PROS

CONS

Flexibility

Ability to change something is it isn't working

More time spent with the kids

Taking control of their learning

Learning at own pace

Safe learning environment

Affordable private education

Alleviates stress of school refusal
Tailor program to suit child's learning style
Children regain desire to learn
Develop your own routine
No school drop off or pick up

No rigid timetable, lesson times, school bell

Sleep ins, late nights are okay

Learning opportunities everywhere

Kids can start their own businesses

Learning is more relevant and meaningful
Being able to teach what you think is important, not what others think

Relaxed

Less demanding

More flexible for children with health issues

Getting to know the kids better makes it easier to anticipate and meet their needs, in all areas of life

Allowing children to follow their interests

Opportunities for hands-on learning

No need to watch the clock

Happier children

Watching the children learn, grow and develop, not missing milestones

You get to spend all day with your best friends
Visiting popular places when they aren't busy

Greater connection, strong family bonds

Freedom to learn whatever, whenever, for as long as they like

Ability to specialize early if desired

Absence of unnecessary competition

Lack of comparison and grading

No tests (unless you want them)

Kids are able to have a say about what they learn, how and when

Travelling and going on holidays are easier
Lots of friends
Watching children's confidence grow

Get to go places schools don't visit

Healthier - don't catch whatever bug is going around

Less incidence of head lice

Your entire life becomes centred around home educating your kids

More opportunity for physical activity

Eat and drink and go to the toilet as needed

More time for free play

Children get comfortable with their own company

Less stress

Opportunity to use life experiences to cover the curriculum

Ability for the parent to catch up on missed learning

Getting to see kids who hated learning start loving it again

Higher self-confidence and self-esteem

Kids turn out to be independent thinkers

Keeping the kids engaged

Keeping the kids motivated

Too few local families
Discipline

Effect of reduced income

Difficulty organising child care
Time management, especially if working full or part time

Lack of 'me' time for parents

Application and review paperwork
No down time, no respite - continuous child-care

Criticism from other people

Unwelcome and uninvited interest from other people

Can take a lot of trial and error or a long time to find the approach that best suits the family

Need to continually find appropriate resources, develop activities and lessons

Learning things that bore you because your child wants to learn about them

Wishing you'd started sooner!

Difficult to keep the house tidy

No funding and no tax breaks for educational expenses

Sometimes kids get harassed by strangers for not being in school

Kids turn out to be independent thinkers

Sometimes hard to find activities to suit a range of different aged children

Coping with disapproving relatives

Lack of close emotional, intellectual and physical support for the parent (especially single parents)

Coping with feeling insecure about our choice to home educate

Friends stop visiting because their kids are in school and ours aren't

Too easy to over-commit to extra-curricular activities and be too social

Your entire life becomes centred around home educating your kids

The need to organise social activities for your kids