Post #7: What I Don't Like About Homeschooling #1

  A while ago, one of my peers suggested that I write a post on what I don't like about homeschooling.  As you can readily observe, I have taken her wonderful advice and have created an entirely new caveat of my blog to aid in following her fabulous suggestion and to help balance out my arguments.  So, without further ado, here is number 1.


   The first thing I don't like about homeschooling is...practices.  No, not that I don't like practices, in fact, I LOVE practices!  (Well...most of the time...everybody knows that games and performances are where the real fun starts, but I think practices can be really fun, too!)  What I mean is that I don't like how FEW practices we get to have...  Since homeschooling, by definition, is as all about not going to a building everyday, it can be hard for parents and students alike to adjust to having to meet somewhere for practices.  Not only does that hinder the number of practices we have, but we also have to pay for the cost of renting a facility (since we don't have one to call our own). This can make it difficult without very many players or participants and can hinder the flexibility of leaders and coaches. (Location is a big discussion, too, because of the far-flung residences of different families).  Being a player, though, these variables largely don't directly apply to me, and I want to be able to practice more often so my team and I can improve and compete!  I listen in envy as private and public schools alike rant on and on about how they are privileged (or not so privileged as some perceive it) to practice every weekday and often on weekends and breaks.  It's true, it can be really nice to not have to be at a practice every single day and to have many breaks, but I also would have loved to get to practice more often!  To get stronger and better together every day?!?  Who wouldn't want that??  What I did like about not practicing very often in choir and sports is hearing and observing the shock in people's voices and on their faces when they realized we only practiced as a group at an average of two times a week.  The key to that is, in essence, the secret of homeschooling--homeschoolers have to work at and practice things on their own.  And that, if you ask any psychologist, is the secret to true learning.  Application and self-discipline.  As one of my favorite women in history wisely mused,




    "Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence."
                                                                                ~Abigail Adams~