Written by Angela Caban

Homeschooling today has become rather popular within the military community. The Department of Education has recently reported that there is currently over 2 million children learning at home, with 32 percent of that being military families. Homeschooling not only provides an ease in transition for children but also flexibility with military schedules. Chrisy Krueger, a mom of three, former military spouse and Published author agrees that homeschooling is a great advantage for children.

“Homeschooling a military child provides them with an easier transition to a new duty station should a PCS occur during the school year. Instead of being pulled from a classroom of friends and thrown into a classroom of strangers, homeschoolers are given the opportunity to learn in a more consistent manner. They maintain the same books, the same teacher and the same rules. This stability is invaluable to those living the military lifestyle and it also affords children with a calm and progressive learning environment.”

Children today can also have the emotional freedom from peer pressure, competition and bullies. And for the military children who are forced to change schools often, this is one less problem they will not be forced to face. Vernessa Neu is also a military spouse who has had the experience of homeschooling her children.

“My family was able to make a smooth school transition from coast to coast and my daughter did not lose a single day of instruction.  We were easily able to travel with her school work. The homeschooling program that we were using at the time was partially online and that made our travel load lighter.”

When it comes to children making friends and staying connected socially with others, the transition is not as difficult as many may think. 

“My daughter was able to ease into making new friends.  She wasn’t immediately put into a new school environment where she had the pressure of being the new kid again.  She was able to take her time getting to know the kids in our new neighborhood.”

But along with the advantages of homeschooling, there are also many disadvantages that may affect you and your child. As the parent and teacher, you may begin to feel overwhelmed with the constant routine and restructuring of your daily life. This can also be a challenge for the child, as they are used to their daily routine as well. Vernessa states that the biggest challenge for her daughter was not being able to participate in competitive sports.

 “My daughter was able to play MWR or city league sports but we soon found out that middle and high school sports were far more competitive.  This was a big deal for my daughter because she is very athletic and she felt that she could only reach her maximum potential if she was involved in school sports.”

 But regardless of the disadvantages, military families are noticing that homeschooling is a process in which takes some adjustment, but well worth it in the end.

If you are thinking about homeschooling your child, you will most likely be concerned as to whether or not you are doing the right thing for them. The best thing at this point is to make sure you research all the information as well as speak with those who have had the experience of homeschooling. Making a pro and con list is rather helpful in this situation.

For more information on homeschooling your child or how to get started, please visit http://www.militaryhomeschoolers.com/.