Homeschooling Schedules

Today my son starts back up from Christmas holiday. I homeschool him, and I built a two-week vacation into the middle of the year. I warned him yesterday. "I want you up, dressed, your bed made, and your breakfast eaten. I want you to present yourself with your pencil by 9am."

But isn't the point of homeschooling to have no schedule? To be able to do your spelling in your pajamas, to be able to work from 6am to 10am or from 2pm to 8pm if you prefer?

Well, that depends. If you have a child who is creative and independent and prefers to work on an odd schedule, then yes, by all means you can switch it up. Also, on some days, it is nice to know that you can relax as you work and you don't need to go through the hustle and bustle of other households in the morning. Many homeschooling households don't do this, however, mainly because they are trying to raise children who will be able to be up and ready to work by a certain hour.

(Some people talk as if the only reason why you would homeschool is for the benefits that you only find in homeschooling. The first and foremost thing they can think of is the schedule. Those who homeschool come to believe that they are giving their children a better education than they could find in public school, even if they ring bells to change classes. That one-on-one attention (or one-to-three, or one-to-five, depending on the number of students) just can't be equaled.)

Now what about the kids who don't keep a homeschooling schedule? Are they setting themselves up for failure, when they first try to work in the 'real world'? Not at all. The Work Schedule is a fairly artificial construct. Although many jobs require it, many more don't. The homeschool parent will want to make sure his child is capable of sticking to a schedule if necessary, but if his talents and interests are carrying him towards an on-call job, why force him to accustom his body to a hard schedule?