I stumbled into homeschooling. Or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I closed my eyes, uttered a prayer, and jumped in head first. As a school psychologist and product of public schooling, homeschooling was never on my radar. It’s not that I had anything against homeschooling, it’s just that I had never really considered it. I assumed my children would attend public school, just as I had.
Then I was blessed with a child and life changed as it always does. Over time, it gradually became apparent to us that this little guy was different. He was a square peg and he marched to the beat of a different drum. He challenged us on a daily basis, and continues to do so to this day. When he entered kindergarten, it was clear that traditional schooling was not a good fit for him.
So, why do we homeschool?
- The short answer is that testing indicated that we were given an outlier among outliers; a profoundly gifted and twice exceptional son.
- Homeschooling allows us to meet our son’s unique, asynchronous learning and social-emotional needs.
- Homeschooling allows us the flexibilty to learn what we want to learn, when we want to learn it.
- Homeschooling allows us to help our son with some of his learning challenges in ways that would never happen in a public school setting.
- Homeschooling gives us the freedom to spend time outside and move. I love the quote, “Children can’t bounce off walls if there are none” as it completely applies to my son. I have no doubt he would be flagged as a behavior in a public school setting and yet, at home, he is thriving.
- Homeschooling has set my son free.

This has been the most unexpected yet delightful and educational journey of my life so far, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I guess you could say, I stumbled into homeschooling love. What a difference a year makes!
Tell me, why do you homeschool? Was it planned, or did you stumble into homeschooling love like I did?