For the most part, I haven’t had to deal with too much criticism of my decision to homeschool. Sure, a family member often touted the benefits of public school (until she started homeschooling her own ten years later). And one of my best friends in Texas often talked about kids who “live in a bubble.” But, she was a snarky kind of girl so I brushed it off.
Most people don’t say anything at all – positive or negative. I do know people who have faced a barrage of negative feedback about their decision to homeschool their kids, though.
If you find yourself facing criticism for your decision to homeschool your children, how will you handle it?
Dealing with Negative Feedback
This is YOUR Decision
First and foremost, remember that this decision is yours. You have to do what is best for YOUR family. No one else is responsible for raising your children so no one – except your spouse – should have a say in your final decision.
Now, I know that most people who voice concerns aren’t doing so to be mean. I believe that most of them are just uninformed or base their opinions on stereotypes not on actual people they know. So take their questions and concerns with a grain of salt. Thank them for their concern, and remember why you decided to embark on this journey in the first place.
Why Did You Start This Journey?
When faced with criticism or negativity, remember why you made the decision to homeschool your family in the first place. Did you desire to meet the needs of your special learner? Was your goal to provide a better education than your local public school? Did you want to build your children’s education on a spiritual foundation?
Whatever your goal was to begin with, hold tight to that. Above everything else, I bet your desire to homeschool was grounded in the fact that you are doing what is right for YOUR family. So, no matter what anyone else says, focus on that.
It Will Speak for Itself
The benefits of homeschooling will speak for themselves. One of the only people in my life to ever question my decision to homeschool really came around to it when Emma was in about 2nd or 3rd grade – about 7 years into my homeschool journey. Emma was sharing some of her recent lapbooks with this someone. This naysayer looked up at me amazed at all Emma knew about whatever topic they were discussing and admitted that she would never receive this level of education in the public school system. That was the last time I heard anything negative about homeschooling from her.
If you do some research, you can easily find statistics about test scores and college admissions. However, I don’t focus on those numbers. I look at my kids and how they are thriving, and I know that this was the right decision for our family.
Have you ever dealt with negativity toward your decision to homeschool? How do you handle it?
Hi. My step mom doesn’t think I’m qualified to homeschool my children so i get an earful from her, but it doesn’t matter what she thinks because this is my daughter and not her daughter. My daughter was born premature and has learning disabilities so I think that she will do better learning one on one rather than getting lost in a shuffle of 30 or more students. I heard that each child in a public school receives 2 minutes of the teacher’s attention daily. That is not acceptable to me. Also, I use a Christian curriculum which I love. Christian schools are very expensive and homeschooling in a Christian environment at home is affordable. We get to sleep in a little and I don’t need to worry about her being in a classroom with a not so nice teacher and other children who may bother her. Homeschooling is the only option for us and I am happy that I have the freedom to teach my child in my loving home. Take care, Leanne from Michigan
Bless you, Leanne, for standing strong in your belief that homeschooling is best for your daughter. It takes courage to take on that task in the face of adversity, and I applaud your courage! Hold tight, momma!
There are always those who are negative about something. Being confident about your choices (or acting confident…lol) goes a long way.
We hear a lot of the “we will see how long this lasts” remarks since Boober is only a Pre-K homeschooler. I love having him at home and learning time is some of the most fun we have throughout the day.
I have had very few comments (positive or negative) said to my face. I do know that some things were said about my decision behind my back, and it was very hurtful. I know I made the best decision for my kids, and I believe I was led to the decision by God. I decided not to confront those who were saying negative things about my decision unless they voiced them to me. Years later they have had instances where public school suddenly wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and I think they understood my decision better then.
Thankfully, I have had some very positive comments on homeschooling which has been a source of comfort to me when I hear that someone was judging our choice.
You’re right. It’s best to ignore the negatives that were said away from you. Hold tight to those positive comments. They’ll get you through the negative ones.
Blessings to you as you start your journey! It’s a wild and crazy ride, and it’s worth every minute!
You are so right!
This is such a great post to hold on to during those difficult times. Most of my own family homeschools and I was homeschooled, so although I hear criticism from the outside world, my inner circle is very supportive which makes a huge difference. I am going to pin it for later 🙂
Thanks for linking up at the #favoritethingsfriday link up! make sure you post a backlink or button to be eligible to be featured. Ill post the feature on Friday and will be sharing on my facebook page as well!
I love that your inner circle is so supportive! What a blessing! Thanks for pinning!
This is a great post. I especially love this part: “Thank them for their concern, and remember why you decided to embark on this journey in the first place.” Whenever we get ANY kind of criticism, it’s good to start by thanking the other person for their concern. It’s disarming, especially if they’re a little snarky, and it sets a nice tone for the rest of the conversation.
And I completely agree about not using stats or figures. I’m not concerned too much with how much better homeschooling is for others. I’m concerned with how much it helps MY kids and those results do speak for themselves.
Thanks for linking up with Family Fun Friday! 🙂
Great Post! It is so important to remember why we are on this journey.
Yes, it is!
Yes, Selena! I can’t worry about “everybody else.” I can only focus on what is best for my family, and homeschooling is what’s best!