If this posts title caught your attention then chances are you feel strongly about the topic of homeschooling. People tend to fully support it, or think it is the worst possible education ever. I am sorry to tell you, this isn’t a post for those who are anti-homeschooling at all. Those who homeschool on the other hand and came here wondering why anyone would attack it, can now relax and settle in for you already understand what I actually mean!
Yes, We love Homeschooling!
We have over 500 reasons why we homeschool!
You see for a large family who has homeschooled many years and has graduated one child already, you might imagine we have spent a pretty penny. Some will tell you it was worth every penny, and it was… kind of.
You see in all these 13 years of homeschooling a great amount of money has been wasted. This is not the fault of the children, but my own.
Homeschool art curriculums haven’t tended to be a success with our kids, getting kits has worked a bit better, having live classes like glass blowing was worth every penny. See in this photo the children were to be following an art class tutorial…. when instead they all choose to do their own things. This is homeschooling, and it is messy and fantastic!
For many of us, most of us, Homeschooling is expensive!
One minute a curriculum is working wonderfully and the next…. so mid-year we have to scrap yet another $300 math program that the child just seriously can’t stand or that Mom can’t stand having to do over again because it was just so dry, or too complicated, or just to much repetition it makes even me fall asleep!
One of the wonderful things about homeschooling is the ability to change curriculums when they no longer meet the needs of the student. This is also often costly. Sometimes you can’t know what is going to work till you try it for a few months. Sometimes a curriculum that was great for 2nd grade has a 3rd grade package that makes them plead for anything more interesting. Yes, there have been tears.
Homeschooling: Kind of like a choose your own adventure book!
I can’t tell you how much money we have waisted on curriculum over the years. A lot. Some of it can’t be resold after either. One can’t always get used materials…. some science kits are just junk for the intent you purchased them for even.
Yes, there is such thing as just bad homeschooling curriculum!
Don’t get me started on the homeschool “science” curriculum that is sold as neutral or young earth… <bang head on wall> We once paid for and signed up for live field trip classes for dinosaur bones and it turned out to be a young earth bible class type thing. No getting a refund on that even though the page advertising it never made it clear. Total bait and switch and it was more Homeschool money wasted.
What is a homeschool budget again?
I gave up years ago trying to keep track of our homeschool budget, mostly because I don’t want to know…. it is a lot. LOL Also because I didn’t want a running tally of the things that didn’t work. I would love to see your numbers if you have them though.
The fact is, while come can homeschool for cheap and do it well, we are not them. Most homeschool families we know waste a lot of money on curriculum. It is a downside for sure but at the same time, I think, it is the right way to do it.
It is ok, dare I say natural, to waste money homeschooling!
I do not think we should be pushing kids through a curriculum tooth and nail. If we wanted that public school staple, we would be sending our kids to public school. Instead, we want them to thrive, to retain their love of learning, and to help command their educational paths.
I tell myself this as I get ready to hit the button on a curriculum box for one of our kids that is just three subjects and over a thousand dollars. -shiver- The sticker shock never gets easier either. Just have to finish helping her pick the other subjects and then finish buying for the other 3 kids.
In the end, we love homeschooling and yes, homeschooling is worth every penny, even the wasted ones!
P.S. Some people can manage to not waist money when homeschooling. I don’t know them.
P.S.S. Some people say paying for an accredited high school at home is a waste of money. It made me feel more secure at the time using Wilostar3D online High School.
