Some parents who send their children to regular school feel that the responsibility for their children’s education then lies with the school. They feel that homeschooling a child where you have to teach the child everything is a much bigger responsibility and don’t want any part of it. However when you stop to think about it, no matter what school or college your child attends, the end responsibility of educating your child lies with you, the parent.
Studies and Education are Different
Your student may learn to study different subjects in the homeschool classroom or in a regular school, however that is not the sum total of the education that is being provided to that child. Education has a far greater scope than mere book study. Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. It is a combination of story telling, discussion, teaching, training, and directed research. When you consider the wide scope of education you realise that a school outside can only cover a certain amount, the rest must be covered by the parent.
Supporting Your Student’s Learning
As a parent you are constantly evolving your role as a teacher to your child. Your student may go to regular school or be homeschooled, but you will consonantly be responsible for teaching them at each stage of life. In the early years it is more hands on learning and physical skills, then as they grow older your role changes to one of facilitator. It is your responsibility to support your child’s learning by proving your child with various resources. Your own attitude towards learning can inspire and motivate them to become better learners themselves. You are leading by example all the time, so make sure that you are a good role model.
Don’t Go Overboard
While you need to pay attention to your child and how he learns, you also need to maintain a balance between work and play. Don’t make them work so hard that they forget that they need to play. Let them understand that they will learn better when they are not stressed out. Yes it is your responsibility to ensure that they learn not to over work themselves as well.
