Single Working Parent Homeschooling Part I

Part I: Advantages of Homeschooling
I didn't always homeschool. The first time I homeschooled was when my then-11-year-old was about to flunk out of school.
This child, although extremely bright, had some medical issues the school system couldn't or wouldn't work with. So far, he's been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, oppositional defiant disorder and ADHD.
Even after his father and I had met with the school to ask them to take certain measures to inform us, the school failed to do so.
So I pulled him out and homeschooled him for the rest of the year.
Instead of purchasing an expensive curriculum, I followed the school's regular curriculum. It wasn't difficult to find plenty of educational sites online to use instead of a standard textbook.
Although it was difficult and I sometimes believed I spent more time on creating and grading his homework than he spent on doing it, it was a success.
The one-on-one tutoring he received helped him learn. I was able to tailor the curriculum to make it more interesting. Instead of him reading "Little House on the Prairie," he read one of the Harry Potter books. When discussing economics, we used examples specific to our lives instead of abstract examples in textbooks. And, sometimes, the entire family would join in on his school activities.
We could be more flexible, too. For example, if he'd had a rough night and been unable to sleep, he could take a break in the middle of the day. If he felt like working on a Saturday, we did. And if he was sick, he could still learn.
Another advantage of homeschooling included exposure to my values, not those of his school mates. Now, three years of homeschooling later, the ability to keep my son away from drugs and violence in the schools is very important to me.
Studies also show that homeschooled students do as good as or better than traditionally schooled students.