11 Reasons We are Homeschooling

Below is a list of 11 reasons we are taking the plunge into homeschooling. We know homeschooling is not a fit for every family. This is not a complete indictment of the traditional school system. We know there are many wonderful teachers. Many people have wonderful experiences in regular schools. Certainly there are challenges to homeschooling, but we feel the list of positives outweigh those challenges.

1. NURTURE OUR CHILDREN’S GIFTS

Homeschooling allows you the vital ability to tap into your child’s God given talent. In traditional schooling the curriculum is set and all 20 or 30 students in the class must do the same assignments. Schools are more and more focused on teaching to standardized tests.

In homeschooling, you still teach your child the main subjects, but you have the ability to dive deep into something that sparks his or her interest. You can explore your child’s talent. Drawing, music, cooking, budgeting, hands-on skills, coding, computers, an unlimited number of areas can be explored. While some schools offer some of these courses, it can’t compare to what you can offer your child.

2. TIME TOGETHER

Everyone agrees time goes by too quickly, especially time with your children. You blink, and 18 years go by. They are off to college. Even if a child lives with their parents into early adulthood, the majority of their life will not be under your roof. Why not maximize the time you get to spend together early on?

A typical school day is a little over 6 hours a day. Factor in homework, sleeping, and outside activities, and you can see how family time quickly disappears.

3. CONTROL OUR SCHEDULE

The beauty of homeschooling is you get to set the schedule. Do you want to do it year round and take breaks throughout the year? Want a traditional model with summers off? Do you want to homeschool 4 days a week? Do the weekends work better than weekdays? It’s all up to you.

We can take vacations when we want and still get in the amount of required school days. Homework is no longer a thing, so that frees up even more time in our schedule. It’s the freedom of being your own boss.

4. CONTROL OUR OWN DESTINY

In traditional schools, the class moves on to the next unit or lesson when the teacher decides or according to the curriculum schedule. Some students may have mastered the material immediately, while others still haven’t quite gotten the concept. Teachers do the best they can, but it’s very difficult to meet the needs of 20-30 students who are all at different ability levels.

With homeschooling we have the ability to speed up or slow down as needed. If a child is mastering something quickly, you have the freedom to accelerate the lessons to challenge them. If they need more time or practice to master a concept, you have that freedom too.

5. BETTER FAITH FORMATION

We have the ability to incorporate God and our Faith into the school day. Obviously this does not happen in public school. Sadly, in some public schools they teach things that undermine our faith and values.

In homeschooling we can start every day reading out of the Bible. We can talk about our faith openly. We can incorporate into lessons and help build that important foundation that will carry through to the rest of their lives. With a solid foundation, they will be better prepared if someone wants to challenge their faith or beliefs later on.

6. MORE INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION

This one goes without saying. Most schools have a 20:1 or 30:1 student to teacher ratio. Even the greatest teacher in the world can’t devote the amount of time to each student that a homeschool teacher in a smaller setting can. Also, as caring and loving as most teachers are, no one is going to love your child more than you do. No one will pour as much effort into them as you will.

7. CHOOSE OUR CURRICULUM

Unfortunately, there is a fair amount of indoctrination going on in schools based on the curriculum they are using, and sometimes based on a teacher’s own biases. With homeschooling we have the freedom to choose the curriculum that fits best with our family. We can ensure that it fits our values and beliefs. We can instill a love and respect for our country while still discussing ways to improve it.

A lot of schooling today is based on memorization. It tells students what to think instead of how to think. We can instead choose a curriculum that focuses on developing a child’s mind so they learn how to think for themselves and be an individual.

8. LIMIT NEGATIVE PEER PRESSURE

A difficult hurdle for children growing up is the pressure to fit in. For many children being accepted by their peers is more important than doing the right thing and accomplishing their goals.

With homeschooling, you can limit this negative peer pressure. They will rise to your standards instead of sinking to fit in with the crowd. Of course some students are okay with going against the flow, doing their own thing, and working hard, but it is rare.

I constantly hear “Stop being a try hard” from peers directed at other children who work harder and achieve more than their peers. There is pressure to give minimal effort and be mediocre.

By choosing outside activities to place them in, we can have them be around positive peer pressure with other children who have similar interests.

9. PROTECT OUR CHILDREN’S INNOCENCE

Children are so over-sexualized in today’s society. Messages from television, music, ads, movies, and from their own peers constantly encourage them to act older and discover their sexuality.

Children are being exposed earlier and earlier to pornography and other illicit material through smartphones. You can control what your child views in your own home, but you have no control over what they may see from a friend's smart phone at school.

In addition, many states are now pushing a radical sexual agenda on children at very early ages in schools. We want to protect our children’s innocence as long as possible.

10. BETTER EDUCATION/LIMIT INDOCTRINATION

I already touched on wanting to limit indoctrination that happens at many schools. We want our children to know how to think, to be an individual, to stand up for and defend their values and not be indoctrinated by what the state thinks is important or subjectively true.

We have the freedom and power to ensure that is happening in our homeschool.

We also believe we can attain a better education for our children. Choosing our own curriculum, teaching them how to think, and protecting their innocence will help immensely. The ability to slow down or speed up as necessary and to explore a child’s gifts will also improve the quality of education.

11. PROMOTE A LOVE OF LEARNING

We also want to promote a love of learning. Children are naturally curious and excited about learning. We all know that at some point in the school environment, it is lost to pressure to fit in, perform on tests, memorize things, or just do rote assignments.

We strive to keep our children excited about the world’s possibilities and thirsty for knowledge.

There are many other reasons for us to homeschool, but these are some of our main ones. Do you have other reasons I didn’t touch on here? Agree or Disagree, let me know.