Some days it seems like I have been homeschooling forever. But then I realize the reality is – I HAVE! I have seven children and three of them are still being homeschooled. This coming fall I will be down to a 10th grader and a 5th grader as my son will graduate. I have seen four children graduate and move on to their own lives and each one of them has been homeschooled. Would I do it again? You bet! Homeschooling has been a wonderful experience for my family and here are some of the reasons I chose homeschooling.
My Children are Precious to Me
Having married children and grandchildren has made me fully understand how fast children grow. I always knew this in my head but now my heart knows it too. One of the reasons I decided to homeschool was pure selfishness on my part. I didn’t want to miss any of the milestones in their lives. I wanted to see them learn to read, excel in sports and even eat lunch with them each day. I got to see their faces light up when something finally “clicked” for them. Plus I had the pleasure of knowing I had helped with that.
What Was Taught Was Important
As Christian parents, my husband and I wanted to know exactly what our children were learning. We do not believe in totally isolating kids but we do believe in controlling what comes into their world. Or in the case of creation, what wasn’t going to be taught in a public school. Plus we would be able to take advantage of things going on during the day that would add to their learning. It has always amazed me as a parent how much I have learned as well homeschooling my kids.
Learning Becomes Fun
There are many things about learning that are not going to be fun. The multiplication tables for most kids are not fun, no matter how you slice it. But learning, and the love of learning, can be enjoyable. Learning should be a lifelong pursuit. It shouldn’t stop when you graduate. If you can teach your kids to learn how to learn (and to love it), they can do anything.
Homeschooling has not always been an easy thing. It takes time and commitment. My days are not my own. I don’t work a full time job, nor would I want too. I chose this path for myself but that doesn’t me it has been trial free. My kids are like all other kids – they don’t always want to do their work, and they piddle around instead of doing math. I have to strive to provide each child with the attention they need. But the joys have far outweighed any of the problems. And I would gladly choose to do it all over again.
