Busting Homeschooling Myths #9

Myth: Our kids won’t be exposed to (fill in the blank) if we homeschool.

Truth: Your kids will be exposed to (fill in the blank) no matter how they are educated.

This myth can go two ways. In one view, it’s the misconception that homeschooling prevents negative influences from reaching your kids. In the other view, it’s the fear that your kids will miss out on positive experiences if you homeschool.

Let’s talk about the first scenario. Unless you intend to seclude your entire family from the rest of the world, at some point your kids are going to be exposed to things you’d rather they weren’t. Drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, bad language, … they will encounter all of these things in media, the community, and among their peers, not to mention sometimes at home. Homeschooling will not provide a bubble that protects them from the brokenness in our world.

Now let’s talk about the second scenario. If you are considering homeschooling, you might have a little FOMO when you think about what your child may not experience if they do not attend traditional school. The first day of school may feel anticlimactic. Your child may not have the chance to participate in classroom parties or rite-of-passage events. You may worry that your child won’t be exposed to diverse cultures and ideas. It’s okay to feel conflicted, but remember that you can still make your child’s education memorable and include any studies that are important to you. In my family, we take pictures on our first day of school, occasionally celebrate finishing a big unit, and make sure we are reading widely and experiencing different cultures.

In the end, this particular myth boils down to fear. You shouldn’t make a decision to homeschool because you fear your children will be damaged in some way if they attend traditional school. They will still be exposed to the things you are trying to keep from them, and you will become resentful that you chose to homeschool. In the same way, you shouldn’t make a decision not to homeschool because you fear your children will miss out. Yes, their school days will look different than those of their peers, but different does not mean less than.

Rather than making a decision based in fear, think about what decision would best serve your family and each individual in it.