Why We Homeschool

When I was growing up, I went to school.  When my husband was growing up, he went to school.  No one in our family had ever (gasp!) homeschooled!  We always thought homeschoolers were those fanatically religious people who were unsocialized and living on farms, raising chickens and growing their own wheat in their denim jumpers.  Y'know - the image that most people still have today.

And then we met some :)


And they weren't at all like we thought.  They were loving, happy "normal" families who just had a different philosophy about educating their children. 

And so we talked about it with them, said the famous words that every non-homeschooler says "there is no way I could homeschool my kids", and kinda left it at that.  We were busy with our careers, our growing family and everything else that happens in life.


And then one day, it happened.  We actually started to seriously consider homeschooling as an option.  We were not happy with our local Catholic school and we couldn't afford private school if I wanted to stay at home with the kids.  Sooooo........after much thoughtful consideration, prayer and countless hours (and hours and hours) of research; we did it.  We made the decision to homeschool.  

And now I wish we had done it from the very beginning!!

Here are the top 10 reasons why we enjoy homeschooling:

1. We get to spend the whole day with each other :)  Yes - this is a good thing.
2. We choose our own curriculum.  We've chosen many of the same textbooks/programs that expensive private schools use - and our kids are being exposed to so much more than they would have at "regular" school. (Latin, French before Grade 4, Ancient History, Grammar, Geography, etc)  BONUS:  we don't have to pay pricey tuition fees.
3. We determine which grade level for each subject and each child can go at his/her own pace.  Having trouble with grammar?  Start with a lower level and work your way up.  Whizzing through math at an alarmingly fast rate? Challenge them by moving up a level. 
4. We can take swimming lessons during the day! 
5. We can finish our work by lunchtime and spend the afternoon watching movies and cuddling on the couch.
6. We can take the day off whenever we want.  Or the week.
7. Our evenings are much more sane.  No rush to finish homework before Brownies, no eating dinner in the car on the way to piano while finishing a book report, no crazy late nights finishing up science projects.  We actually have time to spend with Dad.
8. We can adjust the "teaching" to meet the child's learning style - some kids are more visual, while others are more hands on.  Some kids need lots of direction, while others can work independently.  We do what works best for them.
9. We can take a quick trip across the border to have lunch and go shopping in the middle of the week. 
10. The kids want to and so do I.  It is a win-win.  Chunky Monkey certainly loves having the kids home all day with him :)

If we can homeschool - anyone can.  Seriously.  You don't have to have the patience of a Saint (if you know me - then you definitely know that it not the case for me), you don't have to be a certified teacher, you don't have to have a blackboard and desks, you don't have to spend a fortune on books (ok maybe a small fortune) and you definitely don't have to wear a denim jumper.  All you really need is faith.