Homeschooling an Only Child

I originally posted this, titled The One and Only, on my personal blog back in 2006. Though I currently have a whole new set of challenges — homeschooling a teen — I find that the challenges and pleasures of homeschooling an only child haven’t changed in the five years since I wrote this. If you or someone you know is considering homeschooling an only child, perhaps this post will help put some concerns to rest.

The One and Only

Can I homeschool an only child? What are the pros and cons? What about friends? How can you do projects? What about cooperative learning? How can a homeschooled only child learn to work with others? Are there other families homeschooling with an only child?

These are some of the honest questions faced by parents who are homeschooling an only child. I would like to address the last one first. I used to feel that we were outside the homeschool norm because we have an only child, but now I know better. Why, in my local homeschool group, I can name 10 only child families off the top of my head, and if I took time to think about it, I know I could name more. Lest you think this is an odd homeschool group, we also have families with 2 and 3 children, as well as 4 or more.

Homeschooling an only child has some unique advantages, as well as disadvantages. I think though, that the disadvantages are easy enough to overcome if you’re willing to make the effort. So what are the pros and cons? I’ll start with the cons, then give you the good stuff. And by the time you finish reading this post, I hope you’ll know that the answer to the first question is an unequivocal yes.

Disadvantages to homeschooling an only child:

• -unless there are children in your neighborhood, you have to make an effort to help your child find friends
• -there’s no older sibling to help the younger one with schoolwork (and I think there’s some value in older children teaching younger ones, so I do see this as one of the disadvantages)
• -a learning project is often more fun when several children are working on it
• -at times, the homeschooling parent must take on the role of classmate

Advantages to homeschooling an only child:

• -more money to spend on curriculum and other resources
• -no need to figure out how you’re going to keep the toddler occupied
• -no worries about how (or whether) to teach all your children together
• -it’s easier to do interest led learning when you don’t have the competing interests of more than one child
• -less room needed to store supplies

No matter how easy we moms of onlies think it is to homeschool an only, there’s no getting around the fact that we face some unique challenges. So what do we do about it? For one thing, relax. Take a deep breath and know that you can do this.

If you have a local homeschool group that fits your family, get involved. Join or start a co-op in the group. Look into 4H. Some 4H clubs are made up primarily of homeschoolers. Try scouting, local teams (soccer, Little League, etc.) or individual sports like martial arts. You should however, resist the urge to overcompensate; don’t choose too many activities.

Perhaps one of the best things you can do is try to help your child find a close friend or two. This is often better than being around large groups all of the time. A close friend can be invited over to play, to go with your family on certain types of outings, and even to participate in some fun school activities, such as science experiments.

Yes, homeschooling an only child has its challenges. But moms of many will tell you they have challenges of their own. Homeschooling an only child is no more or less challenging than homeschooling 2, 3. or 7 children.

Finally, if you’re wondering how only children (homeschooled or otherwise) turn out as adults, here’s a list of some famous only children. I tried to list people from different areas of society, and included a link to an even longer list.

Robin Williams
Robert Di Niro
Natalie Portman
Robert Louis Stevenson
Rudy Guiliani
Tommy Lee Jones
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (was homeschooled)
Al Pacino
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Chelsea Clinton
Laura Bush

Daniel Radcliffe
John Lennon
Anna Kournikova
Brooke Shields
Alan Greenspan
John Updike
Alicia Keys
Emile Zola
Elton John

http://www.ranker.com/list/famous-only-children/andrew

Homeschooling moms (and dads) of many, you won’t be left out. Plans are in the works for a post on the ups and downs of large family homeschooling.

Tags: home school, homeschool, homeschooling an only child