Unsure About Homeschooling? Here’s What I Love About It!
Whether you are a current homeschooling mom doubting all your life choices or just trying to decide whether to leap into homeschooling for the very first time, here’s a list to help you decide.
Sometimes, you must make a list to see how blessed/lucky you are and remind yourself why you do what you do—I know I do.
I hope this list helps you decide and remember why you chose to homeschool in the first place!
1. Freedom
Homeschooling gives you many freedoms. The three I’m going to discuss are freedom from, freedom to, and freedom of choice.
Freedom From
We enjoy freedom from the daily grind, freedom from hours of wasted time, and freedom from working within a system that is not always the best for every child.
I love knowing that when my kids are wasting their time – they are doing it playing at home, outside, and with friends – not in a classroom waiting for everyone to get on the same page, in an assembly that adds nothing to their life/well-being, shuffling from one class to another, or doing homework at home that could have and should have been accomplished during school hours.
Freedom to
We have the freedom to do – whatever we want. Of course, this is within reason, and we should be learning and getting things done. But for many homeschool families, we have the freedom to do what we want.
Do you want to take some time to travel? Study in the car or the plane and learn in brand-new places!
Do you want to take a day or two or even a week off? Take that time to focus on outdoor adventures, field trips, or family time!
Maybe you want to catch up on your math skills, so you dedicate an entire month to math.
Homeschooling allows you to do so much more than what could be accomplished by other means.
Homeschooling allows you to say, ‘We have the freedom to [fill in the blank with whatever you want].’
Freedom of Choice
Does your child need to repeat language arts level K? You have the choice to do that.
Do you want to focus on art and music for the semester? Or history and science? Do it.
Do you need to take a sabbatical and come back with refreshed hearts and minds? You may want to try a new curriculum or homeschooling style. Choose what you want to do regarding your homeschooling journey, and do it.
2. Time
Everyone on the planet has the same number of hours per day to live. However, a homeschooling parent will have far more time with their children than the parents of children in public schools.
That is not to say public school parents cannot make the time they have extraordinarily worthwhile and meaningful – it’s just that they will have fewer overall hours together.
A homeschooling parent will have more time, which means more chances to make mistakes—but also more chances for connection, meaningful learning and conversations, and the development of love and friendship.
A Homeschool parent also has more say over how they spend their time, instead of sitting in the car for drop-offs and pick-ups, instead of waking up at a specific time every morning for school, or sending their child to school for the entire day.
You can choose to stay home, go to the park, play with friends, go on field trips, or do school work on a mountain or in the creek.
You can choose to go to school whenever and however you want, and you have the time to do it however you choose.
3. Relationships
“But what about socialization?” Insert the sigh and head shake most homeschool parents make when they hear this question.
Let’s make something clear: Yes, some homeschooled kids are more sheltered/naïve, and depending on how they are taught and socialized, they may be awkward/different.
But most of the homeschooled kids I know are well-socialized and well-adjusted.
As long as the parent takes advantage of the opportunities afforded to homeschoolers today, such as co-ops, group activities, etc., they may have more chances for a better social life than public school children.
Why better? Because they do not simply interact with one teacher and children their age.
Homeschool children interact with kids of all ages. They learn how to be kind, careful, and tender for the little ones; they learn how to be tough and keep up with the big kids; and they learn how to converse with a variety of adults.
Homeschoolers are making worthwhile, long-lasting relationships with their friends, siblings, teachers, and parents and are staying very social.
4. Adventures
Homeschooling allows you more chances for fun and adventure!
Do you like taking a trip to the water on a random Tuesday? Going to the woods on a Thursday? Get out and go on those adventures!
You can do it because you have the freedom of homeschooling, which is the freedom for adventure!
5. The Great Outdoors
You have the chance to go outside—way more. Homeschooling means school can happen outside whenever you want, which means you can go outside, play outside, read outside, do school outside, and enjoy the great outdoors.
Homeschooling – means more time outside.
What Do You Love About Homeschooling?
These are just a few reasons I love homeschooling my kids.
Because this is a list of things I love about homeschooling, it doesn’t go into all the hardships and struggles that exist; please don’t think they don’t! There are those regular stresses, those daily battles, and those habitual meltdowns, but for now, I am focusing on all the good things.
Good luck out there, homeschool mommas! It’s rough, but it’s worth it!
What do you love about homeschooling?