enough to not have to do that, so we simply don’t. My twins are learning how to become independent in their own time, on their own terms, with me right there if they need it. I’m not a shadow or a helicopter parent, but I am their emergency safety net if they choose.
At their weekly home education farm group we now attend, they are becoming more and more confident every session. Other family members have even remarked how much more confident the girls have become in recent months. And it didn’t take one single stranger dragging my children away to achieve!
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