Summary: Anxiety in teens and children has been increasing over the past years. Homeschooling has been seen as a viable solution to this due to its increased flexibility, controlled environment, and family involvement to boost self-confidence and independence.
III. Why and How Homeschool Can Help Ease Your Child’s Anxiety
B. Controlled Environment, Reduced Triggers
D. Foster Self-Confidence and Independence
Introduction
Children and teen mental health have been an important topic that has many experts worried. NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has aptly dubbed this generation of teens and children as “the anxious generation”. Anxiety can be triggered by a variety of things. It is often attributed to the rise of technology and social media, while school can also be a daily stressor.
With all these stimulants and social pressure, parents need to navigate these new murky waters and ask questions like: “Is AI safe for children to use?” and “Would homeschooling be the better option for my anxious child?”
Homeschool may provide a safe, supportive, low-stress learning environment for your child which may help them grow into more capable adults at their own pace.
Anxiety and Homeschool
The National Alliance on Mental Health states that with each year, around 7% of children aged 3-17 years old face an anxiety disorder.
Common types of anxiety are:
- generalized anxiety disorder
- panic disorder
- separation anxiety disorder
- obsessive-compulsive disorder
- social anxiety disorder
- others include school-based anxiety and specific phobias
Anxiety is different from an occasional worry that happens sometimes depending on the presence of a situation. Worry becomes anxiety when your mind is persistently nervous even long before and after a situation has ended.
A traditional school may be a daily setting for your child’s anxiety to be triggered. Some common triggers may be
- academic pressure or pressure to keep up with peers
- difficult social situations
- bullying
Dealing with anxiety in school may take up a lot of your child’s energy and focus, leaving them drained and distracted from schoolwork. A study of the National Center for Health Statistics discovered that in 2021, almost 15% of children were given treatment for mental health disorders. Switching up your child’s school setup might just be the change that they need.
While homeschooling has been around for a while, the pandemic forced all teaching to be done online, exposing families to a new approach to education. More families saw the benefit of homeschool education, and as the pandemic wound down in 2022, an estimated 3.13 million students were being homeschooled nationwide. According to the National Home Education Research Institute, these students were also reported to show positive signs in terms of academic performance and mental health.
Why and How Homeschool Can Help Ease Your Child’s Anxiety
Homeschooling is a great alternative for students with anxiety. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) found that homeschooling helps students regulate their emotions and decreases their anxiety levels. There are many factors that make homeschooling different from traditional schools besides where lessons are taught.
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Flexibility
The flexible nature of homeschooling means that your student can learn at their own pace. They do not have to worry about falling behind their classmates in lessons they find more difficult or about moving too quickly during lessons they pick up easily. Each lesson may also be adapted to integrate students’ own learning styles and interests to make education more engaging. This can also help them focus more on things that excite them and their own strengths as well.
Flexibility is seen not just in the curriculum but in the scheduling too. You may plan your lessons around other family activities/appointments or extracurricular hobbies that your child might have. A flexible schedule is also incredibly helpful if your child is having a particularly difficult day when it might be better to step back and take a break.
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Controlled Environment, Reduced Triggers
Your home should be the ultimate safe space for your children. At home you can control almost all factors of your child’s education, making sure that they are learning in a space that is the most comfortable for them. Reducing their triggers with homeschooling can help them feel safer and more confident while learning. There’s no place like home!
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Family Involvement
A part of what makes home so great is the chance to spend quality time with your family. Homeschooling is a pretty hands-on education method for parents, so it really allows you to get to know your child and their learning styles. It is a great bonding experience for families. It is important for all children, not just those with anxiety, to feel that they are learning in a supportive and encouraging environment.
For children with anxiety, the homeschool set up allows you to monitor your child’s progress and integrate various coping mechanisms for their anxiety into their curriculum. You also get to make calls about their education as a family on a daily basis depending on what you and your child may need for that day.
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Foster Self-Confidence and Independence
Homeschooling is not just shielding your child from the outside world. It gives them the space to deal with their struggles at their own pace. While you are there to guide them on this path and encourage growth, they also have more freedom to explore education in their own way and really dive into what interests them. Reducing triggers and introducing coping mechanisms to your child will put their anxieties in the backseat while their curiosity for learning takes the wheel. Homeschooling is meant to empower their self-esteem and confidence to shape them into capable adults who can live alongside their anxiety without letting it rule them.
The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) found that students that were homeschooled reported lower anxiety levels and higher emotional stability compared to the general population as they grew up.
Homeschool Commitments
While homeschooling may now seem like a dream, it is important to remember that it entails unique commitments as well. Here are some things you might want to consider before fully committing to homeschooling for your student.
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Time and Effort
Homeschooling means that you become one of the main people in charge of your child’s education. For some parents, this may be a bit of a struggle when juggling multiple children and/or having a job as well. But there are so many homeschooling communities out there that can support you, and resources from any homeschooling program that you do choose. These communities are very open with sharing tips and lending a listening ear to remind you that you aren’t alone on this journey.
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Additional Support
Depending on the severity of your child’s anxiety, you may need to have different support systems in place for them. Homeschooling should be supporting these different resources rather than replacing them completely. For example, seeing a specialist may help you identify your child’s triggers and find ways that you can reduce them in your household while homeschooling. They can also help you discover effective coping techniques that you may introduce to your child when they do get triggered.
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Extra-Curricular Socialization
A common fear of some families is that their student will not be able to interact with other children. But like what was mentioned earlier, there are many supportive homeschooling communities that you can reach out to and plan meetups with. Of course, you can also enroll your child in different sports or hobby/interest clubs to get them to meet like-minded people. Having these different social avenues is made extra possible by the flexibility in scheduling that homeschooling provides.
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Recognizing the Anxiety
Homeschooling doesn’t mean coddling your child. There is a very fine line between giving your child what they need in the moment versus letting them use their anxiety as an excuse to get out of doing anything school related. You and your child must understand that you are working to help them navigate living with their anxieties, not using them as a crutch. That is why it is crucial to seek coping strategies that are best for them. Again, the flexibility of homeschool comes in handy here because there will be days when it really is necessary to take a breather for your child, but it is also crucial to recognize the days when they must be given an extra push that will help them grow.
Ending Notes
Homeschooling may take an extra effort for you and your family but it may be well worth it. It is meant to support you and your family, although not be the only means of support for your child. The flexibility it offers allows you to build a routine but still have the freedom to slow down or speed up as much as you want. Homeschooling may help you engage your child in their education while providing a safe space to help them regulate their emotions. Again, it’s not about shielding them from anything that might upset them but giving them the space and strategies to figure out what to do when they do come face to face with these. Homeschooling won’t just help them foster a love for learning but strengthen their resilience too.
FAQs
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What are common types of anxiety?
- generalized anxiety disorder
- panic disorder
- separation anxiety disorder
- obsessive-compulsive disorder
- social anxiety disorder
- others include school-based anxiety and specific phobias
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What are symptoms of anxiety?
- frequent stomach aches
- restlessness
- easily irritable
- shortness of breath
- avoiding triggers/social situations
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What are the pros and cons of homeschooling my child with anxiety?
- pros:
- flexibility of schedule and personalized learning
- reducing triggers in the controlled environment of your home
- increased family support and involvement
- promoting self-confidence and independence
- rather than “cons”, homeschooling may require different commitments which you may need to make for your student
- increased time and attention to your student’s education as a parent/guardian
- finding additional resources to address your child’s anxiety and support your personalized homeschooling program
- scheduling extra-curricular activities to give your child a chance to socialize
- recognizing when your child’s anxiety is too overwhelming for them and when it is better to drive them forward
- Homeschooling is not removing all obstacles from your child’s life, but encouraging them to grow around these at their own pace to better prepare them for the future.
- pros:
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