So, you want to homeschool, but why?
To be honest, when we first decided to homeschool, our reason was this pandemic. After our youngest was born, I caught a very minor virus (actually 8 strains of Coxsackievirus) that ravaged my body. I was hospitalized with sepsis for nearly a week, and I was ill for close to 3 weeks. Recovery was difficult with a new baby, working full time, plus managing remote schooling for our two older kiddos. It was the scariest time for my family, wondering if mommy would come home. That was my "why:" my health and the health of my family.
What is your reason for homeschooling? Let's take a look at some reasons why families choose this path:
Freedom
With homeschooling, I have the freedom to tailor my child's education. I do not have to follow a rigid schedule set forth by our school district. We can take time off as needed and travel. We can forego history some days to focus on current events. Last year in fact, we put off studying ancient history, while we spent four weeks studying the Presidential Election and learning about United States Government. That is my favorite unit study to date.
Health and Special Needs
Every family is different. Some family members need more emotional, physical,or academic support than others. My son (who's currently 9) is diagnosed with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and ADHD. Schooling at home is truly the best thing for him. Since we started homeschooling in 2019, I've watched his confidence in grammar and reading skyrocket. While he is still a reluctant writer and reader most days, I can see his confidence when he brings a book to bed at night and when he reads the scout honor in front of his troop. I am awed by how much he's grown and changed since we started this journey.
Family Time
With homeschool, you get a lot of family time. For me, it can be a bit overwhelming. I am used to working away from home and sending my children to public school or daycare, so the last two years have been a HUGE change for me. I've grown a lot as a person from this experience. I recognize that I really enjoy having my whole family around all the time. It brings me peace and comfort. They are comforted having me around too. And, when time permits, we enjoy time away from each other. Harper likes to have coffee dates with friends. Sawyer likes to sulk off to his boy cave and play video games. Lennon, he just likes to be around mama, but he's 19 months, so that is expected. Whatever your preference, you can school together, outsource, or co-op. Do what works best for your family. I'm so thankful that I didn't have to send our youngest to daycare.
Quality Education
Remember, quality is subjective. Is your goal a rigorous, classical education? Maybe you prefer a gentle, nature based instruction. One of the perks of homeschool is that you can make it as rigorous or gentle as you wish. For us, I've chosen a bit more rigorous path this year that is classically inspired. I still incorporate nature study every two weeks, and we spend a lot of time on art and history. I take a gentle approach and slow down when needed. During the whole month of December, we will drop our history and science curriculum to study "Christmas Around the World," and heck, I am super excited about this. Oh, the joys of homeschooling! Plus, I get the opportunity to learn as well.
Values & Beliefs
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, one of the most popular reasons for home education is for religious/moral purposes. For our family, I choose a more secular, inclusive approach to homeschool. We learn about all religious philosophies and compare and contrast world religions. I also love including more diverse, inclusive stories and voices in our lessons, unlike some Texas public schools.
When I think about all the reasons that families choose homeschooling, I think the most common underlying reason is flexibility, truly. Flexibility to choose what is right for you and your family and create a wonderful educational path.
Are you considering homeschool? What is your "why?"
Join us next #topictuesday as I share another blog post in the series: How to Become a Homeschooler.
With Love,
Gabrielle