Why did I choose to homeschool?
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Many people ask me why I decided to homeschool our kids. Everyone is different and families choose to homeschool for a myriad of different reasons. Here is a brief summary of the top 3 reasons why I decided to homeschool.
Homeschooling is certainly not for everyone and we definitely have our ups and our downs. I currently have a 6th grader, a 5th grader, a 4th grader, and a 1st grader. I am so grateful that our family chose to homeschool from the beginning because it has made our transition into the nations much easier not having to worry about different schooling options for the children.
So here is my very basic list:
1. I love being with my kidsthe majority of our day. Psalm 127:3-5 says, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”Most likely due to my extroverted nature, I really enjoy being around my kids most of the time. Once after the kids were ill for several days, my husband offered to take the kids out to give me time to relax in a quiet home. I have gotten so used to the noise in our busy home that instead of being excited about his offer, I was sad at the thought of being alone in the house! (Instead I asked if I could go shopping by myself!) Ha! The Bible says that children are a blessing and I truly feel blessed that I have the privilege to be a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom. I am grateful to my awesome hubby who values my role at home and plays a huge part in making it happen.
2. I am thankful that I get to be the primary influence in our children’s lives. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Just by sheer number of hours spent together, I get to be the primary influence in my children’s lives. I am thankful that we get to keep our faith in the center of our home and homeschool. I have heard people liken homeschooling to a greenhouse. The purpose of a greenhouse is to protect plants from harsh, extreme weather and to help keep pests out. I want to help protect my kids from potentially harmful influences and help cultivate their character until they are fully ready to be “planted” in the world. I am thankful for the opportunities to be alongside my kids when they “see the world” during this season of living in the city. They have an entirely new perspective on poverty, homelessness, racism, smoking addiction, and the lost…but since I am with them all the time, I am able to process these new things with them directly.
3.I love the flexibility of homeschool. I love that we were able to move across the world and one of the few things that didn’t change in our children’s lives was school. This has helped make our transition very smooth and I am so grateful! :)
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