9 Reasons Why You Should Homeschool
I recently wrote a post highlighting the challenges of homeschooling and titled it 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Homeschool. I felt that it was necessary to follow that up with my top nine reasons why you should homeschool, because I’m actually a huge advocate for bringing your kids home. My last post was a reality check, something to keep in mind before you make a big decision like pulling your kids out of public/private school. But this one is pure encouragement!
Slow mornings
Flexible schedule
Customized learning
Quality time together
Control over influences
Safety and innocence
Travel freedom
Community with shared values
Religious freedom
Slow mornings
My older kids were in a traditional school setting through kindergarten and 2nd grade. The biggest thing I was looking forward to when we decided to homeschool was not having to wake them up and get them moving early in the morning. Now, most days, they can sleep as long as their little bodies require. I love that they can sleep in and wake up one by one, spending quiet moments together with me every morning.
Flexible schedule
As a police family, we’ve had our fair share of unusual work schedules. When my kids were in a traditional school, they sometimes rarely saw their dad. Now, we’ve completely adjusted our schedule to match his. We school Wednesday-Saturday while he’s on shift and we take a three day weekend each week to maximize family time.
Customized learning
I love that we can customize our curriculum to match my kids’ interests. Not only can we make God the center of our learning, but each child can pursue whatever interests them. We can also pass up on things that don’t hold their interest. I distinctly remember being forced to read novels at school that didn’t interest me or that were above my comprehension. My kids have the option to set books aside and attempt them at a later time.
Quality time together
I used to say to myself, “I can’t wait until all of my kids are in school! I’m going to have so much time to myself, to do what I want to do.” God showed me how selfish this thinking was. Now, I can’t image sending my kids off for eight hours a day. Although I sometimes do need a break, I really enjoy the time that we spend together. My kids have become such close friends with each other and I get to enjoy filling their love tanks throughout my day. We’re making so many memories together, it sometimes feels unfair that I get so much time with them!
Control over influences
Even when we had switched from a public school to a private Christian school, my oldest son was drawn to befriending the naughtiest kids in class. He would come home and tell me crazy things that the he heard from the other kids that didn’t align with our values. Now, I have better control over who gets to influence my kids. My husband and I get to be their main influences, followed closely by family, friends, and coaches who we know personally. Yes, I am raising my children in a bubble and I’m okay with that. They know that the outside world exists and they see glimpses of it. Until they are forced to be fully submerged in that world, I will keep them under my protection.
Safety and innocence
I think a lot of parents have some fear in sending their children to school these days. Although I can’t protect them from all danger, having them home gives me personal responsibility in their safety. I also get to protect their innocence for a little bit longer. It always amazes me when we get together with a mixed group of friends (home school and public school kids) and seeing the difference in the conversation and play. I find that my daughter (8), especially, has maintained a more innocent, child-like state of mind while other girls her age are being forced to mature faster than they should. While my daughter is busy playing with her dolls, the other girls are usually gossiping about other girls in class or talking about beauty trends. I’m not sad that my daughter is missing out on those conversations.
Travel freedom
One of my favorite perks of homeschooling is being able to travel while everyone else is in school. Taking advantage of low crowd days at museums and parks is amazing! We’re a road-tripping family and have taken two-three week long trips every year for the passed three years. It’s so fun not worrying about missing days of school or catching up on school work. We can hit pause anytime we want or bring school along with us.
Community with shared values
We’ve been able to find and build an amazing community of homeschool friends who share the same Christian values that we hold. Not only does this allow us to have positive influences in our kids’ lives, we’re also able to enjoy the fellowship of friends who homeschool for the same reasons we do.
Religious freedom
We have a banner on the wall of our homeschool room that says, “Today’s goal: glorify God.” I love that we can make Him the center of our education. My priorities are completely different than the school system. Even the private religious schools prioritize test scores and college prep over Biblical discipleship. In our homeschool, we focus on God and Jesus’s ministry, understanding the core Christian beliefs (that we are sinners in a fallen world and that we need Jesus as both a Savior and Lord,) relationships, physical activity (being good stewards of our body/health), and then studying things that interest us.
Homeschooling has been such a blessing to our family. Despite the challenges, I would never go back to a traditional school model.