Children are vulnerable to a multitude of threats across different environments. Instances of bullying and potential discrimination can occur in public schools, exposing kids to harassment and physical abuse. Even during homeschooling, these risks persist. Notably, there is a growing trend among American families in 2023 as parents increasingly choose to withdraw their children from public institutions and educate them at home. Here are 5 safety tips to teach your kids during homeschooling.

According to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), in 2020, 2.65 million children in America were being homeschooled. In 2021, this number rose to 3.7 million, and by the end of 2022, 4.3 million kids were being taught at home completely. However, this increase has come with its challenges and issues. The biggest of these is ensuring the safety of your kids.
Before we get to some of the safety tips that can protect your children, let’s look into why homeschooling is beneficial and the reason why more people are now opting for this option:
Benefits Of Homeschooling
Even before the pandemic, homeschooling was growing in popularity. Parents have the most influence over their children’s education when it is done at home, and it might be advantageous for pupils whose learning preferences aren’t properly accommodated in traditional educational settings. On top of that, there is the flexibility of teaching children at a more convenient schedule, leaving time for a lot of extracurricular activities.
Communities on the internet for homeschooling guidance, tools, and support have gathered quite a following, given that several million pupils are educated at home each year. Curriculum manuals, podcasts, webinars, and online support groups are now available to parents who have opted to educate their children at home or are considering doing so.
Safety tips to homeschool children
- Start By Talking To An Expert
In order to ensure that you provide the best homeschooling environment for your children, it is ideal to talk to an expert, for instance, someone with a masters in emergency management or relevant experience in the field. These people are well-versed in different areas of ensuring that you and your kids are trained effectively. Professionals with homeland security also have experience in risk management, which is an essential part of homeschooling. They can aspire to teach you and your children how to identify potential risks in the home or outside of it and provide tips on how best to respond if an emergency arises.

- Vet Your Teachers Thoroughly
Most people homeschool their kids with the help of professional service providers and experienced tutors. However, parents sometimes skip the proper verification process just because someone in their social circle highly recommended a certain person. Often, teachers are the ones who resort to physical violence or abuse against children, which is an aspect to be avoided at all costs.
Ensure the program you are registering with takes extra precautions when vetting their respective tutors. Also, you need to ensure you get a second and even a third opinion when hiring a tutor. If you can find online reviews, that’s even better because you can spot those few instances of misconduct, if any, that the tutor or agency may have committed.
- Make Your Presence Known
Will you be home, or will another responsible adult be present while the tutor instructs the kids? If not, you need to ensure at least one adult is present because otherwise, the situation can be quite dangerous. Instances of child sexual abuse account for 80% of all cases. These are particularly at times when the kid is left alone with the teacher.
Plan how you will connect with the tutor and break any possible time your child is isolated. You might, for instance, demand an open-door rule. You can also alternate dropping in unannounced to check in if you and any other family member are working. Set up daily check-ins for younger children. Ring up your home and request to talk with them. Similarly, for older children, text and call them.

- Instate A Group Rule
Since one-on-one situations can be potentially harmful, it is always best to create a group of three or more children while your kids are being homeschooled. You can either gather up children in the neighborhood who are undergoing similar education or ask around in your friends or family circle for the same. It may take time to locate and organize even a small group, but it is beneficial significantly.
The group rule is effective because abuse and violence can even occur among students. Research has shown that 40% of cases involved younger and smaller kids being mistreated by other students who are stronger. Therefore, it is important to protect your kids from unprofessional tutors and other kids, even in a homeschooling environment. It is, as the old proverb goes that it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Have Certain Rules And Boundaries
When your kids are being taught at home, besides the fact that they shouldn’t be left unsupervised, you also need to make sure there are other strict rules in place. One such boundary needs to be concerning the places in the house where the teacher can take students. For example, they must not be allowed to be in isolated spaces like the basement, the bathroom, or the attic.
Also, make sure that you sit with the teacher and your children individually to discuss expectations. It is natural to be concerned for the well-being of your kid, and if the tutor is unable to understand certain restrictions, they should not be hired. The kids’ safety is the first and ultimate priority; everything else comes second and is insubstantial.
Conclusion
Homeschooling has a lot of benefits, and that is the reason why a lot of people are turning to it these days. However, there are certain challenges that are associated with this field as well. Safety and protection of children are the most prominent among these, and as a parent or guardian, you are the one who needs to take effective steps to mitigate the chances of anything bad happening.
You might also like:
-
Sale!
Reusable Printable Homeschool Mini Planner (36 pages)
$18.00$9.99 Add to cart- Ensuring Online Video Game Safety for Children
- Fun Activities to Keep Germs Away & Learn About Fire Safety
- Home Safety Checklist for Young Kids while Mom is Homeschooling
- Keeping Kids Safe in Today’s World- What Does it Take?
- Don’t Let Your Kids Play Crossy Road Before Reading This…
Kirk Cameron Presents: The Homeschool Awakening [DVD]
Homeschool Lesson Planning Minimalist Notebook (Nature Series): 12 Month, 52 Week Undated Planner by schoolnest
Say
Latest Posts
- Animals in Winter that Hibernate, Migrate and Adapt – Printable SetOur Animals in Winter Migration, Hibernation & Adaptation post is an introduction to the three with activities, printables and ideas!
- Animal Migration in Winter ~ What is Migration?What is animal migration in Winter and why do animals migrate? It is the travel of animals to another place and more.
- How To Care For Your Aging Parents (and include your kids in the process)Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that our parents are getting older! However, as they age, their dependency on their children will begin to grow – which can be challenging when you are also balancing your own parental responsiblites. Fortunately, there are many steps that you can take to ensure that…
- 3 Tips for Kids using the Bathroom IndependentlyMost people don’t talk about the phase that comes after diapers. Here are 3 tips for kids using the bathroom independently.
- From Homeschool to Private School: A Smooth Transition PlanTransitioning from homeschooling to private school is a significant milestone that requires thoughtful planning and preparation
Leave a Reply