Homeschooling

Regarding study of tomorrow people hire rebbi for fee hours, depending on father’s ability to teach children. It takes a tiny fraction of the time to teach a child one on one in accordance to personal needs than it takes in a classroom setting. There are also online classes that many people use for both judaic and secular subjects. Older children can also take advantage of the many shiurim and learning programs available in the neighborhood as well as online.

Homeschooling is as expensive as you want it to be. Perhaps if it only one child you are homeschooling it can end up more expensive if mother leaves her job to care for one child. but of you have many children it is difficult to imagine how can it possibly be more expensive. Most subjects covered in school do not require special tutors. But by homeschooling children get both time and financial ability to pursue extra curricular interests. As opposed to education system that chews up information into tiny bits for children, then asks them to swallow it and then spit it back. Homeschooling allows for child led approach where children have time to think, explore, and learn to study on their own.
I have never seen such a phenomina that homeschooling children have a hard time in groups or any kind of social situations. It is exactly the opposite. My children get to interact with wide variety of people as opposed to people exactly like them, their age, their background, in the same uniform (like real life). Therefore my children are the most well socially adjusted children that I know. They do not have the inhibition that I see in so many children in my neighborhood. My children play with all kids in the neighborhood who range from chassidish to secular. They are comfortable with all ages, including many adults who we have over as shabbos geusts. And I think that is the most important chinuch they can ever get. Real life does not resemble a sterile classroom.
As for feeling ‘normal’ , let’s be honest, there is no lack of children that are made to feel not normal by the school system. If homeschooled kids don’t feel ‘normal’ that is not something that is inherent in homeschooling. In my opinion it is very important to teach children that they do not have to be like everyone else in order to be ‘normal’. This idea that everyone has to be cookie cutter same is one of the ugliest trends the frum scosiety has developed in the past generation.
Teachers in school are often very poorly equipped to teach. People I know who go into chinuch are regular people who do not have more education than an average mother. They often have less.
True mothers get tired of dealing with kids without break. Mothers also get tired of having to work, then deal with kids all evening and wake up for babies at night. Etc. All mothers get tired. Father’s also need to be involved. Hiring babysitters and cleaning help as often as necessary is a tiny price to pay for the many benefits children get by spending their childhood stress free in a family setting as opposed to in a mass production one size fits all system.

Regarding homeschooling different ages. There are many things kids of different ages can do together, and each benefits on their own level. Older children mentoring younger ones is a great educational experience for both the older and the younger. In my homeschooling methodology, the goal is to make use of children’s natural curiosity and desire to learn and make them into independent learners. The older children should be able to accomplish much of their learning independently.
Diy can he more expensive but i find that is a rare case. The reason to do diy is to get the exact product you want and the high quality you want. I do diy because the product I want is not on the market. It is custom made and tailored to each of my children.
I do not know any homeschooling families who are doing this because they are rich. They do not have any special financial surcumstanses. They are doing this because they believe it is best for their children.
As a young woman who is still building a family, pursuing my career has too many drawbacks. I just cannot be depositing by newborn babies at a babysitter. Babies need a lot of holding and nursing and unless you have a privet babysitter there is no way a baby gets proper care. Another two toddlers in play group, and a few school tuitions, plus after care. Me working can be worth the money, especially if you consider the price my infants would have to pay for it, and the health and sanity I would loose by doing so.
People who choose homeschooling can afford it because that is what is important to them. If people can afford kollel with the mother shouldering all responsibilities of both man and woman… Then definitely people can afford mother staying home and saving on tuition while the father makes a living. If that is what they value. It is not a lifestyle of luxury. But it is a lifestyle of freedom and health. I have time to give all my children attention they need and I have opportunity to feed them fresh homemade food for every meal. No one is rushing, no one is stressed. No one tells us when to wake up, how to dress, what kind of cell phone to use, etc. My children are not receiving grades, or tickets or stickers or avoiding punishments. Everyone has opportunity to explore and discover and think about what interests them.
I do have a graduate degree, but I realized pursuing my career is not compatible with the way I want to raise my children. As much as I feel I wasted much money and many years on my graduate education, it is not a reason to waste more time and money on a lifestyle I don’t believe in. I am building my life around the way I want to raise my family. I am coming up with other opportunities to make money. And my children can learn and be part of both mine and my husband’s business ventures. It’s a family adventure and the parents are in full control.

Not everyone uses online classes, personally it’s not something I am into. I was giving examples of different possibilities that exist.
I am not attempting to shield my children from reality by not sending them to school. I find school has very little to do with reality. Unless you plan to spend your life behind a desk , surrounded by desks with people of your exact age and background, and having someone constantly giving you direction. My children will have many real opportunities to work hard and accomplish things in the world. Their reward will not be a grade but the fruit of their labor. The school is the bubble. And that is one of the biggest problems with it. And yes there are multiple studies which show the benefits of homeschooling. Though it is often not wise to apply general statistics to individual situations. Nothing is ‘for everyone.’ But I think homeschooling is something many children and families can benefit from.