This year on the blog I want to begin featuring more of our life as a homeschooling family. I have to admit I wasn’t sold on the idea of homeschooling. I wanted the girls to go to school and that be that. But as they got older I began researching diligently about the schools around us versus homeschooling. It was a long back and forth battle for us. There were both pros and cons to each avenue. However in the end homeschooling we knew was the best decision for us.
So why do I homeschool?
First the local schools were just not meeting the expectations that we wanted. We did a lot of thinking and research on this. Policies, what was being taught, and opinions of other parents did not give us the confidence we needed to commit to putting our girls in school. Safety in schools and the influence of other children did also play a role in our decision to homeschool our children.
Second the flexibility is amazing! Overall we maintain a pretty good schedule but some days we just want to break free and be rebels. When there is a beautiful day we stop school a little early to play at the park or go for bike rides. The flexibility also helps when we want to visit family or family comes to us. Just recently we had family visit from Colorado so we were able to take the week off and spend every moment with them.
Third the amount of time we get to spend together. Ok some days I would love to send them away for a month long vacation to Grandmas but overall the time we get to spend together is something I know I will treasure in the future. I have this great opportunity to teach them and to watch them flourish as individuals. Teaching is hard. But then I see that moment. The moment when the light bulb goes off and an idea is born. The moment when problems are figured out and celebratory high waves are given. The moment when a correct answer is given and a big smile washes over their faces.
Finally we can cater to the girls likes and interests to create a curriculum that they enjoy. One week they want to learn about the human body but the next week they want to learn about polar bears, we can make that happen. This year we moved towards the Charlotte Mason approach of homeschooling and have loved what we have been doing so far. We use so much more than just textbooks to learn what is needed for their grades. Living books, exploring nature, using the environment around us all aid in making this our best year yet for schooling. Homeschooling gives us the opportunity to explore and look outside of the books for knowledge.
These are the reasons why I homeschool. These are reasons why I chose this path. For the last three years it has been the best decision for our family. I continue to learn everyday the amount of strength and commitment I need to teach my girls great things. And I am so thankful that I get this opportunity. I look forward to sharing more with you what we do this year in homeschool and why we do it!
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This is awesome Kristen. Looks like there learning some interesting things. Keep up the good work
I homeschooled our kids for 5 years and I loved it. However I had to give it up and put them in public school last year. I miss it sometimes. We really had fun and I enjoyed spending so much time with them. The most difficult thing has been dealing with the “lockdown drills” at school. Would you believe that most kids don’t take those seriously and goof off the whole time? At least at our school.
I have talked to my boyfriend about this many times! I would love to homeschool my daughter once she gets to the age to start school.
I love this so much. I’m interested in homeschooling my kids, but some days I just feel like I’m not capable, or that I’ll lose my sanity to be home with them all day for the rest of their lives lol (I’m a SAHM now) Reading about other’s homeschooling experiences always has me lean towards revisiting the idea.
Interesting. I always wondered how homeschooling goes, in terms of organizing your days etc. Thanks for sharing your story.
You must have an amazing level of patience. Although I love my kids greatly, I do not think I am cut out to go the homeschooling route, though the benefits are obviously amazing!
I love your reasons. Especially the flexibility. I have a few years before I need to decide homeschool vs. public school vs private school. But your reasons are very enticing to homeschool. We will just have to see what the future holds. But thank you for sharing.
I have been considering homeschool so I really enjoyed your post. What a wonderful way to get to spend time with your family.
Such a great thing you are doing for your family! Learning comes from so much more than just books and makes them well rounded. Love this 🙂
I love this post! Thanks so much for letting us into your world! I’ve been discussing home-schooling with my husband for our 2 yr old as well and it’s been pretty conflicting. However, it brings me some relief to know that there are other Mamas out there who still believe in doing things differently. 🙂
This is so wonderful that you can do this for your kids.