Pop icon Billie Eilish has become the example of homeschooling, and it's no surprise why. Both Eilish and her brother Finneas have won Grammy Awards and garnered critical acclaim, and their parents' decision to homeschool them was the right one. With the increasing number of school-age children being homeschooled in the United States, it's worth taking a look at how Billie Eilish was educated. Eilish and Finneas were homeschooled by their parents, Baird and Maggie O'Connell.
Both Baird and Maggie have experience in the entertainment industry, which likely inspired their children's creative talent. Homeschooling allowed Eilish and Finneas to support each other and explore their artistic visions. Chris Weller from Business Insider states that homeschooling could be the “smartest way to teach children in the modern era”, as it offers more variety in how children are educated and allows for personalized learning. Baird and O'Connell encouraged Billie and Finneas to express themselves creatively and to explore whatever they wanted in their homeschooling, including art classes, acting, dance and songwriting.
Eilish has stated that she has a sensory condition called synesthesia, as well as Tourette syndrome. Homeschooling helped her understand why you need to memorize and know things that are traditionally taught in school, which helped her better understand things. Finneas shared similar sentiments about homeschooling, expressing that he was grateful to have been homeschooled and that the experience was something positive. Homeschooling began in the 80s and 90s as a way of encouraging children to learn about their religion, but it has since developed significantly. About 3.3 percent of K-12 students are homeschooled according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
It's clear that Billie Eilish's parents made the right decision when they chose to homeschool her.
