I am at times asked why we have decided to home school our kids. Before we started, I needed to ask myself the question, “Why should we homeschool?” To be honest about it, there is a huge monetary commitment, a huge time commitment, it is not easy and to the world we appear to be backwards! So why? Why do I homeschool?
My reasons are as follows:
- It is my responsibility to teach my kids, not someone else.
- I want my kids to have the best education that is available.
- My kids don’t need to be influenced by other kids and their decisions. They are to be influenced by me and my wife.
- We have Bible time in our school. Do you?
Why do I homeschool?
I personally do not come from an education background, but my wife does. I watched her as she taught for two years in the public school system. The things that they were required to teach and the way that they were required to teach. Teach for the test…not understanding. Skim over the material, they will get it again next year and maybe catch on then. You must teach the allotted time and no more. Discipline in the classroom is nearly impossible and if you were to fail a child, you would mess us the “quality”of the school.
In our school, the classroom size is small. Thusly, each kid has individual instruction if needed. (That is what the public school keeps trying, but has yet to accomplish.) Our kids get the attention and answers that they need when they need it. Also, if there is a task or study that is giving them trouble, we see it immediately and are able to correct the issue before it becomes a problem. Also, we can fit our kids learning style into our daily routine. Sometimes the kids are on the back porch in a hammock chair doing work, on the couch, at the table or even standing up. Try doing that in a public schoolroom and see what happens!
Why do I homeschool? A great advantage to doing homeschooling is the fact that we are able to incorporate our kids into everyday life and show the learning opportunities that are available. Taking the kids to the grocery store and letting them help in getting the food and keeping it within the budget. Watching spiders build a web and talking about geometry. Going Geocaching and learning about GPS satellites that orbit the earth and how they got there and how they can relay information back to our hand-held device. All kinds of experiences have become learning experiences.
One of the biggest reasons we decided to homeschool was to “protect” our kids from the influences and the decisions of others that we deemed harmful. We do not believe in evolution or “the big bang”. We believe in the 6 days of creation. In homeschooling we have the ability to pick or tailor our curriculum to what we want to teach. We like to know what our kids are doing, talking about, learning about and what they are exposed to. When kids of the same age are put together in a confined space for any extended period of time, they start to develop signs of rebellion and deceit towards the parents. Not saying that my kids are perfect and still don’t rebel at things. Yet when they do it is their own doing and not the result of what others are doing around them.
“I would think that I would choke them if I had to put up with them all day.” Sadly enough that is the response that most people tell me when I say that we homeschool our kids. Does it not say in God’s word that we, the parents, are responsible for the training of our children? Yet we gladly throw our responsibility to the side and give it to a person that we do not know. Our children would spend some 7 hours with people who would have a larger influence over their life than us. Does that sound like a good thing to you? If you wait till the weekend to interact with your kids and then you wonder why they act like they do, it might have a lot to do with you! It is up to the parent to help mold and form the life that God has placed in your life. It is not some responsibility that should be pushed off on others. I am a responsible parent, that is why I homeschool.
Yet when this is discussed with other parents, they bring up the “S” word. Socialization. About the only things I learned about socialization in school was to stand in a line quietly and to raise my hand to ask a question. With three kids there is a line at times and they still have to raise their hand to ask a question. “But are you worried that they will become social awkward?” I have actually been asked question. The last time I was in school, there were socially awkward people there.
Socialization :
a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position.The last time that I checked the social norms, values and behaviors are not what I want my kids learning in today’s society. Does the classroom bear any resemblance to real life? Let’s look…
Classroom / Schoolyard
- Learn to sit quietly in large groups and listen.
- Separated by age and sometimes by gender
- Anti-social behavior and bullying.
Workforce
- In the workforce, team work and discussion/interaction are important.
- Interact with people much older or younger than ourselves.
- Anti-social behavior is weeded out. Those who persist in anti-social behavior are fired.
Yes, the classroom has experiences of socialization, but it has little to do with the real-life socialization. Homeschool kids are able to talk to large or small groups or varying ages and genders. Yes we do have to put forth a bit of effort in social interaction, but we also get to monitor what is introduced to them.
Why do I homeschool? Lastly, we wanted the ability to work our Christian faith into our kid’s educational experience. We have Bible time each day. This is a time where they can read and study the Bible and ask questions if they have any. This is paying off in ways that are hard to explain. People constantly tell us how our kids are so knowledgeable in God’s word. Now there is something to brag about!
Why do I homeschool? Well, now you know why. I understand that some people can not do homeschooling due to health or financial reasons. And there are many traditional schools out there that do a great job. I am not saying that all schools are a detriment to society. However, my wife and I have seen a great benefit to our homeschooling and would not change a thing. And I want to encourage others who are concerned about academic excellence, inappropriate influences and Christian values, to consider homeschooling their children.
So now the question becomes “Why do you homeschool dad?” Leave your responses below and share your thoughts.
Till next time, be good and let God be great!
