It’s a difficult choice, but here’s what you need to consider in a nutshell.

Benefits of Homeschooling that outweigh Public Schools

Homeschooling Strengthens Values & Beliefs

• Homeschooling allows families to intentionally instill values that are important to them and the freedom to share and practice their faith without restrictions.
• Public schools promote a fixed set of values, often without room for critical thought or diverse perspectives.

Self-Discipline is required in homeschooling.

• In homeschool, discipline comes from within, not from peer pressure or performance competition.
• Learning to do the work even when it’s hard or boring = real growth.
• Contrast this with the high-achieving public-school students often running on OCD-like habits.

Early Intervention

• Problems—academic, behavioral, learning disabilities—are often caught early in homeschool.
• Public school systems often miss these issues until it’s too late or harder to reverse unhealthy habits.

Social Struggles and safety

• Homeschooling minimizes exposure to toxic social games: popularity, fashion, peer pressure.
• Public school culture tends to push conformity over individuality.
• There has been a rise in school shootings and safety concerns over the years.

Bullying

• It exists in public school, period—even the good ones.
• Homeschool environments naturally reduce bullying due to smaller, safer social dynamics where adults are present.

Independent Thought

Public school tends to promote conformity through standard curriculum and groupthink dynamics.

Homeschool fosters real critical thinking: reading widely, analyzing deeply, discussing openly.

The Case for Public Schooling

1. Access to Certified Teachers & Specialists
   Public schools employ trained educators, special education professionals, counselors, and support staff who are equipped to handle a wide range of academic and emotional needs.
2. Built-in Socialization
   Students interact daily with a variety of peers, helping them develop essential social skills, emotional intelligence, and teamwork—sometimes these skills are hard to replicate in smaller settings.
3. Diversity of Perspectives & Experiences
   Public school classrooms often reflect broader society, exposing students to different cultures, beliefs, socioeconomic backgrounds, and worldviews.
4. Extracurricular Opportunities
   Sports teams, music programs, theater, clubs, and leadership organizations are often more accessible and varied and are often offered free of cost to students.
5. Support for Working Families
   Public schools provide consistent, structured schedules and resources like transportation and school meals, offering vital support for dual-income or single-parent households.

Challenges and Trade-offs

While both homeschooling and public schooling offer unique benefits, they also come with their share of challenges and trade-offs. Homeschooling requires a significant time and energy investment from parents, who are also juggling teaching with their other responsibilities. And while most homeschoolers are tired of hearing about “socialization” it can also be a concern if families aren’t intentional about creating community connections.

On the other hand, public school students may face larger class sizes, less individualized attention, and exposure to bullying or peer pressure. While public schools offer a more structured environment and access to trained educators, they also come with curriculum constraints and limited flexibility.

What It Really Comes Down To

It’s a big decision to decide on your child’s educational path. But you are the best person to make that choice. Consider what is truly important to you and what is best for your child and your family then move forward in that direction. Homeschooling has changed a lot over the years. You don’t have to do it alone. There is a plethora of online classes, support groups, co-ops, and people that are around you if you just look.

Early Signs of Autism in Toddlers, Infants and Babies: Diagnosis and Treatment Options

Written by Leslie Burby

The author is the mother of two children on the Autism spectrum and the Editor of Autism Parenting Magazine. She wrote this book to share her experiences and enlighten the public about identifying the signs of Autism in young children, a condition that is widely misunderstood. Burby endeavors to help parents understand what the signs are, how diagnosis criteria have changed, what sensory conditions may accompany Autism, how to get a diagnosis and who to contact as well as ancillary medical conditions and treatment possibilities.

I worked in this field for many years as a special educator and know first hand how Autism affects every child differently, how much conflicting information is out there, and how confusing the myriad symptoms and treatment options appear. The author systematically breaks down the old and new ways of identification and the five common types of Autism. She outlines the early signs and possible accompanying behaviors. Burby presents parents with a guideline of developmental milestones to look for in the areas of cognition, speech, social, adaptive, gross and fine motor skills. The section on sensory issues explains the differences between hypo and hyper sensitivity and indicates the behaviors that might accompany each. She also suggests ways to soothe children from her own personal experiences. Autism generally comes with a host of other medical conditions. Leslie outlines them: obsessive compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder and Fragile X Syndrome are just a few.

Most importantly, the author insists that parents not ignore the problem or allow pediatricians to suggest that they wait. She summarizes many of the popular early intervention strategies for cognitive, motor, speech and sensory issues. Even more valuable is the section which gives contact information country by country. Burby gives answers to frequently asked questions and offers a free copy of Autism magazine as well as sharing her personal contacts and reference sources.

This is a book that every parent, health clinician and educator should have in their library. Our children are counting on us.

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