"Only" children lack even the fellowship of siblings; therefore, especially if they have a very social personality, friendships must be found outside the home. For better or worse, traditional school is where many children make their friends, an option obviously closed to homeschoolers.
While the social needs of the "only" are important, there is more to homeschooling an "only" child than connecting with friends.
Homeschooling families with singletons have issues that are very unique. Join in to offer support and encouragement to other single child homeschooling families.
I don't have any sisters or brothers, so I can identify with those who are homeschooling an only child. Growing up, well meaning friends and strangers encouraged my single mother to "give" me a brother or sister, saying that I was surely lonely, or destined to become spoiled rotten.
Many parents of single children toy with the idea of homeschooling their child at least once during their child’s tenure at school. The trend of homeschooling is indeed catching on with growth rate of 7 to 15 percent per year. It is estimated that there are currently two million children coming under the homeschooling program. They are reported to be performing on par with regular schoolchildren at college, universities and at work.
What’s the minimum number of children required to homeschool successfully? If you’ve ever wondered whether you can homeschool an only child, this podcast is for you! HSLDA President Mike Smith discusses socialization for the only child and how you can home educate well.
Rhonda Clark blogs about life homeschooling an only child.
Looking around at the homeschool families you know in your co-op, support group, or church, you might observe that most consist of more than one child. In fact, a 2006 National Center for Education report found that families with three or more children make up 62% of the homeschool population. If you're one of the few with an only child at home, you may be asking yourself the question, "Can I homeschool my only child?"
The Homeschool Only One (HOO) message board is a place where those on this journey with one student could network with others.
This lovely blog chronicles the journey of a grandmother homeschooling a single granddaughter.
Your family is simple – mom, dad, child. Homeschooling an only child has to be simple, right? You can get through all of the daily assignments without having to worry about teaching the other siblings, or bouncing a baby in your lap. This isn’t quite the case. Instead, homeschoolers of an only child face their own unique challenges.
This is a safe place for Christian families to share their hopes, joys, concerns and prayer requests as they homeschool an only child
Jenni Ryan shares resources and life experiences about raising a single child and homeschooling.
There’s nothing to lift the spirits like having someone come alongside to say, “Keep it up! You can do this!” If homeschooling seems a little daunting today, listen in as Mary Healy and Shannon Healy, a mother and daughter that have completed the home education journey, join host Mike Smith, on Home School Heartbeat.
This blog shares the experience of homeschooling an only child.
When you’re homeschooling only one child, the house can be a little confining some days. The secret of home education, though, is that it can happen anywhere! So where are you going to take your homeschool today? Mike Smith offers a few suggestions in this podcast.
Homeschooling offers special challenges (as well as blessings) to those who have only one student. Find help and camaraderie in "HOOville." HOO = Homeschooling Only One.
Homeschoolers report that it is sometimes more difficult to homeschool one child versus two or more children. Many parents report that it is easy to place too much pressure on a single child, as the child is the sole focus of the parent’s day. Clashes may also arise between a parent and a single homeschooler as they are together for a large part of the day. Both parents and single homeschooled children report that they sometimes feel smothered by each other. Some children also feel lonely.