This is an excerpt from an interview I had.

What do you think are the benefits and drawbacks of homeschooling only one?

One-on-one time with your child is definitely a benefit. It truly is the epitome of the tutorial method of education, the best way of imparting knowledge to another. But that one-on-one time is like a two-edged sword, it can be a drawback also. We as parents can focus so much on our child that every slight infraction gets our full attention.  In families with several children, constant attention on every child for every moment of the day is not possible. When there is only one child, it takes purpose to choose which battles to fight—parents tend to want to fight every one, correct every weak area. That can be overwhelming to a child, not to mention  encouraging them to grow up a perfectionist who thinks they will never attain acceptance.

I wouldn’t call this a drawback, but it could be if the parents aren’t on the same page. A mom who stays home to be the primary teacher is with that child, for the most part, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Mom needs some “off duty” time. Moms’ Night Out with a homeschool group is a good outlet to be with other adult women for conversation. Beyond that, even a trip to the grocery store in the evening is an exciting time when done all by yourself, or going to the library or a park or any place that holds an interest to the mom. It’s important to become recharged and have some time where you aren’t in charge of another human being. Dads have to realize that they may have 2 full-time jobs (being the breadwinner and the head of household), but they get a change of scenery, whereas moms are in the same locale for the most part 24/7. If they do get out, they are still “on duty.” Even being able to close the door to the bedroom and have dad be totally in charge of the child is a blessing at times! It also helps if mom needs to catch up on paperwork concerning homeschooling. With only one child, mom is the one that they interact with all the time… sometimes a constant chatter can get very old!

I know that I taught my son the words “sensory overload” when he was 3 or 4. I told him I needed some quiet for just a bit. Learning to send a child to their bedroom for some quiet play is a good thing, also. Moms need to realize that they do not have to entertain or orchestrate their child all waking hours.

Other benefits to homeschooling one, which are very similar to the benefits of homeschooling any number of children: 

** You can tailor make their education specific for them, their needs, and their learning style

** You can go as fast or as slow as the child needs to learn.

** You gain a close relationship with that child.

** You can both delve into their interests to a depth that isn’t possible when there are many children with many different interests.

Homeschooling one child is not impossible or harder than any other form of homeschooling. If parents can look beyond the regimented way of doing school-at-home, realize that when there is only one student the school day won’t look like it did when they attended an institutional school (public or private), there can be great joy in homeschooling only one child. Balance has to be found in the level of outside activity. With every individual child being unique, you can not compare your homeschooling experience with anyone else’s. Some children need high levels of social interaction while others don’t have the same high need, yet still need to be put into learning & growing situations outside their comfort zone. 

It’s a great journey and I hope that I can always be an encouragement to others in the same kind of boat. I have already finished directing my son’s education at home, but my heart will always be that of a homeschooler!

Donna Conner lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband, Glenn, their son, Mike, Donna's mother, Charlotte, and their dog, Lucia. Donna and Glenn have been homeschooling their son since the beginning of his education. Mike completed his homeschooling in the fall of 2008. Donna is an artist and has always enjoyed writing. She wrote Homeschooling Only One in 2003, after discovering that there were many other families homeschooling only one child. Her website is devoted to those with only one student in their homeschool, with listings of online resources. You can visit her website at  http://donnac.com and read her blog at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DonnaC

copyright © 2008 Donna Conner ~~ All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of author, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles where the title and author are listed.

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