“I Would Love to Homeschool But…..” – Top Homeschool Excuses

How many times have you heard it?  It’s always the same ole story, “I would love to homeschool, but ________________.”  Fill in the blank with whatever the insane reason of the day is.  So today I’m going to debunk some of the top homeschool excuses, as well as tell you one reason you absolutely SHOULDN’T homeschool.

1).  I can’t afford it.

Yeah, me either.  I wish I could say that I was over here rolling in the mulah, living the high life, but I’m not.  The truth is homeschooling families learn quickly to be thrifty.  Sometimes the right choices in life involve sacrifice.  This may mean you forgo a family vacation, or you drive the same beat-up clunker for years and years.  Guess what though, if you want it bad enough you will afford it.

2).  I have to work.

Maybe you do.  I know many working homeschool moms.  So you have to work outside of the home?  Yeah, I know some of those too.  I also know MANY highly educated women who are passing on a career right now so they can homeschool their children.  Will it be hard?  Yes, but it’s not easy no matter what your situation is.  Sometimes you just have to put on your big girl panties and deal with it.  Now maybe you are a single mom, working two jobs to survive.  I will let you slide.  Otherwise, where there’s a will there’s a way.

3).  I’m not smart enough.

Again…..me either.  Does the thought of Algebra terrify me sometimes?  ABSOLUTELY!  Should I quit?  No!  Guess what, I didn’t know squat about being a parent either, but I learned as I went.  Same thing applies here.  Guess what else…..there’s this big magical source of information.  It’s called Google.  You can find anything there.  There’s also the ability to outsource.  Last year I made the decision to use online learning for our homeschool.  It was one of the best moves I ever made.  Fear of being smart enough is never a good excuse.  There are too many resources out there.

4).  My kids will be weird.

Maybe.  I can’t say for sure one way or another on this one.  Are you weird?  Then the chances are pretty good that your kids will be weirdos too.  I’ve met some really weird homeschool kids, but most of them are just normal, everyday kids.  Guess what else……I’ve also met some super weird public school kids.  (Gasp!)

5).  My kids won’t listen to me.

This one ALWAYS makes me want to roll my eyes.  If you can’t get your children to behave you have WAY bigger problems than their education.  They are your kids, make them mind.  Granted, all kids have bad days, so sometimes you will have to deal with a bad attitude.  However, this should be the exception, not the norm.  If you fear your kids won’t mind enough to homeschool then it might be time to reconsider your parenting methods.

6).  I want my kids to be successful in life.

As opposed to what?  Us weird homeschoolers who want our kids to be massive failures?  Have you checked the statistics lately?  How about this one?  Stop insulting us.  Moving on.

7).  I don’t have the patience to homeschool.

Yeah, I can’t say I blame you much on this one.  It seems like this would be a biggie, and I guess in the beginning it is.  Gradually though, everyone learns what is expected and things get easier.  Will there be days that you threaten to chase the school bus?  Certainly!  The longer we homeschool, the less often these days come for us.  Homeschooling stretches you in ways you can never imagine, but at the end of the day, you will be a better human because of it.

So now why shouldn’t you homeschool?

Because you don’t want to.  Yeah, it really is that simple.  Now there may be exceptions (like the single, 2 job, working mom) but for the most part, the reasons listed above are just excuses.  The truth is, they aren’t even good excuses.  So if you don’t want to, then just be honest and say it.  Guess what?  It really won’t offend us.  Homeschooling is NOT for every family.  It is a massive undertaking.  One that requires a large amount of time and effort, so it’s definitely something you have to WANT to do.  Maybe you love the public school system, good for you!  You make your choices and we will make ours.  We may drone on and on about how much we LOVE homeschooling, but your education choices won’t make you a “less-than” mom in our eyes.  Just be honest about your decision.  We can see right through your flimsy excuses 😉