Considering home education part 3: Positives of Home Schooling

From being able to spend more time together as a family to a better quality of education, everyone has their own benefits in adopting this alternative education choice.

Part 3 in the considering home education series asks our home educators what they feel are the positive aspects to home schooling.

If you missed parts 1 and 2, be sure to look back and keep an eye out for part 4 inshaAllah What are the negatives to home education?

What are the positives / benefits to home education?

"Children benefit tremendously from their parents attention"

Umm Moor Zainab, UK

" One to one learning, stress free, teach what is important and leave what is not, Tarrbiyah is possible from day one without any compromise, no need to waste time in traffic. Explore all what we want and no one to ask questions. Love Learning without spending time in studying for exams! "

Umm Maimoonah, Qatar

"alhamdu lillah there are many . we get more time with our kids, so that we know them and their problems, we can give more importance to deen, we can create and decide what are the subjects to be taught, also we can correctly guide them at each and every point"

Umm Abdurahman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

" You can go at the paste of your child. It's relaxed and comfortable environment for the child, (you have) one on one so your child gets more time and attention and you can pick up where you need to focus on more quickly. (As parents) you know what they are learning Islamically."

Umm Maryam, Canada

"We have the freedom to learn what's relevant and important and leave out the things that "google" is always there for."

Umm Yusuf, South Africa

"There is a multitude of benefits that would vary from family to family and from place to place, but just to cite a few:

- Live Islam inside the home and minimize outer influences that might corrupt it.

- Spend more time with people who mean the most for us,

- Being actively involved in the education of our children

- Have more possibilities to teach children to be righteous, dependent and responsible."

Umm Abderrahman, Australia

"You can spend more time learning things which are relevant to your family and your children. Learning is much more beneficial when you are interested in the subject matter, and home schooling gives our children that opportunity to look at what they are interested in!  When you are teaching your children, you can spend more time on something they struggle with before moving on, or speed up if your kids get the material fast! 

There is so much foolishness in mainstream society, which we are able to avoid bi'ithnillah! Education isn't just what we cover with pen and paper.....education is every aspect and part of our lives....education is lifeskills - something many of our youngsters today fail to have once they reach adulthood!

People often ask about socialisation.....typical school kids are made to sit with 30 other same age kids for 7 hours a day and get to actively socialise for an hour over lunch and maybe for 15 minutes during a morning break....to me that is not natural nor is it a representation of the real world!"

Umm Khadeeja, UK

" In the beginning when I didn't know much about homeschooling, the most important benefit was that they wouldn't be exposed to too much fitnah. But the more I learned about learning, I began to appreciate molding the education, instead of trying to fit a child into an education that just doesn't fit. " 

Umm Safiya, Denmark

"Control over topics, order, subjects, friends."
Umm Romaisa, USA

1.   "Too many to list, but the main ones for us are:
Children do not pick up bad habits and bad language from children at school. They choose their friends carefully now and we make an effort to socialise with like-minded families where the children are least likely to pass on bad habits etc.

2.    We get to spend half of our home educating time on Arabic and Islamic Studies. When they were at school they were often too tired to learn Arabic after a full day at school.

3.      We have got to know our children well through educating them. We get to spend much more time with them than we did when they were at school so get more time to talk and also to pursue family activities. Often when children are in school they become strangers to their parents or adopt a second identity for school.

4.      We get to travel and go on family holidays several times a year, at times when we choose. ie, when holidays are cheaper. School holiday dates are far too expensive for travelling in.

5.      Children are not pressured to do exams and tests every so often. We can test them in our own way, as and when we see fit."

Umm Hannah, UK

"Knowing what level of Education your children are at and help them succeed. Being able to protect them from bullies, and general bad influences' found in schools. Having more closeness as Mother and child."

Anonymous, UK

"Family ties, children get a strong identity, no bullying, no peer pressure, children can get up later if they are not morning people and learn when it is the best time for them.  less rushing around, more time to do things together, less stress.  Parents have control over curriculum content and things can be discussed with an Islamic perspective.  Don't have to 'ask' use the bathroom.  less illness.  Mostly positive socialization, avoid negative situations.  Can take Jummah off! Can travel more easily as a family. Don't have pressure to have the 'latest fashions'. Can tailor education to each child's needs." 

Umm Ibrahim, Canada

"Learning at own pace. - There's no pressure to 'catch up' to the rest of the class, there's no boredom if she gets something quickly and wants to move on."

Umm Shehrezad, U.A.E

"Homeschooling helped me become a better parent, more patient, and instilled even more of a love of learning in me even! I started looking forward to the time I was spending with her more and more and discovering I couldn’t, nor did I want her to spend 35-37 hours a week with other people not knowing what she was doing. I din’t want her spending 35 + hours a week learning their values, beliefs, jokes, lifestyle and mannerisms. I loved noticing her little eyes, they just sparkled when she would “get something” and it was just such a great feeling. I continued with much love and conviction. I discovered I loved her far too much to just throw her in school. Even though I didn’t have patience nor the time, or so I thought-I made time. Homeschooling is a very healthy, loving way to raise and teach our children. The fact is they DO “socialize” but the catch is they socialize with whom we allow them to."

Holly, USA

What positives do you get out of home schooling? Leave a comment below to let others know who might be thinking about starting this alternative education lifestyle or are feeling overwhelmed and need a reminder.