I still remember exactly where I was when I knew I wanted to homeschool my future kids. I had just read a book –I can’t remember which one or why I had even picked it up or even if I would still like it today if I re-read it–but after reading it, I absolutely knew in my gut that homeschooling was a path I wanted to explore.
The whole idea had never been on my radar before. Ever. I grew up very content with my public school experience. I knew a couple of homeschool families, but mostly I viewed homeschooling as something very foreign and a little strange. Later in life as a public school teacher, the case against homeschool felt even stronger. A homeschool student entering the classroom felt like a burden, since they weren’t “up to standard” with the rest of the class. I had all the misconceptions most people hold about homeschoolers, even though I found that the ones I knew didn’t seem to fit these labels at all. Now, being a homeschool family, I’m not sure if people still hold these judgements and preconceived ideas and I’m just oblivious, or if homeschooling has actually become more of a mainstream option.
Homeschooling isn’t for everyone, and it definitely is not easy, despite my background in teaching and my fairly “laid-back” approach. Trusting the process is TOUGH. Dealing with your own kids in the learning environment is TOUGH. Not for all homeschoolers, mind you. I know some homeschool families who set up little daily lists and their children, even the young ones, skip off merrily to go complete their work. Ha! Not the case in our home. I’d say it’s taken some very bumpy roads to get where we are now. It’s kind of like parenthood– I haven’t always liked the details of it, it’s driven me bonkers, but I also wouldn’t trade it for anything.
So here are some reasons I love homeschooling for us (and I know these aren’t homeschool-exclusive, but since this is our only experience…) Also, many of the things I love about homeschooling are also many of the challenges–go figure.
–Our kids can go at their own pace. I firmly believe in trusting the process and trusting that kids will be ready when they’re ready. We see examples of it all throughout parenthood, whether it’s when our baby walks or potty trains or learns to ride a bike. You can’t force these things to happen “early” anymore than you can force your kid to grow taller sooner. That said, trusting the process is tough, especially when public-school kids of the same age are on a different timeline.
–Our kids can play! This is one of THE biggest reasons I have for homeschooling. Many families in this country are on an unofficial race to have their kid learn to read, write, and solve math before other kids or at the youngest age possible, as if this is some sort of indication of long-term genius and success. I have a very strong belief that babies and young kids, especially, belong with family, not in daycares or preschools, whenever possible. And, I believe that a young child will learn a lot more about life in the long-run from being allowed to play. I cringe when I hear young children spending their time doing school skills, instead of learning through imagination and getting their hands dirty.
–We can spend more time on subjects. This sounds weird, since it is sometimes such a battle to do even the smallest tasks, but more often than not, our daughter will ask to do more than I have in mind. “Can we do a few more?” “Can we do this a little longer?” I don’t think this happens that much in school settings. Students are often on strict schedules and aren’t given the time and space to explore things further. They also tend to be “trained” into the anticipation of recess and breaks that it doesn’t often occur to them to spend MORE time doing a subject. (At least, this was my experience when I was a classroom teacher.) If there’s an especially strong interest in something, I can center the rest of the day or week around it.
–We can go with the flow of the day. This is a tricky one to find a balance with for me. I love being able to run outside in the morning, if the weather is special, instead of diving right into school. Or being able to drive to the lake or spend time with a visitor. This kind of flexibility definitely depends on a parent and student who are able to make the lessons happen, even if it’s at different times of the day or in different settings. But, wow. Schooling at a park or at the beach or in the car on the way to a museum–these are moments when homeschool really shines.
–We do a lot of learning through discussion. I often wonder if I’m “doing enough” for schooling, and then I have to remind myself of just how much we talk about during the day. I know families who send their kids to school might not think this counts, since I’m sure they talk to their kids too, obviously. But, because we are with the kids all day long, we know exactly what they’ve read and seen and experienced, and we continuously build on that. We reference back to these frequently and we constantly tie conversations into what we’re learning without “forcing” it. This natural flow of discussion and questions feels so much better to me than textbooks.
–I get to tell stories! I love, love storytelling, and it is a huge part of our learning here. I would love to tell more folktales and fairytales, but mostly I tell stories from my past or from books I’ve read or movies I’ve watched. It’s a great opportunity for so many more discussions, and I love that we have the time and space to answer all the questions that arise during the day.
–We get to be flexible with our schedule. This can feel like a negative too, but if we’ve stayed up late, we can all sleep in and get the rest our bodies need. If it’s a bright, beautiful morning and we’re all awake, we can start school then and be done early and have the rest of the day to play and explore. Our kids are seriously cranky when they don’t get the right amount of sleep, so I am very grateful for this flexibility.
–Our kids get to spend their days together. I know sibling squabbles and loving times are part of every family, but I just love that our kids get to spend their days together, instead of being sent to different classrooms. I know as they grow older, this may shift, but I’m so glad for this time they have to play and learn together.
–We have the time and space for “real-life” skills. I didn’t cook a meal or use tools or sew clothes or vacuum the house as young as our kiddos have. Part of it is just the nature of being home all day, and part of it is our schooling, but I love that these skills are built into the day.
I know there are more. Many more. I’m sure I’ll want to edit and add as I think about this, and especially as the years pass and everything shifts yet again. As a former classroom teacher and someone with many wonderful, talented family and friends who are classroom teachers, I absolutely know there are advantages to all different types of schooling. There have certainly been days I’ve seriously questioned homeschool as our choice. And I think that’s important to keep doing from time to time. I’m sure I’ll write a post someday about all the reasons homeschooling seriously sucks too. But, it’s also really helpful for me to remember the reasons we chose this path. Because these WHYs are what keep me going.