Julie
03-26-2009, 09:56 AM
Economy can be tough on home school families
March 26th, 2009 @ 7:14am
By Paul Nelson
SALT LAKE CITY - With the economy in a downward trend, some people who used to stay home full time to home school their children have had to return to the workforce. This isn't always an easy transition. So where can these parents go for help?
Parents who home school their children generally want to avoid putting their kids back into public schools, even if they needed to so they could go to work.
Utah Home Education Association board member Myranda Holgerson said, "In general, the home-school community is pretty frugal and we're pretty used to living on a one-income concept."
Holgerson says there are about 60 families in her district in Magna who home school their children but some have had to make big changes.
"I personally know five moms who have gone back to work. A couple have also chosen to go back to school," she said.
That's not a high percentage, but it is slightly more than normal. She says one mom tried a home-based business that didn't really work out. When parents need to return to work, the adjustment can be rough.
"I think all of us have gone through periods like this before, where maybe dad had to take a second job or they're trading off hours so dad's working in the daytime and he comes home, they have dinner and mom goes off to her [job]," Holgerson said.
UHEA President Jon Yarrington said, "One of the partners has to be home. It's difficult to adjust hours very successfully. Some do."
Yarrington says he's only heard of a couple of families who have stopped home schooling because of the bad economy, but there may be more. There are support groups within UHEA for parents who need help adjusting as they enter back into the workforce.
"They lean heavily on each other, they talk to each other, they find out what people are doing and how they're managing certain things," he explained.
Any drop in home schooling would be a break from the norm. Yarrington normally sees an increase in students enrolling in home school as more parents become frustrated with public schools.
"That usually happens just before school starts for the next year, and it happens at Christmas time or January when everybody is starting back up again," he said.
Yarrington says families who mentor their children at home have been rising dramatically and there haven't been significant signs of slowing in the last four or five years.
March 26th, 2009 @ 7:14am
By Paul Nelson
SALT LAKE CITY - With the economy in a downward trend, some people who used to stay home full time to home school their children have had to return to the workforce. This isn't always an easy transition. So where can these parents go for help?
Parents who home school their children generally want to avoid putting their kids back into public schools, even if they needed to so they could go to work.
Utah Home Education Association board member Myranda Holgerson said, "In general, the home-school community is pretty frugal and we're pretty used to living on a one-income concept."
Holgerson says there are about 60 families in her district in Magna who home school their children but some have had to make big changes.
"I personally know five moms who have gone back to work. A couple have also chosen to go back to school," she said.
That's not a high percentage, but it is slightly more than normal. She says one mom tried a home-based business that didn't really work out. When parents need to return to work, the adjustment can be rough.
"I think all of us have gone through periods like this before, where maybe dad had to take a second job or they're trading off hours so dad's working in the daytime and he comes home, they have dinner and mom goes off to her [job]," Holgerson said.
UHEA President Jon Yarrington said, "One of the partners has to be home. It's difficult to adjust hours very successfully. Some do."
Yarrington says he's only heard of a couple of families who have stopped home schooling because of the bad economy, but there may be more. There are support groups within UHEA for parents who need help adjusting as they enter back into the workforce.
"They lean heavily on each other, they talk to each other, they find out what people are doing and how they're managing certain things," he explained.
Any drop in home schooling would be a break from the norm. Yarrington normally sees an increase in students enrolling in home school as more parents become frustrated with public schools.
"That usually happens just before school starts for the next year, and it happens at Christmas time or January when everybody is starting back up again," he said.
Yarrington says families who mentor their children at home have been rising dramatically and there haven't been significant signs of slowing in the last four or five years.