Are there really negative effects of homeschooling? Homeschooling is becoming an increasingly popular educational choice among US families. Statistics on homeschooling vary greatly as there are no consistent methods for assessing exactly how many students are being educated in this way. However, some studies indicate that the number of families choosing to homeschool is increasing by as much as 20% per year. 

In spite of the growing popularity of home education, there are still many critics who are concerned about the negative effects homeschooling has on students. The bad news is that there are indeed some potentially negative effects of homeschooling. The good news is that if parents are aware of them, they can all be overcome successfully.

Social Interaction
The most commonly cited negative effect of homeschooling is lack of socialization. While this can be a very real concern if children spend all of their time at home with the parents, this is not the typical homeschool scenario. There are ample opportunities for social interactions for homeschooled students. Homeschooling groups, sports teams, enrichment classes, dance, theater and art programs and volunteer work are just a few of the opportunities for socialization open to homeschoolers. 

Many homeschooling advocates argue that the social opportunities afforded to homeschoolers actually provide better socialization than those of their traditionally schooled peers. While kids in school are primarily exposed to only a group of kids their own age, homeschoolers’ social interactions are with a wide variety of people of all ages in varying situations, which is, after all, how the “real world” operates. 

Odd Kids Out?
Another commonly perceived negative effect of homeschooling is the notion that homeschooled kids are shunned or ostracized by their schooled peers. While that there are some homeschool kids who are picked on by their peers, there are also many schooled kids who get picked on too. Bullying is one of the greatest issues in public schools today, and it’s a problem that homeschooled kids are generally well-insulated from. It is more accurate to say that because of their exposure to so many different kinds of people, homeschooled kids actually do quite well interacting with homeschooled and schooled kids alike.

Parental Dependence
Homeschool critics also point to homeschoolers’ dependence on their parents as a negative effect of homeschooling. However, this perception of dependence is not what it seems. Yes, homeschooling families typically do share strong family bonds, but generally speaking homeschooled students tend to be much more independent than their traditionally schooled peers. Homeschooled kids are typically independent learners and thinkers who are much less likely to fall under the spell of peer pressure or succumb to negative influences. Because of their regular exposure to a wide variety of people and situations, homeschoolers are also much more comfortable dealing with unfamiliar experiences.

As more and more homeschoolers reach adulthood and become capable and productive members of society, people are seeing that many of the perceived negatives of homeschooling are not really so negative after all. Instead they should be viewed as potential challenges that parents need to be aware of and which can be overcome successfully with a little effort.