4.) They can spend time forming their religious, political, and worldviews with their parents. The highschool years are a huge developmental leap for our kids. They are now able to talk about deeper issues that deeply impact their thoughts and beliefs.
Don’t shy away form these hard discussions.
Your child needs you to have them with her. She needs to be able to talk out loud about her viewpoints–even if they disagree with yours–so she can form them and learn from them. Encourage your child to think for themselves and think critically over these important topics. And being able to do it inside of the safety of your house is important.
Homeschooling can allow for these discussions, either because the curriculum brought them up, or just because the news or the events of the day did. But now you have the time to sit with them, talk about them and help her think critically.
5). They have more time for their passions: sports, school, hobbies. Homeschooling allows the time your child needs to fully pursue his hobbies and interests. He can pour himself into his passion and come out so much better on the other side. And to do it with no worries about a test or a paper due, just adds to the greatness!
By giving your child more time, they can use that to really go after their hobbies and excel at it! (Most kids can play sports in high school even if they’re homeschooled. Check with your state, but it is possible most anywhere.)
6). Homeschooling allows for relationship building with younger siblings and parents. It’s likely that your child will leave your house after high school, whether they go to college or not. Even if they stay home for a couple of years, it will be different.
The high school years are the last years you have with your child as a child in your house. This can be an excellent opportunity for developing stronger relationships with their siblings, parents and other family members. If you have your child at home instead of in school, they have to figure out how to get along with their siblings or it can be no fun for anyone.
When I was a new homeschooling mom, I heard a saying along the lines of if your child can get along with their siblings, they can get along with anyone. Your children will be adults longer than they were kids, you want them to have good relationships with their siblings for their adult years.
Now is the time to nurture that. They can have the time and space to figure each other out, deal with conflict resolution and common interests. They can support each other and cheer each other on.
You can also reestablish a solid relationship with them or move to a new level if they’ve been home this whole time.
Either way, the teenage years are a great time to rediscover your child and maybe find some things you have in common and pursue them together.