Why We Homeschool

I've had several people ask me recently if I'm ever going to send Zeke to school. They don't understand why we're choosing to homeschool, they think that it's just a temporary thing I'm toying with or they just don't understand it at all. I thought I'd try to set the record straight and list the reasons why we're choosing to homeschool and tell a little bit about how it all works. ALSO: I came back & updated this a bit later with some more of my thoughts. Just FYI. :)

1. First off, we're homeschooling because that's what we feel is best for our family. This should be the reason that sets everyone straight and that they accept, but of course people always need more explanation than just that. So...

2. We're homeschooling because of the flexibility that homeschooling provides. If my kids get interested in a particular subject and want to spend more time on it, we can. They are free to explore and learn about anything and everything their heart desires in their own time frame without having to worry about going on to something else. I can also weave things into teaching that my kids might not get in public school like how important family is, having values and morals, Bible study, life skills and housekeeping.

3. We're homeschooling because of our flawed educational system. The schools in our area are failing, classes are getting larger each year and the children's days are filled with tons of "busy work." They bring home hours of homework each night (even the youngest ones) and they're learning less and less. I know this because I babysit kids who go to the schools my son would go to. (Please note that not I'm not saying all schools are flawed. I know that some schools are operating excellently. I'm not against public schools and teachers - I went to public school myself and had a lot of really good teachers. I think I turned out okay. But I also had good parents to help guide me. My Grandma taught for many years as a public school teacher and she was excellent at her job. So I'm definitely NOT against public school.)

4. I don't homeschool because I think I'm better than anyone else or because I think homeschooling is the best thing and everyone should do it. While I do think it's great, it is NOT for everyone. Sometimes people seem to automatically get offended when they find out we homeschool, like it's a personal attack against them. That is not my intention at all but people still seem to feel the need to justify why homeschooling is right for me, but not them. Case in point - I end up hearing that they couldn't stand to be around their kids all day, they don't have enough patience, they're not smart enough, it's too expensive, they don't have a teaching degree, they have to work, etc.
Let me tell you, I am not a saint and I have no degrees. Some days when things are rough I really wish I was I waving goodbye to my kids as they got on the bus...but for us personally, all the positives outweigh the negatives. Nothing is more important to me than my kiddos and their futures. I want to make sure that they're educated in the best way possible - and for us, that is homeschooling. If you've decided that public school or private school is best for your kids - that's fine! I'm totally okay with it! I have friends who homeschool their kids and friends who don't - I like them all the same.

5. So I just have to reiterate: we're not rich, I don't have endless amounts of patience, and our house is not always a peaceful haven of serenity & joy - hence, the name of this blog, y'all! We do this because we are making the choice to. Some days it's hard and some days it's extremely challenging...but it's always worth it. (I should also add that I'm not just trying to be doom and gloom - we have a lot of days that are fun and happy too!)

6. I don't say I'm homeschooling and then do nothing all day. Believe me, it doesn't work that way! We may learn a little differently than traditional public school but we're still learning. (See more about that on number eight.) In Indiana you're not "required" to send your children to school until they are seven but we started homeschooling right after I pulled Zeke out of preschool and have been since then. Indiana's guidelines for homeschooling are very easy compared to other states. Our only real requirement is to document (and keep an actual record) of how many days the kids attend school, just like the public school would if he was going there - 180 days if you're curious. You may also (optionally) send a letter of intent (to homeschool) to the school your child would attend if they went.

7. Our day generally goes like this: The kids get up anytime between 7:30 - 9:30 AM and have breakfast. After that we have school for between three to five hours, with short breaks. Afternoons are mostly free playtime or spent on projects and household tasks. We read books through out the day and right before bedtime. Our schedule is not rigid though. Some days our school time is broken up throughout the day and on busy days we sometimes don't get to do much at all - it just depends on how the kids are feeling, what we're studying, if we have any appointments, etc. Some days are better than others and some days we get nothing done. One of the beautiful things about homeschooling is that we can always make up work the next day and that we can school when it's convenient for us.

8. Leaning doesn't always take place just by sitting behind a desk. Some of the best lessons in life are learned through experience or by interesting situations. In our homeschool, we learn in a variety of ways including but not limited to:

• Using flashcards or sensory bins/boxes
• Building with blocks, doing puzzles and board games
• Doing workbooks, worksheets, unit studies, printables or other types of curriculum we've purchased, been given or borrowed
• Reading textbooks, library books and our own books
• Reading learning to read games/phonics work
• Computer games and learning websites like Starfall
• Painting, coloring, play-dough, Do-A-Dots, finger-painting, and other crafts
• Using our piano, keyboard or guitar and listening to CDs
• Educational/historical DVDs or TV shows - such as Leapfrog Letter Factory or certain programs on the History Channel
• Math using manipulatives and objects we can count/add/subtract
• Writing, drawing, collecting things and taking nature walks for nature journals and lapbooks
• Imaginative/pretend play
• Life skills through every day situations like cooking, going to the store or feeding the chickens

9. Since my kids don't go to public school, they're not bringing home all the pink eye, flu and lice that public school children almost always get. (That's probably a silly reason but hey...I'm not complaining.) They're also not bringing home bad attitudes they've gotten from other kids, they're not being bullied and I don't have to worry about what's being taught and what I may have to "re-teach" later on. (Not saying that will always happen...but sometimes kids do get taught or pick up on things at school that are not true or that can really hurt/confuse them unnecessarily.)

10. Here's a shocker...I'm not worried about socialization. That's been the number one complaint from people. I wish they could understand that sending kids to school for eight hours a day doesn't always mean that they magically turn into socialized, gracious angels. (It's more often the opposite!) My kids have no lack of socialization. We attend church weekly and are part of a homeschool group that meets once a week for social time and classes. I have several friends with younger kids who I try to meet up with several times a month. As the kids get older we're getting more involved in other activities like 4H and sports. We visit with our extended family almost every week. My kids may have their moments when they're shy, cranky, nervous, crabby or scared - but what kid doesn't? It's not because they're homeschooled...it's because they're kids!

So there's my thoughts, for what they're worth. I hope I didn't come off as mean-spirited or angry - because that's not how I meant it at all. I truly believe homeschooling is right for us but not right for every family. If you're a homeschooling parent, or any type of parent, really - I'd love to hear your thoughts and why you do what you do! :)