Peer Pressure and the Homeschool Child
Monday, May 1st, 2006By Mimi Rothschild
One of the biggest benefits of being a homeschool parent is that you provide the main model of behavior for your child. Although most parents who make the choice to homeschool their children ensure that their kids have active social lives, the homeschool parent has more of an opportunity to influence their children’s morals and world views than the parents of students in the traditional classroom setting. This is more than just a benefit of making the decision to homeschool your child. As the saying goes, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” All parents, and especially parents who homeschool, need to be sure that the way they act, speak, and present themselves to the world reflects how they wish their children to behave.
Despite the fact that they aren’t attending classes at the local high school, homeschool children still spend a great deal of time with their peers. Homeschool children are exposed to the same pressures as public school children to do things like drink, do drugs, have sex, and sneak out with their friends. The difference is that parents who homeschool have a greater opportunity to set examples for their children and to keep the lines of communication open.
There are several ways that homeschool parents can ensure that they are communicating effectively with their children. The most important way is one of the simplest – listen. Listen when your child speaks to you. Conversations are a wonderful way to keep in touch with what is going on in the life of your homeschool child. What are the things that your child is passionate about? Who are his or her friends? Parents should encourage homeschool children to pursue the things that interest them, and they should also take an interest in what is going on in their children’s lives. These are the best ways to create an open, communicative relationship.
With the lines of communication open, homeschool parents can also let their children know about their own values, morals and views of the world. By setting an example with your own behavior, you can ensure that your child is well prepared when he is called upon to make tough choices. Homeschool parents can also incorporate important life lessons into their homeschool curriculums. Don’t let your child’s first conversation about drugs or alcohol be with a peer who is pressuring him to try these things. Talk about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. The same goes for any issue that you would rather your homeschool child learn about from you than from friends.
Raising a teenager is never easy. Homeschool parents are faced with a difficult challenge. They must let their child know their views on issues that are not always easy to discuss, and still give their children the space to make their own choices. With open communication and behavior that reflects the way they want their children to act, homeschool parents can keep their children on course throughout their teen years.