Why did I choose to homeschool? Initially, I started because I wasn’t comfortable with my children’s safety at school. Gangs, drugs, and violence were taking a steep climb in our area. That was why I started. I continue homeschooling for countless more reasons.
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Time
Time is the biggest advantage. We take as long as we need to do our school for the day. When we are done, we are done. No homework. No busy work. If we finish early, we get to relax the rest of the day. If we need more time to finish, we take more time. I also love that I get to set our schedule, both daily schedule and yearly schedule. If the middle of the month is a terrible time for a project, we can do it late in the month… or next month. We don’t have to have our spring break the same time as everyone else. Actually, we take May and June for summer break. It works for us. That’s the point. We do what works for us.
Flexibility
Flexibility is also important to me. I’ve already covered flexibility in time, but also so many other areas. My teen boys are learning different languages from one another. Why? Well, why not? I don’t speak more than a word or two of Italian, but that’s okay. Rosetta Stone has it covered. They are not limited by the subjects offered at a brick & mortar school. If I can find the curriculum, we can take the class.
We have had an occasional math lesson bring tears, pencil breaking, and incredible frustration. I usually tell them to put their books away. I remind them that as homeschoolers, we can take a week or two to master the lesson. So far, it has never taken more than 2-3 days, but there is comfort knowing we can take as long as we need. We can also speed right through the lessons that we catch onto quickly. Three math lessons in one day? Why not?
Life Lessons
Life Lessons take as much priority in my home school as academics. My children know how to cook their favorite meals. They know how to choose their favorite fruits. They have bank accounts and know how to balance their check books. They know how to compare prices in the grocery store. They know that they will pay the same amount for milk that expires today as they will for milk that expires in two weeks so buy the one with the latest expiration date (unless it is marked clearance, and you will drink it all in one day). They know how to change a tire, change oil, and do several other routine maintenance checks on a vehicle. They can fix many simpler household issues. They can change a diaper, install a car seat, give a bottle, and assemble baby play equipment. They can hold a baby, entertain a toddler, play with an elementary-aged child, engage their own peers, and hold conversations with adults.
One-on-one Instruction
One-on-one Instruction is certainly an advantage. If my kids gets stuck on a lesson, we can take the time to find where the problem is and address it. I don’t have to wait until he brings home an F on his report card or test to discover that he is having trouble. By the way, F’s on tests are not allowed. If my children fail a test (or don’t meet my expectations), we reteach, trouble-shoot, and retest until they master the material. My children don’t really like this (it could potentially eat into their summer break) so they usually master the material the first time. ‘
I Enjoy Spending Time With My Kids
I like my kids. I enjoy being with my children. I enjoy spending time with them. I relish getting to see those light bulb moments. I love pouring everything I have into their lives. I love that I have taken my spiritual responsibility as their mother to heart. When they were in public school, I took my spiritual responsibility to heart, but it was so much more difficult then. Home schooling makes it easier.
Socialization
They are more social! Yeah, you read that right. In school, they weren’t allowed to talk in class. Recess was taken away from them more often than they had it. They couldn’t talk in the halls. They were almost always on silent lunch. I really don’t get what socialization people seem to think kids get in school. My kids got nearly none.
We participate in lots of home school activities. We have been in a home school bowling league, choir, archery, and computer class. We have participated in spelling bees, geography bees, graduation ceremony, banquet (similar to prom), field trips (with other home schoolers), and countless other social events designed for this poor unsocialized group (*sarcasm*). We have participated in a home school PE class at the YMCA. We have gotten together in co-ops with other families for classes. We are even in a recreation soccer league with mostly public schooled kids and take guitar lessons, too. As an added bonus, since I know the parents of my kids’ friends, they are able to get together more often outside of organized activities as well.
In this area, there are so many home school activities, groups, and events that no one can do them all.
I Choose to Homeschool Just For the Love Of It
The last reason why I continue to home school is because I love it. I enjoy it. My kids enjoy it. My kids seem to be better off from it. That’s really the only reason we need.
Homeschooling isn’t always easy. Homeschooling is always worth it in our humble opinion. If you choose to take this journey, I hope you agree.
