The other day, one of the boys actually said, “I like learning math this way, it’s fun!” Do you know what we were doing? Playing with legos and talking about pizza. We were learning about fractions and decimals. The next day we were setting up a store in our living room and buying plastic animals from dad to learn about money. I still wish someone would have made math fun for me! I did everything I could to avoid it.
Here are some reasons I like homeschooling:
I know my children are not being forced to learn about other religions and being told it is the truth. I think it is smart to study all kinds of things, even other religions (ask me about the "thumb" series if you are looking for a world-view study), but telling a child what they have to believe when we live in a free country is just wrong. Believe it or not, I think that their faith in God is really strong, because they have chosen to believe in Jesus and it was their choice! 🙂
NO HOMEWORK!
I am learning with my children.
I don’t have to struggle over misunderstood classwork or homework.
I can homeschool my children in less time and it has a bigger impact! (For example, the state of Colorado only requires you to school 4 hours a day for 170 days. That is because this is the amount of time they should be learning in school.... the rest of the time is waiting in line and being quiet and transitioning to other things. We school a few hours in the morning, Monday though Thursday and we do more than most in a school year)
When my child has problems learning, there is no middle man to deal with. I don’t worry about what methods someone else would use. If one method does not work, there are many more and we do not have to apply to some board of special learning to get it done, we JUST DO IT!
Speaking of learning disabilities the horrid problems the school described and experienced with my child has seemed to almost disappear. The only problem he seems to have is a little slower than others, but fully capable of getting work done, unlike what the school experienced.
No ugly notes from the school, especially my favorite, you did not sign this, or this needs to be signed. Even though there is no place to sign. Ugg!
I do not spend 20 minutes to an hour going through backpacks and paperwork, However I do still check up on the independent work that my kids have and I do sit and teach my children, but…
Teaching time is bonding time. We all get to talk about what we think, believe and dream of. It is the best bonding experience since holding my little babies. Life gets busy, especially when both parents are working. There was hardly time for conversation when they were in public school. How terrible!
I know what my children are eating. Plus, I know that they are not going to school and sitting around for eight hours only eating one meal the entire time from 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM. I know the teachers have us send in snacks every day, but really how much time is devoted to snacks? Not knowing for sure that my kids are getting enough food is a problem for me. They were always “starving” by the time they got home or they didn't have enough time to eat what I sent or they ended up trading with someone. If they got school lunch, no one monitored what they ate. My eldest literally ate a small salad and a chocolate milk one day. That's it! It was a headache for me.
I get to encourage their passions. Even if it is only for a short time before they are on to the next thing... I can let them learn about what they are interested in! While we do use a curriculum and we learn specifics, if someone wants to know about something or give something a try.... we do it! From pencil drawings to robotics to acting and video editing. Isn't that what learning is supposed to be?
The kids like it too. With this virus stuff going on (currently in the middle of the COVID-19 summer) we don't get to see other people, but usually we have friends and they are in clubs and activities and small groups. Friendships are not lost when you homeschool and honestly how much "socialization" is going on when you have to sit silent in a desk all day? I know they get time with friends at school. But we make friends at church who have the same beliefs or we make friends at activities and sports who have the same interests. Its really not even a thought for them.
They like homeschooling because:
No longer the middle man. The teachers or the school wants this or that, but refuses to write it down somewhere or put it on paper and expects your child to relay a message to you. It becomes difficult, especially when they get home from school and are starving because lunch was at 10:30 AM and then they have to focus on hours of homework, etc…
They are not sitting in a chair for 8-12 hours a day. The time spent sitting is much less, and we are free to spend our learning time anywhere even outside sitting in the grass!
There are a lot fewer distractions and they can take all the time they need. There has been a huge drop in anxiety with my son just because he can take all the time he needs... and that's OK! Aren't we all different? Why should it take everyone the same time?
They have more free time. They explore more, and do a lot of free learning because they are curious and want to know how something works! We learn by doing. We go see it or do it or take it apart or build one or research together. We learn more by doing.
Recess happens every day. There is no teacher keeping them from free play because they did not turn in the work in time (or at all). I missed recess for half of my sixth grade year because I had bad handwriting and I needed to practice. If they are having a hard time and need a break, we take one. There is no travel time to school so when we are not doing school work, we play.
I find that the work gets done every day. There are fewer distractions here, it makes it much easier to get work done. They also get the much-needed one on one help that at times every child needs. Teachers have so many students it is hard to give one on one time (we have had some wonderful teachers though who have done everything they can!)
They love that they got to make new friends through homeschool.
Taking field trips is catered to what we would like to do, and not what a student body would like. Plus, the field trips we have are all huge (but fun) learning experiences! - and we purposely go on public school days. We usually have the place mostly to ourselves.
We can take a day off whenever we need. Sometimes we have something come up. Sometimes we just need a day to go on an adventure (these are still learning days but not by book). Sometimes its just been a long week and we need to be done. Whatever the reason, we can take days whenever we need. Our first year of homeschool we averaged about three five day weeks of school a month.
We learn real world things. Like cooking, shopping, budgeting, sewing, carpentry, gardening, housekeeping, farming and raising livestock.
We learn what we want. Like robotics, construction, video editing, filmography, photography, painting, drawing, illustrating, computer programing, different instruments, baking, acting, different sports and just about anything we want to know.
Eventually, I realized that things just were not working for all of my children at school. I finally had an epiphany, how could anyone be a better teacher than your own mother. God lent me these children to guide them and it is my responsibility to see they are taken care of.
I surprised the kids with it. They were sad at first to leave their friends and teachers, but that disappeared on the first day!
When they started school at home that day, they were all about it. It was a good feeling. They were excited and so was I. That feeling really hasn't left! We are doing fantabulous! If I do say so myself. It is all them though. They are willing and ready to have more knowledge.
I have learned so much, and even the stuff that I remember it is still really cool to read about it again as an adult. And the biggest thing I have learned is about each one of them! I know them like you know your best friend. It is the best thing in the world!
If you have questions or need support with your journey into homeschooling, feel free to use the contact page to message me, or you can leave a comment here. Thanks for reading about our journey!
Comments