Pros & Cons of Homeschool Preschool

             Hey folks! With the (surprising) popularity of my last homeschool post, I thought, “Hey! Maybe this is something you guys are interested in. Maybe it will be helpful or fun if I share a list of my own pros and cons of homeschooling preschool.” ...In case some of you might be thinking about it yourself. Keep in mind, we are just starting “for real” this year, so I'm sure this list will change over time!

Pros

*Wake up whenever we want. This is a major bonus for us because none of us are early risers!

*No hectic pick up and drop offs at school. We are regularly late to places. I can't even imagine rushing to get to school in time...only to wait in line. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure Myka would try to get in the wrong car...Several times...

*No emotional first days! I'm sure some people still get a little sad that “their baby” is starting school, but I'm not much of a crier.

*We can go at our (her) own pace. If we want to spend two weeks learning about weather, we can. Plus, Myka gets really into her work sometimes. For example, the other day she probably took close to an hour just to decorate a windsock we made. She would never be allowed that much time to work on something at a regular school!

*We can go on field trips or outings anytime we want. For me, this is a big perk. Admittedly, Myka still mentions wanting to go to “real school” sometimes. When she brings this up, usually my first and only response is about the fact that we wouldn't be able to go do fun stuff, like going to the park, bouncy place, etc., whenever we want. That she would be stuck inside a building all day long.

*We can do school work whenever we want. Since we get up whenever, usually eat twice in the morning, and have farm chores to do, we usually don't get down to the “nitty gritty” stuff until the afternoon while the little one is napping. Hey. It works for us!

*Since we are able to have such one-on-one, individualized time, I am able to cater our school work to her unique learning style. While she would probably be ok in preschool and kindergarten, Myka is very much a visual and hands-on learner. She needs lots of hands-on and whole body activities to keep her interest.

Cons

*I don't get NEARLY as much personal time. I am a big fan of alone time. In fact, being an introvert, I need it. However, this was a sacrifice I knew I would have to make going into this. I'm a night owl, so I tend to stay up late for my much needed alone time.

*Myka is not getting as much social interaction as she would be at school. I will admit, I do think she would benefit from this in ways. However, don't be fooled. Homeschoolers have plenty of opportunities to socialize, from library programs to public classes to homeschool groups/co-ops. And more!

*If you happen to use one, curriculums are pricey! We have a nature curriculum that we use some, but we got it free for review a few years ago. Other than that, especially at this age, it's way easier and more cost effective to come up with your own “plans”.

Do you homeschool? What would you add to this list?