Homeschooling your teenager

This article looks at the pros and cons of educating your teenager at home. As the recession hits countries across the world, less money is being spent on education. How about taking responsibility for your teenagers education? Parents can choose to educate from home and have fun while doing so!

How hard is it to get your teenager to go to school? It could be just because they can't be bothered to get out of bed or is there something more serious going on like bullying or peer pressure? Whatever their reason, you can decide to home school your teenager and bring back their love of learning.

Home schooling means re-connecting with your teenager and spending more time with them. This can be difficult to start with especially if they have had issues with school. Give them time to de-school, get rid of the negative feelings they have around education and gradually introduce the idea of learning again.

Home schooling takes time and will take up your time. The joy of home schooling teenagers is that you don't have to look over their shoulders every five minutes. They can learn by themselves as well as with you.

Think of the things that you did together when they were little like visiting museums, going swimming, visiting the library. You can do these things again and enjoy each other’s company as adults eager to learn new things. You'll end up learning too!

Home schooling can be costly if you buy expensive educational materials but many are available free on the internet. Things like hand-outs, quizzes and course materials can all be downloaded or used online.

Don't worry if you are not familiar with a subject. Ask around your friends and family and involve other people in your teenager's education.

Organise a space for your teenager that is their study area but remember that book work is not all that education needs to be. Teenagers will engage with practical tasks like learning crafts and trades - you might even get them to help around the house!

Check out your education board's legal process. Home schooled children are usually placed on a register and their education assessed. Read up on the guidelines for assessment and become informed of the procedure and ready when the time comes.

Finally, by taking responsibility for your teenager's education, you are helping them to enjoy education once again. You are giving them the gift of learning for life.