Why I Homeschool

As I share more of my homeschool journey, many might wonder why I persisted.  Surely, you will wonder, it would have been better to put your children into public school?  I would wholeheartedly disagree.

Everyone needs to be sure of their reasons for homeschooling before they even begin.  Without the sure foundation of sound reasoning for homeschooling, one will falter and fail.  The criticism of others and the day-to-day frustrations will weaken your fortitude.  Public school will become an unwanted salvation that you may regret.  I had many reasons for homeschooling to begin with, and they have not changed.

My own educational past convinced me of the ineptitude of public education.  Perhaps in a future blog I will share more details of my schooling.  Needless to say, I did not learn much.  Homeschooling my own children taught me more than I ever learned in my own education.  My schools had no idea what to do with me.  My challenged brother failed pitifully, with no sympathy from public school bureaucrats.  My gifted sister was a dropout.  I knew I could do a much better job educating my children myself.

I felt from the beginning that public schooling my children would be handing the raising of my own children to someone else.  These people do not know my children the way I do.  They do not share my beliefs nor will they teach my beliefs to my children.  When children are cared for by nonfamilial authorities, they are rarely cared for with the intensity and concern of parents.  Unsafe situations arise because nonfamilial custodians would rather be doing something else, like being with their own families!  You cannot replicate the bonds between parent and child.  I am not saying that all teachers are terrible or do not care for the children under their care.  However, I truly believe that they cannot watch their classrooms of children with the love and concern of a parent.

In keeping my children at home, I allowed them to strengthen their natural, familial ties.  Have you ever noticed that when young children start going to school, they often fall in love with their teacher?  This is because children are made to bond with the adult who cares for them.  Why would I want them to replace their bond with me for their teacher?  Secondly, they will bond with their peers, and lose their bond with their siblings.  In the public school environment, mini families are formed and given the term "cliques."  Their natural family bonds have been replaced with their peers.  These bonds continually change with the annual rotation of teachers, and often their peers, and children become untrusting.  I feel the connections from a stable family are much healthier and natural than the artificial family they would form in a public school.

The morals and religious beliefs that are taught, in various ways, in the public school was another reason for me to teach my children at home.  I am a Christian.  I believe Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again.  I will do anything in order to teach my children what I believe.  The public school takes away my authority with my children.  That is something I cannot and will not tolerate.

These reasons are the foundation to my homeschooling.  I believe homeschooling offers a better education to my children.  I want to be the one to raise my children and not hand that responsibility over to another.  I want my children to form healthy relationships with their family.  Last but not least, I want to teach my children what I believe.

So before you begin your journey that will contain twists, turns, bumps, bruises, and challenges, be secure in your reasons to home educate.  These reasons will hold you up through the hard times.  The joys and rewards of homeschooling will be all the more exciting.