
What are the BIGGEST PERKS to HOMESCHOOLING an ONLY CHILD?
Many of my homeschool friends have GOBS of children and they probably believe that having only one child makes for GOBS of PERKS for this homeschool mama. Truth be told, there don’t seem to be as many perks as it may seem. As a matter of fact, there are several challenges to homeschooling an only child.
{READ OTHER POST “Biggest Challenges of Homeschooling an Only Child”}
But, I won’t deny the fact that there are, in fact, MANY PERKS too! Here are what I consider to be the TOP THREE PERKS to homeschooling an only child.
ONE: INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION This may seem entirely too obvious but there are multiple perks within an INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION.
Besides the fact that I get to spend ALL OF MY TEACHING TIME on my one son,
I also get to spend more time and money CHOOSING the VERY BEST CURRICULA for him.
I need to deal with only ONE LEARNING STYLE and
I am able to adjust MY TEACHING STYLE to meet only his needs!
I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY whether it’s legal to make additional copies of workbooks and
I can readily make changes to his lessons whenever I need to.
I need to AGONIZE over ONLY ONE FOREIGN LANGUAGE and
I do NOT HAVE TO TEACH (potentially boring) things MORE THAN ONCE.
There is only one kid who gets sick so the FREQUENCY OF SICK DAYS IS LOWER and
I do NOT NEED TO WRANGLE and WRESTLE distracting toddlers.
I GET TO CATER to only his EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES and
I even get to HELP HIM WORK TOWARD obtaining his CAREER GOALS NOW!
[READ OTHER POST “ENORMOUS BONUS of HOMESCHOOLING: Structuring Education NOW to Meet Career Goals”}
TWO: EXTRA CLOSE RELATIONSHIP This is a perk for any mom of an only child but it is even more so for the mom who is homeschooling an only child.
Most homeschool moms will claim a HIGHER LEVEL OF CLOSENESS with her kids over the relationships bound by public school hours and stress, but the fact is if you have eight kids, you simply cannot create more time in your day than a mom of one.
The UNIQUE CLOSENESS of a homeschool mom and her only child is simply a natural result of the amount of time spent together compounded by the high quality of those experiences.
THREE: QUALITY TIME As any mom of multiple children will tell you, it’s exhausting to get all of the kids to complete their schooling, naps finished, bodies dressed, snacks packed, potty-needs addressed and everybody in the car in order to make it to co-op class, dentist appointments, the grocery store, park playdates, lunch with Daddy, story time at the library, etc.
But, with one kid, the possibilities of what you can do in one day are nearly endless!
Picnic in the park!
Visit the local museum!
Matinee movie at the theater!
Bike ride around the neighborhood!
Early bird special at a fancy restaurant!
Pitch a tent and take a nap in the backyard!
Hang out at the library before it’s overrun with after-school kids!
Make new friends at the nearest nursing home!
Make a new creation at the pottery place!
Volunteer at the local animal shelter!
Surprise Grandma at her house!
Day trip to the zoo!
As any homeschool mama knows, homeschooling has some of the most beautiful benefits but HOMESCHOOLING AN ONLY CHILD has some perks that can ONLY be found at home with you and your only child. I encourage you to consider it. And if you are looking for support from other homeschool moms of only children, please join this FB Group for support!
Enjoy the perks Momma !! Not wrangling kids would save me so much time. Lol
Thanks! Having one surely does have perks!