Why We Homeschool

In reality, there isn't one above all, lights and sirens, obvious reason that we homeschool. It's a huge compilation of smaller reasons, the most important of which are as follows (in no particular order):

*We believe that as parents we should be the primary force of influence of our young children, not the sole influence, but the primary. A very difficult task if we were to see our children in the morning during the hustle and bustle, and for approximately 3-4 hours afterschool while trying to juggle homework, cooking, cleaning, and extra-curricular activities.

*We can provide a method of learning best suited to our children, which public schools simply cannot. No child fits into the "cookie cutter system" exactly, granted it does work better for some than others.

*We can teach our faith and values. The school system has all but outright banned Christianity in any form amongst it's hallways.

*Bullying. Our school system (and many others) have a major issue on their hands when it comes to this, the only problem bigger than the bullying itself is people's unwillingness to do anything about it. Yes, I'm talking about the teachers, principals, and other school staff. Not all of them, no, but most-definitely far too many. And sometimes the teachers can bully as much as fellow students! A very brave group of high school students at a school in our district organized a protest during anti-bullying week. Their reward? Suspension.

*I want my children to learn at their own pace, not be pushed on or held back because of the pace of 30 other students in the classroom.

*My children can indulge their interests. If one of the develops a particular interest in zebras, for instance, we can spend an entire month learning about them.

*They can learn the most important, and least taught, lessons of all- life lessons. By living everyday by my side, they will be able to see real life issues that other children may miss during their 7+ hours spent at school daily.

*Freedom. We can take a break from school for whatever reasons we feel necessary (sickness, vacation, birth, death, etc) without worrying that they will be penalized. We can take the day off for field trips, or just to get outside. And if these just aren't possible for some unforeseen reason, we can take school with us!

We finish earlier. Right now, although our children are only in Pre-K and Kindergarten, it takes about an hour and a half to complete "school" (I stress the word because what I mean by that is our scheduled school time, we are constantly learning throughout our days). These shorter hours mean that my children can spend the addition 5 or more hours that they would have spent in a classroom doing what is most important, being kids!

*My son is 3 years old and we've already been told repeatedly (preschool) that he has something "wrong with him" (ADD/ADHD)- which I DO NOT believe, and that he needs to be medicated- which I definitely do not agree with! I think he will learn better in a hands on way, something that we are able to do at home.

I could go on and on, but these are our major reasons behind our decision, although the list is forever growing.