I recently shared a "Why I Homeschool" meme series on my Facebook page, and I think some people resonated with my convictions. Someone asked me to make a blog post with the memes I made in one place (isn't that a great idea? I can't take credit for it!) I decided to add to it a little by enlisting the help of some of my blogger friends to share a meme and a little description of why they choose to homeschool. I hope these memes encourage you, and at the very least, give you some things to share on Facebook to ward off those nosy naysayers!
I Homeschool Because...Reason 1: Relationships
I homeschool because I want my kids to get the best of me, and not what’s left over when I’m finished with everyone else for the day. I want to help them find value in all disciplines and subjects while also showing them that there’s much to be learned through everyday life. Because of homeschooling, the time I have with my kids is unrushed and I’m able to use my time to lead by example and serve them with love.
Emily Copeland, Table Life Blog
Homeschooling has given our family the opportunity to develop close relationships. When you have the opportunity to be around your children for a large part of everyday, you have opportunities to talk, to cry, and just to play together. This builds those relationships, those connections. Now that I have older, adult kids those relationships are especially invaluable!
Leah Courtney, As We Walk Along The Road
I’m a 2nd-generation homeschooler and mom to 5 kids ages 5-15. Rather than teaching to a test, we pursue true depth of knowledge, beauty, and culture. We aren’t limited to textbooks and worksheets; we relish all the beautiful words and Big Ideas of living books. We aren’t limited to a modern or cultural-centric worldview; we seek to understand the ideas of those in the past and from different philosophical or cultural perspectives through reading their own words. Pursuing a restful Christian Classical education, with a good bit of zany adventure thrown in, continues to delight me! I’m so grateful that my children are able to share time, experiences, and a unique family culture that will, Lord willing, enable them to have treasured, deep, and lasting relationships with one another into adulthood. Most of all, I love connecting everything we do and learn to the character of God, that we might continually grow in humility and doxology.
Amy Sloan, Humility and Doxology
I know that teachers love their students, but with their attention divided by 30 and limited to 180 days, their love for my child could never exceed the love I had immediately upon meeting them. I know my children's interests, their weaknesses, what fills them with joy, and what upsets them. This heart overflowing with love leads me to make the best possible decisions for each of my children, including how they learn and how they spend their time.
Leah Martin
I Homeschool Because...Reason 2: Academics
By the time I left school and college, I had only had motivation to do what was fun or what would bring me recognition. Sticker charts and report cards had set me on a path toward rewards and recognition. Only time and grace have helped me recover the remnant of intrinsic motivation. With my children, I make a different choice. Instead of encouraging the pursuit of worldly acclaim, I can set my children in the direction of truth, goodness, and beauty.
Amy Fischer, Around the Thicket
As a public school teacher, I often taught my students portions of beautiful books, but not the book in entirety. I remember reading Charlotte's Web with my third-graders, only it was just a chapter or two that had been edited out of the book and into a textbook. Much of the beauty was lost. I love using whole, classic books to teach my children. The wisdom from these books rings so loud and clear that I know it must be helping to shape my daughter and sons into people of strong character.
Leah Martin
I'm so thankful that as homeschoolers I have the freedom to customize my sons' education. Each of my sons are very different from one another- they each have their own gifting, passions, and calling that the Lord instills in them. I learned very quickly in the beginning that in order for our sons to thrive I had to customize each of their education. It has been the BEST decision I have ever made in educating them. They are thriving because I allow them to dive deeper into topics that interest them and let them develop and grow in their gifting and passions without boxing them in. This has helped us tremendously in saving money on curriculums and having less meltdowns because we are teaching them in a way that cultivates the love of learning and serves them.
Jessica Anderson, Intentional in Life
If you know my story, you'll remember that standardized testing was a big reason I left public schools. I literally exasperated students with testing prep for months, and realized that it didn't align with my vision of what education should be.
Filling in answer bubbles does not a thinker make.
Leah Martin
I Homeschool Because... Reason 3: Lifelong Learners
I hope they will always be influenced by our insatiable desire to try something new, find success and times fail. These opportunities under any circumstance in life, whether poor or rich, are the ones that will lead to an abundant life and true fulfillment.
McKenzy Winkler, Three Little Acorns Academy
I homeschool because children are free to study at their own pace, stay up late at night reading books, and go outside whenever they please. I homeschool because I get to teach my children my values and beliefs. And I homeschool because it lets me teach my children about Jesus, who is amazing!
Rebecca Devitt, How Do I Homeschool
I Homeschool Because...Reason 4: Time Management
This is probably my most important reason. I don't have to saturate every moment with scripture and Biblical lessons, but I also know that learning about God is natural and organic- to NOT talk about God throughout the course of the day or see His hand in things is unnatural. It doesn't make sense to me to teach my kids about Jesus and then separate Him into the "non-learning" parts of our lives. God is not an extracurricular.
Leah Martin
To wake up in the morning and just enjoy being with my children, sipping coffee and reading books together, is probably one of the greatest joys of homeschooling. Every time I have to rush somewhere, and persuade three young children to hurry out the door, I become a green-faced monster mom. And then if we are apart after our frenzied exit, I know that the image that they hold in their minds is of me screaming at them with a frown on my face. We literally have no time frame (on our days that are free from commitments) because even if it takes us until 4:00 PM to finish our lessons, we have fulfilled our agenda, and spent a wonderful day together.
Leah Martin
Leave a Reply