Home School Part 10: Why Flexibility Matters in Home Schooling

Originally written in November 2014 as 'Another benefit of home schooling' — Updated for clarity and reflection in 2026.

Every parent has their own view of home schooling. Some believe it offers freedom and personalised learning. Others worry about social skills, academic progress and long term wellbeing. It always comes down to personal choice.

My brother thinks home schooling is a terrible idea. He is convinced we will damage William’s mental, social and educational wellbeing. He is not alone. Many people still ask the same questions: Is home schooling good for children? Does home schooling affect social development? What are the real benefits of home schooling? Plenty of others see the positives.

Last night I was working as the quiz master at our local pub. I was surprised by how supportive and open minded the regulars were about home schooling. They even debated with my brother and told him he was wrong. I enjoyed that more than I should, although that is probably just sibling rivalry.

The regulars told me they admired how I coped as a single stay at home dad. They said the boys were well behaved for me, even if I do not always agree. They also said they respected the way I had taken the lead with William’s education. It reminded me how often people underestimate the flexibility and wellbeing focus that home schooling offers.

This morning gave me another clear example. We sat down, read a book and started our spelling and common frequency words. William burst into tears. When I finally calmed him down he told me he was tired. Five minutes later he marched himself off to bed and this happened:

[Image 2. William asleep in bed during the daytime, lying on his side under a blanket. A reminder that some days need rest more than routine.]

I have no idea what is wrong with him. He is either tired or unwell. What is clear is that he needed rest.

If he was at school he would push through the day feeling miserable. He might even be sent home, which would mean an adult leaving work or someone else stepping in. Today I simply said, “OK, this is not our day for home schooling. We will try again when you feel better.”

No fuss. No stress. His wellbeing became the focus of the day. This is one of the biggest benefits of home schooling. Flexibility protects a child’s mental health. It allows learning to pause when life needs attention. It keeps education human.

This is our 10th post on our home schooling, you can read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6,  Part 7, Part 8, and Part 9 here.

2026 Reflection

Reading this back shows how early we were in the journey. I was still defending home schooling to anyone who questioned it. I was still proving myself as a single dad. I was still learning that flexibility is not a weakness in education. It is the strength that holds everything together.

William is older now, he left Home Schooling in 2022, is now in college, and the conversations around education look different. The wellbeing focus from these early posts shaped everything that came after. We embraced unschooling and the different styles of home schooling until we found a routine, differing environments, and how we varied topics and resources that worked for Will, James, and us. 

 If you want to see how this approach developed, the later posts on confidence, structure and personalised learning show the long term impact, which you can read about here.