5 Reasons Why We Chose to Homeschool

Can you remember when you first heard that your children’s school would be going virtual?  

I certainly can!  It was just going to be two weeks, right?  We all wondered how in the world we would make it even that long!  

It was during those early days of the pandemic as educators tried to adjust to a “new normal” of Zoom calls and P.E. consisting of jumping on the trampoline in the backyard that I began to look at the education of my children very differently. 

Although I had always been engaged in my children’s education, I now found myself sitting next to a fourth-grader - solely responsible for all he was learning and asking myself...could there be a better option for their education?

Did they really need to be away from home for 8 hours a day to receive the “best” education?

As this went well beyond two weeks, my husband and I began to seriously consider ways that we could supplement their education at home. Ultimately this led to our decision to choose homeschooling for the next year.

5 Reasons Why We Chose to Homeschool

• Uncertainty

  We were chugging along...my 4th grader in public school and my 4-year-old coming to our church preschool with me where she was in Pre-K and I was teaching a three-year-old class when we found out schools would be closing.

  I continually checked my son’s Google Classroom site to see how his teacher would handle this “virtual schooling” and was shocked to find out that all we would receive was a list of assignments to complete online.  No communication...no virtual lessons...no nothing!  

  We never had any communication or instruction from his teacher again. 

  This is what initially led my husband and me to even consider homeschooling as we felt that was what we were having to do in the absence of any given instruction from the public school system.  And much to our surprise...we were all loving it! 

  Fast forward to the end of the summer when no one was sure when school would begin or what it would look like. I couldn’t stand the thought of my ten-year-old spending an entire day away from us, in a mask, isolated at a desk or on a computer.

  I began researching options for curriculum, state standards, and methods of homeschooling. We decided to unenroll him and tackle this year and see where it would lead. I can honestly say now I feel it leads to homeschooling for the long haul!

  I now set the schedule, set the pace, and what makes up our curriculum.

• Content Control

  We all know that no one, not even the best-intentioned teacher, is going to care for and know your children as you do.  I wanted to be able to research and investigate various options for curriculum and methods of instruction that would resonate best with my child’s learning style.  

  I also know that as our children spend more and more time away from home, they are influenced by world views that do not necessarily align with the Christian beliefs we as a family hold.  

  By choosing to homeschool, I was able to tailor his learning so that it aligned with these beliefs and no longer had to worry that he was going to be taught something or exposed to something in public school that we didn’t agree with or that he wasn’t yet able to understand. 

• Religious Instruction

  As I began talking to others and examining curriculum options, the thought of beginning our day with devotions and Bible reading was very appealing. 

   It has allowed us to have deeper level conversations about faith while allowing us to share some very rewarding time together.  

  I’ve also grown in my understanding of the Bible now reading it as a “teacher” trying to help my son understand and not just reading for my own understanding.  

  We have also been able to memorize scripture together which has proved challenging and rewarding for us both.  This is giving him a knowledge he would never have received in public school.

• Reading Exposure

  We are a family of avid readers.  It’s what we do!  I realized I was able to incorporate novels, articles, picture books, and more into our days that enriched our learning in ways that allowed us to bond over this shared love of reading.  

  Due to our mutual love of reading, we have chosen a reading heavy curriculum that has allowed us to read more widely both together and independently.  

  He is thriving and we have created many wonderful memories around shared stories.  It’s allowed him much more time to read independently as well, noticeably increasing his reading fluency and vocabulary. 

(Taking advantage of a SQUILT LIVE! lesson - we are enjoying incorporating things like music appreciation into his education now!)

• Impressive Homeschoolers and Parents

  I’ll admit I had preconceived notions about homeschool families.  

  Having grown up as a public school student, I assumed homeschoolers were strange kids from strange families who just didn’t fit in with the norm of school.  

  More and more, however, over the past few years, I’ve met homeschool moms and students who proved me totally wrong.  

  They are impressive, they are people I respect and want my child to emulate. They are knowledgeable, thoughtful, well-spoken people who simply chose a different way of educating their children. 

  ( I’m not sure where they’ve been hiding all this time!)

  They chose what they felt was best for their family and I can now see the merits of this choice. 

  
  The wake of the events of the past year has left a lot of changes in our world. One change that I will forever be thankful for is the opportunity it provided for me to take more direct involvement in my children’s education and to discover the numerous options available for moving my children from traditional public education to an environment of education at home.

I’m curious - what made YOU decide to homeschool?

Let me know in the comments below!

This is post is from Homegrown Learners contributor, Allison. She is a wife and mother with a passion for reading. With a background in Early Childhood Education as well as experience working in Corporate America, the events of the past year exposed her to the rewards of teaching her own children at home. She hopes to encourage anyone who has ever been anxious about taking this leap with her own personal successes and failures of her family's first year homeschooling.

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Homeschooling is a Marathon (not a sprint)

The question I receive most often (now that I’m almost done with our homeschooling journey) usually goes something like this:

“How did you keep going? I’m afraid I won’t have the stamina to keep doing this through high school.”

The first answer I always give is “by the grace of God”. After that I try to remind them that homeschooling is a MARATHON not a sprint. It’s a quippy little statement that sounds good, but when you start to think about it, running a marathon and homeschooling have A LOT in common (not that I would know anything about the marathon, but I can make valid assumptions).

As we explore this marathon metaphor, PLEASE let me encourage you. The fruits you will see as you cross the finish line (and beyond) are amazing. It’s worth it. I know it’s hard to see that when you are deep in the muck with littles, but it is so worth it.

---

This alliterative marathon metaphor really is perfect for homeschooling. I hope you find the following points helpful and, more importantly, I hope it gives you courage to continue this most important work you are doing.

Now, more than ever, we need mighty homeschoolers - and it’s up to YOU to educate them!

Why are You Doing This?

I’ve never run a marathon, but I am assuming marathon runners are greatly motivated. They have a GOAL.

The same is true for us as homeschoolers. Why are we doing this? Knowing your why (and reminding yourself of it) is crucial to success.

This is one of the best “whys” I’ve heard - I think you’ll love it, too:

We keep them at home to nurture them, to cultivate relationships with them, and to plan the seeds of relationships with other people and their ideas. We keep them at home to equip them to embrace and to shape the world of their Creator. ~ Elizabeth Foss, Real Learning

Homeschooling is not easy. It requires great amounts of courage. If you can always articulate why you are on the journey, it serves as a sort of inner pep talk.

Less is More - Start Slow

You cannot run 26 miles out of the gate, and you can’t have your ideal homeschool immediately, either. (The Couch to 5K app is wildly popular for a reason!)

If you are a new homeschooler, remember Rome wasn’t built in a day. Start slow.

As you and your children learn to do a few things well, add other subjects one at a time.

Add the most important rocks first - usually, people start with math and reading. I might also suggest an outdoor nature study - it will just add fun and boost morale.

As you and your children learn to do a few things well, add other subjects one at a time.

Find Coaches, Partners, & Cheerleaders

Seek parents ahead of you on the journey. Seek parents in the same spot as you on the journey. And - this is very important - seek people NOT homeschooling (but who know you well and support you) to be your cheerleaders.

( In the same spirit, you may need to place some distance between you and people who do not agree with your homeschooling decision. )

In our current climate, it is difficult to find in-person accountability partners - to truly assemble your team.

When life returns to a semblance of normal, be sure to join a local homeschool group. Do you have any homeschooling parents at your church you can befriend?

I had a dear friend who went on a nature walk with my daughter and me when we first started homeschooling. I appreciated the friendship. She also took an interest in my daughter and taught her as we were walking. This friend was not a homeschooling mom, but she was a supporter of our homeschooling endeavor.

Have a Plan (but be flexible)

Just as you would have a training plan for a marathon, you need a PLAN for your homeschool.

Are you setting goals each year? Do you know what you would like your children to accomplish - do your CHILDREN know what you would like them to accomplish?

This plan will guide your instruction and give you a feeling of “legitimacy” that homeschool parents tell me they crave.

Once you have created the plan, however, realize that “life” gets in the way - one of the biggest benefits of homeschooling is flexibility. If something isn’t working you can change course.

A plan allows for CONSISTENCY, which I believe is crucial to completing the homeschool marathon!

Celebrate YOUR Accomplishments - Ditch the Comparison

Remember to reward yourself and your children for accomplishments along the way. (You wouldn’t compare yourself to an Olympic runner, would you?)

If your child masters a difficult spelling list, put a big sticker on their paper and display for the family to see! Take your child out for a milkshake as they cement their times tables.

Keep a reading log throughout the year and when you reach your goal, have a family celebration.

You get the idea.

Sometimes I would keep pushing through homeschool (me and my high expectations!), forgetting to compliment and reward my children along the way. There is no surer route to discouragement than this.

Additionally, please resist the urge to compare your homeschool to anyone else’s - stay in your own lane!

Take Breaks

You wouldn’t continue training for a marathon if you had the flu, right? Why do trudge through homeschooling when we know something isn’t working or when we have clearly used up our energy reserves?

It’s perfectly acceptable to take a few days off. EVERYONE needs a break to regroup and catch their breath - to regain strength and motivation.

Homeschooling is difficult, and if we don’t acknowledge the fact that we need to take breaks we will surely burn out.

Every Part is Different

Some parts of the homeschool journey will be flat and easy - but there will also be hills that you feel you simply cannot climb, too.

Acknowledge this. If something is hard, let it be hard, with the knowledge that easier times will be coming (and a celebration after the hard!).

For me, homeschool middle school with one of my children was particularly difficult. It nearly made me quit homeschooling. I am so glad I had a support system in place and could be reminded by moms ahead of me it wasn’t always going to be like this.

My mother’s favorite saying - “Everything will look better in the morning!” really IS true. (Maybe it’s not the very next morning - it might not be until the following month or even year.)

No Pain, No Gain?

I’ve always disliked this statement, but many times in homeschooling (as with all of life), the most difficult moments are the most refining.

That struggle you’re going through with your middle grades girl? It will teach you a thing or two about patience, grace, and unconditional love. The tears your child breaks into as you lose your temper while trying to explain long division? That will teach you that relationship matters more than any academic concept - every single time.

Homeschooling (and really parenting!) children refines us in ways we didn’t even realize we needed refining. The very act of raising children causes us to slow down and speed up all at the same time, teaching us so many valuable lessons along the way.

Now, go off and run that marathon!

Thoughts? Questions?

Leave them here in the comments and we can continue the training together!

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