Everyone has their own unique journey to homeschooling. Some are sure it is the right thing before their children are even born. Some are second generation homeschoolers who want to continue the tradition of home education because they know firsthand that it works. Others homeschool for a time due to a special circumstance like moving or being in the military, while still others turn to homeschooling after facing difficulties (whether learning or situational) in public school.
For me, homeschooling has always been a calling. It began as a result of my own negative experiences with public school, but has become so much more over the years. As a family we have fully embraced the joys, benefits, struggles, responsibilities, and lifestyle of learning at home.
If I had to condense my home education philosophy into just three major points, it would be these:
Freedom ~
We choose to homeschool because it offers us the freedom to:
- choose our course of study
- choose which books we read and when we read them
- express our faith and pray during school hours
- learn outside of the box of a school building, 5 days a week, 9 months a year
Flexibility ~
We choose to homeschool because it offers us the flexibility to:
- travel when we like
- change curriculum or approach when it isn’t working
- follow our daughters’ interests and abilities to personalize their education
- adjust our schedule and homeschool year-round
Relationships ~
We choose to homeschool because it offers us the a chance to build relationships through:
- learning together as a family
- getting to know and appreciate each other
- working out differences and making compromises
- encouraging one another and praying together
I could write a much longer list, but the important thing is that each family comes to know and appreciate the gift of homeschooling on their own terms. Because homeschooling is not a cookie cutter experience, your reasons may be totally different than ours.
Would you like to share your reasons in the comments? I’d love to hear them!
