Why Should I Homeschool My Child?

And just like that, the term homeschool has been ushered into our regular vocabularies. Suddenly, parents find themselves in the role of a teacher; a role that many would like to shed, immediately! There was a time in my life when I would have joined the public outcry of “I never signed up for this.” I, too, had deadlines to meet, goals to conquer, and responsibilities to manage. It wasn’t until I was forced into homeschooling that I realized that it could be a wonderful educational option for families.

How Did I Become a Homeschool Mom?

After many failed attempts at trying to find the right environment for my special-needs son, I had no choice but to bring him home for learning. For me, I realized that my time and energy was better spent teaching him myself, rather than advocating on his behalf with special education specialists and administrators. If you have ever had to advocate for your child at school, you understand the overwhelming and emotional roller coaster you ride year in and year out. It is almost impossible to understand the toll it takes on parents trying to prepare their hearts and minds for meetings and conferences and having their deficiencies highlighted over and over. I felt hopeless and powerless, but was determined to find a better solution for my son. So, when I say, forced, I mean it. I didn’t believe I had any other choice, and suddenly I was a homeschool mom.

Truly leaning in during this time has made me realize that there are many benefits to homeschool.

Here are the 10 Reasons Why I Homeschool My Child:

1.)  I Like My Kids

Now, don’t misunderstand me, I am not suggesting that if you send your children to school that you don’t like them. As for me, I absolutely love spending time with my two boys, and it is enjoyable most of the time! I appreciate that they are each uniquely wired and a gift to the world. They are little people with big hearts and minds and I am constantly learning from them. I love spending simple days with them and giving my love back to them.

2.)  Homeschool Schedules Provide Flexibility

I homeschool when, where, and how I want to. I use curriculum based on the individual needs of each child, and are able to create our own schedule based on those specific needs. Formal instruction takes an average of 3 hours per day, so our family is able to explore and make the most of our time together when we are not formally engaged in instruction. When the opportunities arise, we get outside and take learning on the road. As a family, we decide what works best for us week-to-week, which makes for a less stressful and rigid lifestyle. Human beings, especially children, learn better when they are taught something that really interests them, so having the flexibility in the what and how help to create a positive learning environment for them.

3.) Encourages Relationship Building

With Parents

We have the opportunity to build strong relationships with our children because we spend more intentional time together.  One of the beauties in building a relationship with your child is the natural progression toward parental influence. I think many parents agree that there is such a divide in our society because of technology and social media. We are all encouraged to work harder to build healthy relationships with their children and homeschool allows time to do this. In addition, there is more time for siblings to spend together, allowing them to learn to work together within the family unit and ultimately within society. Building strong relational awareness can ignite natural life-long relationship building skills.

With Friends

Homeschoolers spend a large amount of time cultivating friendships in communities made up of other homeschool families as well as in extra curricular activities, despite what you may think regrading the negative socialization myths surrounding homeschooling. Unlike short recess breaks found in traditional schooling, spending focused, quality time with friends in an unstructured social setting allows for the development of strong friendships.

4.)  They Get to Be a Kid

Does it seem like each generation has had to grow up faster than the one before? There is no doubt that there is an enormous amount of pressure to grow up fast in today’s culture. Homeschooled children have less structured time and have the advantages of downtime and play time. There is no better joy than watching your child play throughout their day. Whether its swinging from the trees or imaginary play with toys, all provide an incredible amount of positive childhood development.

5.)  They Get More Sleep

Did you know that children need anywhere from 9-12 hours of sleep each night depending upon their age? One of the most valuable gifts that we can give to children is sleep. I think that parents do a better job of this when they are taking care of infants and toddlers. At some point there is a shift once children attend school. Many parents would like to have their child sleep for longer intervals, but with standard school start times, early morning commutes, homework, and sporting practices, getting the required amount of sleep is often impossible. Because of the flexibility in schedule, homeschooled children typically receive more sleep, which promotes healthy brain development.

6.)  Addresses the Unique Needs of a Family

Homeschool families with special needs children can take the time they need to care for specific needs and accommodate therapy appointments. There is no school that is able to meet all of the needs on a truly individualized level. Individualization is so critical to learning and practicing coping skills and regulation techniques for children with special needs. In the homeschool environment, natural gifts and strengths are cultivated and allowed to shine. The homeschool framework is based on a principle of abundance rather than scarcity in learning.  In addition, there is not the tendency to apply extra focus on areas that are weak which require constant interventions in the classroom; rather, there is more attention applied to the unique gifts and skills of the child. The inclination to compare is nonexistent, and as a result, confidence is naturally fueled. Self-esteem building is a key focus for many homeschool parents.

7.)  Provides Faith and Character Building

I believe that it is my responsibility and privilege to instill values and morals in my children. I am able to weave our Christian faith into everything we do. We can start our day and end our day with a focus on God, and insert His goodness in the moments in between. I can model my own relationship with God and teach them how to bring God into everything they do. Quite often, I can directly refer to Bible teachings to further promote positive social and emotional skill building principles.

8.)  Facilitates a Love of Learning

I love learning, I want my children to love it to. I can model the concept of continuous learning so that they begin to see education as a blessing and not a burden.  We can explore their interests which allows them to invest themselves based on natural motivations, rather than an expectation of grades and testing. Research has shown that the brain is able to better retain information when a person is curious about a topic and motivated to learn. I provide instruction and learning opportunities based on the interests of my children, which builds a higher level of learning and skill retention.

9.)  Life Moves Quickly

Have you heard the saying, “the days are long, but the years are short?” Parents quickly learn that there is a small window of time with our children. In the early years, I constantly felt like I was missing out on time with my boys; working 40+ hours per week while they were at daycare and school. As time goes by, you realize that it is a finite resource. Spending time together and making family memories together is a family value that means a great deal to us. Our goal is to help create moments that become memories.

10.) Being a Homeschool Mom is a Calling

Families come to homeschooling in different ways. For some, the decision is made early on, and for others it comes with trying something new when what you are doing no longer works. For me, it came as a desperate attempt to change the trajectory of my son’s life, and to create an environment where he could thrive. There is so much personal joy and satisfaction that has come through this transformation. I spent years praying that God would reveal to me a solution on how to help my child. He did and so here we are.

Homeschool Works for Us

Surprisingly, homeschooling has brought me an immense amount of joy. I believe that with the right perspective and commitment, it is an amazing option. When we have more time together to truly get to know and understand our children, are we able to instill meaningfully influence in their lives. At the end of the day, my goal is like any other parent: to raise happy and healthy kiddos. Homeschool provides an environment that is rich in so many ways, and as long as it works for us, we will keep it up!