Preparing Your Child From In-Person Learning To Homeschooling
Choosing an educational setup can be very challenging for parents. Most go with the traditional one that's a viable option for a lot of parents. While only 11% of US households are homeschooling, some parents think this is the better option for their children.
You may be thinking of including your household in that statistics. Some instances may prompt you to choose tohomeschoolyour children. Maybe you think it's safer than letting them alone in schools. You may also believe that you can deliver a more quality education if you teach them. Whatever your reasons are, you need to be ready for the work ahead.
But have you considered your children's stance in this setup? How can you prepare them for such a considerable change in their studying habits? What can you do to ensure a smooth transition from in-person learning to homeschooling? Here are some tips you can apply to best manage the adjustment.
Inform them ahead
Your child needs to know your plans for them. It's required when you're executing a significant change that involves them. Tell them about the imminent change in their study habits. Let them know how it will affect everything they do and everything they're used to.
Give your child time to understand the plan and absorb the situation. This is the start of an adjustment they may not have seen yet. It's an unprecedented setup that they're going to be in. That's why it's essential to tell them everything that they need to know ahead of time. If there's anyone who will be affected by the transition, it'll be your child who will be home schooled.
Gradually emulate the home schoo lsetting
The best way to master something is by imitation. If you're going to get your child prepared for homeschooling, you may want to get them ready early. Do this by integrating home learning into their study time in your house. Get them used tohomeschoolby simulating its components. Make time to teach them yourself. Start guiding them with their homework. Facilitate home studies more than the usual with you as their home instructor so that they'll adapt to the new setup a little faster.
Tell them the advantages of homeschooling
Contrary to some beliefs, homeschooling doesn't directly affect a child's socialization skills. Researchers say that homeschooling children don't risk the development of children's social skills. This is just one of the things that you can tell your children about the new learning setup they're going to embark on.
Let them know that they may be doing something different from other kids, but it's for their own good. Give them scenarios where homeschooling can be advantageous for them. Maybe they want to study in a quieter setup; homeschooling can be perfect for their preference.
For instance, if they want to start their own business or understand how they work, tell them that this can be their preparation if they want to take their Ph.D. in Business Administration online in the future. Homeschooling will be good practice for them if they decide to take higher education at home when they're already working. They can have more time at home away from some unexpected dangers outside.
These are just some advantages you can tell your child to make them feel more comfortable with the setup. Let them know that if homeschooling doesn't work for them, you'll gladly listen to their plea. They should understand that you want what's best for them.
Make the transition smooth
You're going to tweak their study hours. You'll be giving them the necessary learning materials for home studying. All these should be done in a way that'll make the transition as smooth as possible. Your task as a parent is to make this period tolerable for your child. Training themselves to adopt the new setup is going to feel alienating for your child. Everything needs to be gradually executed so it'll be less shocking for them.
Support them during the adjustment
Like what was mentioned, the transition period is going to be very challenging for your child. Imagine how many friends they're going to stop seeing at school. They'll miss their old routines. It's going to be an emotional ride for your child.
Offer enough support for them while they go through this period; they will need it the most. Ensure you'll go through this phase with them, and you'll support them all the way. It's not that easy to let go of the things you've gotten used to. You should make the adjustment period easier for them.
People may have different takes on homeschooling. There are positive opinions and negative ones too. But what matters isy our intention to give what's best for your child. If you think homeschooling is going to work for your child better, then do it. Just make sure to manage the adjustment period properly for a carefree transition.