Graduate early?

 Last year when Elijah was in 10th grade I would get this stray thought about graduating him early...and then I would dismiss it. We started 11th grade last week and I broached the subject with him because I started having thoughts about it again. I told him to think about it and he is. This is one of the beautiful things that homeschooling, we can consider graduating early or graduating later to let our kiddos do some community college work while still technically in high school. If we do decide to graduate him early we would do it at the end of the school year.

Reasons why I am thinking about graduating him early:

1. By the end of this semester he will have the credit hours he needs to be eligible to graduate high school

2. He hates school

3. He would rather work than do school work (loves his job!)

4. I am also ready to be done teaching

5. I do not see the need to keep him in school to teach him stuff that he is never going to use

6. It gives him more time to pursue his interests

7. He can get an early start on college or his career, which ever path he chooses

8. Will avoid "senioritis" 

9. He can be more in control of his schedule

10. Could be a boost to his self-confidence

11. If he goes to college he would be done with college a year earlier...

"Obvious" Drawbacks 

1. He will be younger than the typical graduate

2. Most people will say it shouldn't be done

3. Right now he is not sure what he wants to do, maybe keeping him in high school will help?

4. I don't want to look back with regret

5. I don't want him to feel like he has to grow up to soon

6. could increase his anxiety

Obviously, I am not just going to jump into this (although it is tempting!), but am prayerfully considering our options. Next semester we plan for him to take some classes at the community college to hopefully help him to decide what he really wants to do when he grows up. That seemed silly to say since he seems grown up, but he's not quite there yet. I'm not sure I am either 😜 If he enjoys the classes and they lead him toward a college path, then it would make sense to keep him in school a year longer (his senior year) to continue to do dual-enrollment courses to lighten his load once he goes to college.

What do you think? Did you/your child graduate early? How did that work out? Do you have any regrets? What have I not considered?