100% the most common question I get- on a daily basis through comments, DM’s or even in person is about why we homeschool.
People are curious, as am I. I always love to hear my fellow homeschooler’s “whys”. But, the hard part is- there’s not 1 specific reason for us. It’s a plethora of reasons. Reasons that sparked much debate and thought before we jumped on the homeschooling train.
Most people assume that if you’re a homeschooler, that you’re completely against public school. But, that’s totally not the case for us. Both my Husband and I had great public school experiences. We didn’t deal with bullying, we got great grades, we made lifelong friends. It’s by far not the biggest reason we decided to become a homeschool family. I have close friends and family members who are wonderful teachers in the public school system and they’re doing amazing things in their classrooms. I myself considered becoming a teacher at one point. I lack the patience I think…
Which brings me to another point. So many people blame the reason that they DON’T homeschool on their lack of patience. But, believe me- I am one of the least patient people you will meet and it’s working out splendidly for us. So don’t let that bog you down if you’re considering homeschooling your children. I promise- if I can do it, you CAN do it.
Why We Homeschool
My canned response to the ‘why we homeschool’ question really is simply this: it’s what works best for MY family. I talked last week about having an active, rambunctious, LOUD little boy who loves to learn. Because of this, he doesn’t do well at the sitting still and being quiet. Large groups of kids make him nervous, and I honestly think that school would be very overwhelming for him. Especially when he was at the Kindergarten stage. I didn’t want him to be so overstimulated- but, he’s also REALLY smart so I didn’t want to hold back his education in any way, either. I thought about only homeschooling for a year or two, then re-evaluating. But, we’ve both loved it so much that I think we’re in it for the long haul.
Why It’s Worth It
Being a stay-at-home Mom, with the means and ability is another big reason we decided to go ahead and give homeschooling a try. Why not? I’m here, we both love learning. I get a major kick out of watching his brain work. And when I teach him a concept that he grasps- it’s the most rewarding experience. Watching him learn has been a privilege and a blessing. And I would not trade this opportunity for anything. All the stressing over curriculum and negative self talk about whether or not I could actually do this has all been worth it.
I joke with my husband that I just secured another 12 years of ‘job security’ by being our son’s teacher. But, honestly I’m so thankful that I’m able to stay at home and teach him. I know that so many people can’t make it work with their schedule, or both parents need to work, or there’s only a single parent running the household. So I do not take this for granted, not one bit.
It works well for our son, it is amazing for our schedule- we can travel or take a day off whenever we want, and like I said, it’s fun! That’s really our ‘why we homeschool’ story. Simply- it works for us, and we love it!
Please share your ‘whys’ in the comments. And as always, if you have ANY questions about homeschool I will answer them to the very best of my abilities. Feel free to comment/email/DM me any time.
