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As I type this it is hard to believe that we will be going into our 8th year of homeschooling! Crazy how time flies! What is even crazier is that if I were to rewind to a time before I had kids and you were to have told me we would be homeschoolers some day, I would have called YOU crazy
One of the questions I have been asked the most during these eight years of homeschooling is…
What made you want to homeschool?
That is sort of a loaded question. It is also a question to which the answer has really evolved over the years.
But in case you may be wondering the same, here are my reasons….
I HATE BEING RUSHED AND/OR DOING THE RUSHING
My oldest son actually did go to kindergarten in public school, so I do have a very small glimpse into that life. Other than my own experience as a kid. One of the things I disliked very early on was the mad dash to get him out the door and onto the bus! I hated that he had to hurry up and eat, hurry up and get dressed, hurry up and say goodbye to his family! Everything was SO rushed in the mornings and I hated all of it. It immediately set the tone for the rest of the day and to be honest gave me a good deal of anxiety.
WE GET TO GO WHERE WE WANT WHEN WE WANT
When my oldest son was in school it did not take me long to realize that so much of where we went and what we did during the school year was controlled by the school schedule. You take time off and go places, when the school district says that you can have a day off! What fun is that? I personally love being able to go places and do things with my family whenever it works for us! As a bonus: If you go when everyone else is in school, the lines, the traffic, and the crowds are much more manageable. I call that a WIN!
WE ARE CLOSER AS A FAMILY
From almost the first day my second son was born he has ALWAYS looked up to his big brother. For the first few years of his life, they did EVERYTHING together. That is until my oldest son went to kindergarten. Not only was he gone all day at school. But when he came home it was if he did not know “how” to reconnect with his brother. Almost like he didn’t know if he should? It was really sad to watch and even more sad for my son who missed playing with his brother and was completely oblivious to what just happened!
Since homeschooling though, I am happy to say that their bond is now stronger than ever. Do they fight and argue? Yes! Almost daily! But the cool thing is, they now have the freedom to work it out, say there apologies, and learn and grow from their mistakes. All in the comfort of their home. Not surrounded by peers who may or may not have their best intentions in mind. There is something comforting about the unconditional love of a family.
YOU LEARN AS MUCH AS YOUR KIDS DO
You know that old show “Are you smarter than a 5th grader?” Well I get to be on that show, like…E.V.E.R.Y.D.A.Y. There is so much we forget from our schooling days. However, now that I am older I find that I enjoy re-learning some of these things that I once did not pay any attention to. It’s crazy what getting older can do to a person. I find that I actually appreciate school more now than I did then! Thanks kids!
MY KIDS SOCIALIZE WITH KIDS OF ALL AGES
This one is super important to me, and here is why. I think the way our school system sections everyone off my age and grade is really sad. In some ways I believe it sets them up for failure. When you first went out and got a job, did you only work with a bunch of 16 year olds? Of course not, that is not real life! So why do we group a bunch of kids who are the same age together and think that is a proper way of teaching them socialization skills?
In my opinion, it is a far better option to allow kids to socialize with kids and adults of all ages on a very consistent basis! My son learns patience when he has to socialize with a three year old at the park, and he learns respect and knowledge by talking to the 60 year old cashier at the grocery store.
You will have to excuse me if I don’t believe him chatting it up with a bunch of 13 year old boys and girls, who’s main conversation is probably Fortnite, who has more followers on Snapchat, or what they had for lunch, is the most beneficial way to socialize.
WE HAVE A TON OF FUN
Last but not least, but also one of my favorite reasons for homeschooling is…we have a ton of fun! Kids grow fast, and as much a we don’t want to admit it our time with them when they are little is limited. When you homeschool your children, you get to learn and play with your kids. You get to go on all the field trips with them, you get to read the same books, and you get to do the same fun art projects. These are memories with your kids that will last a lifetime!
You are right, homeschooling can be hard. Kids don’t always listen. Tempers can flare. But in this instance I say the positive outweighs the negative. Let those hard times be an opportunity to grow. You will never look back on your journey as a parent and say “Wow, I wish I didn’t spend as much time with my kids” There is not greater role you will have than the one before you right now, so make the best of it!