© Beverley Paine

Most lists of homeschooling benefits focus on the outcomes for the children. The following is a list of personal benefits I've derived from homeschooling my three children over the last sixteen years.

• Catching up on missed learning, or re-learning things, from my own schooling days.
• Continually broadening my own knowledge base.
• Becoming more organised.
• Becoming more flexible and open to change.
• Learning to deal with problems straight away - giving up the procrastination habit.
• Learning how to ask useful questions.
• Learning how to research effectively.
• Sharing in the excitement of the development of a growing mind.
• Developing a close intellectual bond with my children.
• Developing a strong emotional bond with my children.
• Watching my children develop personal values congruent with my own, but with strong and confident self esteems based on individual and unique temperaments so that they are able to develop their own personal values as well.
• Being able to confidently and comfortably discuss difficult issues with my children.
• Being trusted by my children as someone they can confide in.
• Enjoying a close family bond, based on cooperation and compromise and love.
• Finding my own unique learning style, whilst helping my children find theirs.
• Realising that there are many ways to learn, not just from school or text books!
• Discovering the value of experiential learning.
• Realising that learning happens all the time, and can happen at any time of the day, not just 9-3!
• Understanding that learning is a lifelong pursuit - that I am an active learner as well as my children.
• Discovering that asking questions is often more important than finding answers, and valuing the role of imagination in the creative and problem solving processes.
• Having the opportunity and ability to pursue areas of interest to me - academic, interest and hobby - and to include my children in my enthusiasm.
• Learning how to use and access a wide range of learning media - computers, television, videos, libraries, community institutions, people, materials, etc.
• Discovering I am not indispensable - allowing myself to let others tutor my children and learning how to recognise quality and safe tutors for my children.
• Discovering the educational value of play and creativity, and incorporating more of it into my own life!
• Learning the basic rule of education - 'Don't say no - have a go!'
• Learning the value of in-depth, interest led studies - choosing the content and methodology for each educational activity rather than having to follow a rigid curriculum.
• Being valued as a parent - experiencing increased self esteem and self worth.
• Knowing that my children are growing up protected from toxic chemicals and toxic schools.
• Enjoying exposure to a wide range of activities when supporting my children's interests and learning I may not otherwise have ever been interested in.
• Having quality friends - being part of a great group of like- minded, child-friendly parents interested in education.
• Learning a lot about education, how learning happens, understanding the process of learning.
• Learning that having fun and enjoying myself is okay...

This page has been translated into German for the Leben ohne Schule website: www.leben-ohne-schule.de/ beverley.paine/profitieren.html

Other related articles and links:

• The Benefits of Home Schooling: Education Survey
• Why Families Homeschool
• Ten Good Reasons To Homeschool
  by Greg Sherman
• What are some of the benefits of Homeschooling
• Top 15 Benefits from Homeschooling
• The Benefits of Homeschooling by Pamela Connolly
• The Benefits of Homeschooling Dave Quinn, Passion Australia
• Homeschooling Takes Your Child Out of Public School - A Unique Benefit Mission Islam
• The Benefits of Home Schooling Special Needs Students By Mimi Rothschild
• Looking at the Benefits of Christian Homeschooling by Peter Storz
• How to Learn the Benefits of Homeschooling
• Back to the (Wrong) School by Seth Godin, explores a pifall of an industrial age focused education system

Are they any disadvantages to homeschooling? Read some comments by several homeschooling mothers.

 

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Beverley Paine is a mother of three young adults and a prolific writer of homeschooling articles. More articles and essays can be found in her books, available from the Always Learning Books online bookstore.

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