101 Reasons Why I #HEART Homeschooling

I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. My sweet mother-in-love asked me if I would ever consider homeschooling. She had homeschooled both my husband and his younger brother and had fond memories of their days together.

I giggled a little...or maybe a lot...and shouted, "Absolutely not!" with a bit too much emphasis. (Clearly, I hadn't yet learned how to dial back my internal monologue. To be truthful, that's still a work in progress. Sigh!)

I don't even think I had children at the time. But, I was certain that if I ever had any I would NEVER homeschool them! I was an elementary school teacher, after all. I knew that children belong in school. With REAL teachers! (I'll just step over here and eat a generous helping of crow. Carry on...)


But then, I had kids and the thought of putting them in a classroom saddened me. Teaching in a traditional school had ruined me for anything BUT homeschooling. I had seen too much; had been privy to too many poor curriculum choices; had witnessed too many children fall through the cracks; had watched as the spark of curiosity was slowly snuffed out of most of them due to state standards and school mandates; had cringed as their innocence was stripped away by peer pressure and social agenda.

I knew there just had to be a better way to educate children. That was when God began to point my heart in a new direction. He turned my gaze towards home.

While homeschooling is far from perfect and though we certainly have our share of bumpy days,
I #HEARThomeschooling because...

I can expose my children to the really complicated, gritty topics of life ON MY TERMS and in a way of my choosing.

Our days can be as un-calculated and as uncluttered as we want them to be.

Brothers and sisters CAN be best friends if given the opportunity to invest in each other.

Learning is a lifestyle, not just a 9 to 3 drudgery.

My kids get to socialize with people of all ages, not just children born in the same year that they were.

My simple acts of service to my children each day are opportunities to daily wash the feet of those I love. 

My kids can play Red Rover and King of the Hill if they want to because there's no playground supervisor telling them it's no longer appropriate. 

Since we take field trips SANS 25 other kids, we often get behind-the-scenes tours and VIP treatment. 

The deep, lasting learning that I want for my kids requires commitment and an environment that the traditional classroom is not equipped to provide.

The history of the Battle of Gettysburg doesn't have to be learned through a dry-as-dust textbook. It can be thoroughly grasped through a lively discussion over maps, photos, video clips, and souvenirs...all brought home after an ACTUAL trip to Gettysburg.

I can focus on the things that will really matter in the long term of life, not just the short term of a test.

A grade is only a two-dimensional view of what a person knows.

After years of teaching, I've learned that education only sticks when it comes from a place of passion and interest. A homeschool schedule develops both of those.

I can teach my kids HOW to think, not WHAT to think.

Everyone benefits from one-on-one instruction.

The world doesn't need another "smart" kid. It has plenty of those. It needs kids who can show honesty, compassion, integrity, and kindness.

Our vacations aren't constrained by someone else's calendar or time table. We'd rather take vacations in the winter when temps plummet below zero here in the upper midwest and when off-season prices make it more affordable. We can head south in the middle of the school year and make up the time whenever we choose. 

My kids don't have to rush out the door eating fruit loops out of a ziplock bag in the morning in order to make it to school on time. 

I can develop my family's core values organically throughout the day.

My kids can learn to embrace boredom and use it to their greatest advantage.

Sometimes jammies are the perfect school uniform.

My kids can learn to manage their own time and be their own boss which will benefit them greatly in college and beyond.

They can grow to be the very best versions of themselves without the influence of negative peer pressure.

Education is not a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter product.

I can cheer on every triumph and encourage after every tragedy. 

It provides time to explore topics deeply until mastery.  

It builds independent thinkers.

My children are people and don't belong in a factory.

It usually takes us less time in the day to complete our lessons than that of a traditional school schedule. 

My kids' wardrobe choices are never influenced by the "popular kids," but instead are a reflection of their true selves.

We can be available to spend time with my husband whenever he has the day off of work or comes home for lunch.

We can spend all day reading books together if we want to...and that COUNTS as school.

I can filter all learning through a grid of Scripture. 

Every meal can be enjoyed around the family table. 

My gifted children don't have to be hampered by the learning time of the "average." They can progress as rapidly as they each wish to.

My preschooler can learn his times tables when he hears his older brother practicing them at the kitchen table. 

My children can learn Biblical restoration when conflicts arise because unlike in a traditional brick-and-mortar school, they can't just walk away and find a new friend to play with. 

When any of my children struggle to grasp a difficult concept, they never get left behind. The lessons march to our beat, not the other way around.

My kids don't have to wait for a big yellow bus in below zero temps each morning.

Sometimes a crab apple tree is a perfect place for a phonics lesson.

Another seven-year-old should never be the moral compass for my seven-year-old. 

Their natural thirst for learning can be nourished, not squelched...because rabbit trails are always welcome. 

Doctor and dentist appointments are made at our convenience, even in the middle of the day. 

Our learning is not limited to a textbook. Living books, field trips, youtube videos, expert interviews, apprenticeships, trial-and-error, real-life experience, audio lectures, and hands-on-projects are combined to create a multi-layered education. 

It provides a greenhouse for growing convictions so that my small children don't have to face an opposing world view for six to eight hours a day. 

The family unit is God's original plan for discipleship. 

Childhood is so short. I don't want to miss out on two-thirds of the time I've been given with my kids.

Homeschooling provides daily opportunity for real-life preparation.

The world is our classroom. 

On a perfectly beautiful winter day, we never have to wait in line at the snow hill, because all the other kids are stuck behind a desk somewhere.

There's absolutely no bullying. Ever.

My kids never have to go to after or before school childcare.

My kids shouldn't have to ask permission to go to the bathroom. No one should.

Statistically speaking, homeschooled kids outperform their peers on standardized tests. Again and again. My kids are no exception.

My husband can be more involved in the day-to-day lives of our children.

My kids can ask questions and discuss topics without fear of being laughed at by others. 

My son who has a mild neurological condition doesn't have to be constantly compared with others. 

My kids are sick less often because they are not constantly exposed to other sick children. 

In our school, there is no homework or busywork.

We've never experienced the heartbreak of premature parent/child separation. Why is five the magical age of independence anyway?

My kids are some of the most awesome people I know and I enjoy being around them. 

The traditional school produces a sheep mentality. I don't want my kids to be blind followers. I want to nurture their leadership skills. 

The lack of negative peer-pressure helps to mold them into self-assured kids who are comfortable in their own skin.

My boys need lots of time outside.

I get to watch my kids' eyes light up as they learn, discover, and grow every single day. 

When my child is asked "Do you like your teacher?", he can honestly say, "I love her!"

When one of my kids is sick in bed, he always has a sibling around willing to read him a story or play a game of chess with him. 

Household and homemaking skills can be incorporated into everyday learning naturally.

The Bible is not banned from our classroom but can be an integral part of the school day.

The natural childhood curiosity of my children can be nurtured and not squelched by a system of school rules and core curriculum standards.

As they get older, my kids can take dual-enrollment classes or internships. 

They will have more flexible work hours for after-school jobs. 

Learning can happen on a blanket in our backyard.

My three-year-old reenacted the entire Boston Tea Party in the bathtub one night because he had been present while I read many wonderful colonial-themed living literature books out loud to his older siblings.

My kids can read our country's documents of freedom because they have learned cursive even though our school district has deemed it archaic and unnecessary. 

We can be completely available when my extended family comes to visit.

Homeschooling affords time and space for developing relationships with older generations. Grandparents are valued for their wisdom and love, not just looked upon as an outdated burden.

My children never have to eat cafeteria food.

My kids can play with kids of all ages and have never learned to discriminate against those older or younger than them. 

Sometimes you just want to practice math facts like Charles Lindbergh (or Spider Man, Batman, an astronaut...)

 

When my mother-in-law was recovering from a difficult surgery, my daughter was free to go and stay with and take care of her because her school schedule was flexible. 

When my children converse with adults, they know how to look the other person in the eye, show interest in the conversation, and speak articulately because homeschooling provides lots of intergenerational interaction.

My kids learn REAL math. No fuzzy math...because contrary to current popular opinion, 5 + 5 = 10. Always.

Forced association is not socialization.

My children can have an anxiety-free education because they have the freedom to be who they are without fear of violence, bullying, or teasing.

My daughter can graduate high school a year early because she has never been held back by a grade level.

My bank account is never held hostage by PTA fundraisers, gym fees, the latest digital device, etc. I can spend my money on the educational materials of MY choosing.

My busy, active son doesn't have to wear a label or take unnecessary medication. He's free to learn while moving. 

The birds and the bees can be taught when my children are physically, emotionally, and socially ready to handle it...not in kindergarten. 

My kids don't have to mature faster than necessary. They are free to hold on to childlike innocence and silliness.

My kids don't have any testing anxiety.

History can be learned honestly without being rewritten to satisfy the current social agenda.  

My older kids don't ever look at their younger siblings as burdens or brats, but gifts.

We can stay up late to watch a meteor shower because we can sleep in as late as we would like the next day.

I get to learn side-by-side with my kids. I lead by example as a lifelong learner. 

Private education is expensive.

Our family can spend the best hours of our day together and not just be relegated to the leftovers at the end of the day. 

We have formed deep and lasting friendships with ENTIRE families of like mind because we develop relationships together.

Their education is free of current political propaganda.

For an entire year, I got to witness as my daughter volunteered to spend the first part of each morning doing "tot school" with her younger brother. She spent some one-on-one time singing songs, reading books, making games and crafts with him to build relationship...to show love...to invest in someone other than herself.

And last, but certainly not least...

God continues to use my ordinary homeschool offerings to shape my children into extraordinary people, in a way that only He can.

Homeschooling is NOT perfect. It's true. But, its imperfections are just perfect for us. I get to give my kids a tailor-made education and watch as God unfolds their story. Every single day.

I #HEARThomeschooling!