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Homeschooling and The Single
Parent
One of the most daunting challenges is faced by those who wish
to homeschool a child, but have no partner. For most in that
situation, the need to earn enough income to support both
parent and child is paramount. That can leave little time to
devote to education. Private school is often economically out
of reach for single parents, even when a good one can be
found.
But thousands of determined single parents of either sex find a
way every year to homeschool a child. The results are
invariably worth it. Homeschooled children generally surpass
their peers on standardized tests and rank high on college
admissions lists.
The first issue is time management. Organized parents find they
have more time for homeschooling than they expect. That's
especially true when you calculate the actual instruction hours
provided in public schools. In a six hour public school day,
there are lunch breaks, breaks between classes and a great deal
of sitting doing nothing useful. Making every hour count can
easily compensate.
That time difference can be made even smaller, or even tip in
your favor, if you count weekends, holidays and summer. Though
children need free time to relax and pursue their own
interests, when learning is enjoyable life and learning merge.
Adding up holidays, weekends and summer as well as time in the
evening it's possible to come out with even more time for
education in a homeschooling situation.
Many homeschooling approaches are fairly unstructured or
child-driven. That means that it isn't always the case that a
parent is continually monitoring the child's activities as is
the case in public school.
Children may be left entirely free to pursue any subject that
interests them, at their own pace, as in the unschooling
approach. Or, they may be provided with resources and guidance
and perform a great deal of independent study. Results can be
checked later in the day or on weekends and adjustments made,
if needed.
Tutoring in various forms is another option for many single
parents who want to homeschool. Tutors range from in-home
teachers to a totally automated, online resource. Costs vary
enormously, but many tutors cost much less than day care. In
some instances, day care can be combined with tutoring
services, too.
Many single parents choose to start a home-based business. When
you add up the cost of day care, extra gasoline for the car and
the time required to commute, a home-based business will often
look more economically feasible. That doesn't even include the
possible tax savings from extra write-offs. Avoid businesses
that require a large up-front investment, to give yourself the
maximum time and freedom.
The Internet has made this option more feasible than ever
before. Many affiliate marketers, for example, make upwards of
$50,000 or more per year. They build websites or write
newsletters, requiring little technical skill, and advertise
products and services offered by others.
With a fair amount of research and a little creative thinking,
single parents can find the time and resources to homeschool
their child. Both parent and child can benefit greatly if they
do. The first step just requires the courage to dare. But
that's an attribute that single parents already have in
spades.
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