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Hi Tina. Thank for your thoughts. I passed them along to Pat. =)

I do not mind at all that you ask about homeschooling. We enjoy homeschooling and I’m happy to share our reasons why with you. You asked about the pros and cons to homeschooling vs. public or private school.  We have actually experienced all of the above. I can share with you our reasons and those of some our friends who home school as well. The pros out way the cons for us and the list is pretty long and in depth. You asked a lot of really wonderful questions. I hope I am able to help satisfy your curiosity.

Our number one reason for homeschooling is our spiritual beliefs. As we grow in our relationship with Christ we believe more than ever that homeschooling is God’s plan for our family. Our faith is part of who we are every minute of everyday. Homeschooling gives us the ability to incorporate our beliefs into our daily lives. In public school, there is little tolerance for Christianity in the classroom or the playground anymore.  Some may not agree with that, but we have dealt with this issue first hand, several times. You may think we have freedom of speech, as do I , but not in the classroom. At home we can talk about God all day. We can sing praise and worship songs. We can pray any time the Spirit moves us to pray. We can color Biblical pictures. Create Biblical themed arts and crafts projects. We can celebrate Christmas and Easter as Christian holidays. In public school, what was once the Christmas party has been replaced by the winter holiday party. Christ has been taken out of what is a Christian holiday. So, we love that we are able to teach and saturate our children with the Word of God.

Another pro for us is the freedom to educate our children based on individual personalities, capabilities, personal interests, learning style and maturity levels. Each child can be taught at their level of learning. Whether that is above, at or below “grade” level. Their education is a custom fit. They move on when they master what they are learning. In addition to learning the basics (like math, language arts, history, etc.) they can choose to study and learn what ever they want, when they want and for as long as they want. On the other hand, in the public and private school setting they are controlled in what they learn, when they learn it and for how long. When a child does not understand a subject, the class still has to move on. The child who does not keep up falls behind. There is not an unlimited amount of time for a teacher to focus on one child who may need help. We have also personally dealt with this situation. It was very frustrating for that child and heartbreaking for us. Ultimately, by the last conference of the year, we realized the school was done with him and we knew without a doubt we needed to be homeschooling. Additionally, each state is different when it comes to legal requirements for homeschooling. So, it’s very important to know the laws for the state in which you reside. We are required by state law to administer approved standardized tests to our children and we do so accordingly.

A wonderful positive experience in homeschooling is the real sense of freedom. It’s wonderful. We are able to go to the park, zoo, library and museums during the week when it’s less crowded. We are able to plan trips and vacations during off-seasons. We can home school any time during the day according to dad’s work schedule and Dr./Dentist appointments. The restraints are lifted and our lives no longer revolve around  a school calendar, school hours and homework. We are able to live our life according to what works best for our family.

No more homework! Need I say more? This is a big “pro” for us. After the kids would get home from school, they(we)would have hours of homework to complete. There were many nights I would think “I might as well be homeschooling with the amount of time homework takes.”  When we spoke to the teacher (all the parents as a group) and asked why the kids were being given so much homework, the response from more than one teacher was “they didn’t have the time during the day.”  They are basically being taught the lesson and completing the assignments at home. I’m not sure about anyone else but, when I was in elementary school I didn’t have that much homework. I did in high school, but not elementary school. Maybe, I’m just getting old and don’t remember so well. Regardless, no busy work and no homework. Home schooled children are able to accomplish their learning for the day in much less time. For many home schooled children they are able to advance faster because they are not being restricted by time. Okay, so I need to say it just once more, “No homework.”

You also asked about the social aspect of homeschooling. In my experience, this is the most asked question about homeschooling.  The social activities of our children are also guided by our beliefs and values. Which activities are important boils down to each family and each person within that family. A typical school day includes peer pressure, bullies, boredom, etc. Speaking from experience, self-esteem declines for many girls. It’s very sad and very dangerous. Home school children can dress, act and think the way they want without fear of being laughed at, put down or feeling the immense pressure to “fit in.”  I can honestly say I did not need to be beat up or ridiculed growing up by cruel children. It should not be accepted as “just a part of life.” or ” part of growing up.” We have found that home schooled children and families are very accepting of one another, kind in action, loving and extremely encouraging with each other. There are many home school groups all over the country. If there isn’t one near where someone lives, they may choose to start one to fill that need. We are apart of a wonderful home school group. Abiding Homeschoolers has been such a blessing to not only the kids but the parents as well. Full of encouragement and support. The kids have home school activities they participate in like presentation days, where they present in front of a group of people. It’s wonderful. They get a chance to practice speaking in front of a group and the audience gets to respond with positive, encouraging comments. They get to play with each other afterward. They can participate in Spelling Bee’s, Geography Bee’s, Bible Bee’s, Science fairs, Geography fairs, etc. In many cases the kids have the opportunity to compete at the state and national levels. Sports are available as well. Yes, there are city leagues for the younger kids,but there are awesome home school athletic groups for the middle school and high school aged children. Of course, this will depend on where you live. We have available to us a great athletics program that Zachary is actually involved in. He is on the Jr. high team and in high school will have to try out for the jv and varsity teams. They are competitive and travel around the metro area and the state. This athletics group would be the connection to college should one or more of the kids excel in their sport and have the ability to play at the college level. With school dances, we get into a subject that varies from family to family. Many families are guided by their beliefs with this one. For us, the kids really aren’t missing much. Well, they are missing the opportunity for drinking,drugs, and driving.  Those things don’t mix and I’m sure someone who has lost their child, brother, sister, friend or parent to drinking and driving on prom night or any other dance night they’d agree. Another part of the school dance is the sexual desires intensified by the lighting and the music and with teenagers just the close proximity of bodies alone can get kids into situations they otherwise may refrain from. Yes,we know all of this can happen anywhere and everywhere. But,  the school dance environment is a catalyst for this behavior. I also want to tell you that I did not go to my prom. I can honestly say I do not feel that I missed out in any way. 

 Our children, and in general most home schooled children, we believe adjust very well to a variety of situations. They learn to get along with and how to behave around a variety of ages. A school classroom setting, whether its public, private or charter is filled with 25+ kids all the same age. That is not the real world. When we grow up, our world is not filled with people all our own age. Not in college, not at work, church or in our own families. Home schooled children for the most part learn how to relate to a variety of ages and situations.  One great thing about being with the kids as they interact with others, is we have the opportunity to handle a negative situation or character issue right away as it happens. Not later that day, or days later or in some cases never because we don’t get told about a situation. We can, in a positive way help teach and correct our children the right way to handle themselves, in the real world where lives are not controlled or guided by adolescent fads and risky experimentation.

As for our family, we believe that we should have as much control over our children and the situations they are in as possible.   This does include allowing certain situations to arise for the sake of a life lesson. Ultimately, we know God is in control every day. I want to point out that public school children(private,charter) are absolutely in a controlled environment all day long every day. They are also in a controlled environment with extra curricular activities as well. They have to be. Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue in a school building with hundreds or more kids with no authority; no control over them? A controlled environment is where they learn how to behave appropriately. Its where the learn how to react to, respond to and treat people with kindness and respect. An important life skill as an adult.

We are also able to create strong bonds and foster relationships within our family. Being together each day is helping us to learn and practice love, patience and kindness.  It is giving us the opportunity to be closely connected and to create a strong bond between us all.  Homeschooling can provide stability when something new or difficult happens in the family like a new baby, job loss, an illness, death in the family or any other obstacle. You can take a break when necessary to handle and get through a tough time as a family. We have experienced this a few times over the past few years. The kids are also able to get the rest they need. They don’t have to get up too early to catch the bus or stay up late trying complete homework. Proper rest is very important for everyone. A restful night sleep can mean all the difference in the world when it comes to attitudes and total meltdowns. For the kids and for us.

There are a few ‘cons’ to homeschooling as well. My list of cons is much shorter than my pros. But there are a few. One of them is the amount of time it takes to teach. Teaching can consume a lot of mom or dad’s time during the day. Especially the more children you have. There is so much to accomplish each day. For us, a schedule helps us stay on track. Without a schedule, even a minimal one, chaos can quickly rob us of valuable time and.

Another negative to homeschooling is the financial sacrifice. And it is a sacrifice. For some families its harder than others. Homeschoolers pay for everything. The books, supplies, groups, field trips, sports, music, etc. We believe the sacrifice is well worth getting to watch our children grow and learn freely.

When you home school, you are with your children all day, every day. It can sometimes be difficult. If someone doesn’t enjoy being together with their kids that much, then they probably won’t want to home school.  There are ups and downs. Good days and tough days. Ultimately, these are all opportunities for personal and family growth. We also deal with going against the flow of what seems “normal” to mainstream society. Although it is gaining popularity each year,  it can sometimes still be hard for people to understand how parents can succeed at teaching theirchildren at home. There is no one in this world that loves our children and wants the best for our children more than us. We will do everything we can to make the best decisions for our kids and family.  We do sometimes have to handle negative comments and criticism. We do our best to handle those situations with Love and give it to God. If living different than the “norm” is not something someone can do, then homeschooling is probably not the right choice.

As far as the curriculum, research and trial and error is my advice. We have tried curriculum’s and then found it didn’t work for us or for a particular child. So, we change. We have finally found a couple of different curriculum’s that we like, is in line with our values and works good for the kids. That process has taken time. And if we find something needs changing down the road we can make the necessary changes. We follow our state laws and guidelines. We are enrolled with an umbrella school, www.chec.org , which helps us anytime we have questions. They also keep our records like vaccinations and standardized testing with each child. There are so many resources and a lot of support available. Research is important. I can’t stress that enough. Referrals are a good part of research, too. If you know of a family that home schools you can ask for recommendations for curriculum and help getting plugged in to a variety if groups. Ultimately, you go with what works the best for your family. We personally like and use Christian Liberty Press, Switched on Schoolhouse and a few other companies that supply subjects like Spanish, logic, art, extra reading ect. We look for Christian companies and companies that sell wholesome reading and media products.

I feel like I am in school all over again. And I am to a degree. Our curriculum comes with teacher manuals to help me teach what the kids need to learn .It does take some time to prepare lessons for each child. I plan a week a time. That just works best for me. Some may plan further out than that. I have just found that sometimes things happen, like illnesses or other pressing family issues that disrupt the “plan”. Also, when I don’t understand something, I can talk to a friend that is good in that subject, research the Internet or library and I can call the company we buy the curriculum from for help. I haven’t run into too much trouble, yet.

With thorough preparation, kids can and have been admitted to hundreds of colleges all over the country and abroad. They are able to receive scholarships to colleges as well. Again, research is key. We are starting our research now with Zachary, so we know what to expect and what to be preparing for to help him go to college if that is what he chooses to do when the time comes.

I hope I have been able to satisfy your interest. I hope you feel like you have a better understanding of at least why we choose to home school. Your questions are always welcome. Again, these are our reasons and I am sure there are many other reasons for other families. 

I want to leave you with one more “pro” of homeschooling. It’s one of my personal favorites. I have the honor and privilege to teach our children how to read. It is one of the greatest experiences in teaching. To see the pure joy in their eyes and face when they realize they are reading for the first time, is one of the most awe-inspiring experiences of my life. It truly ranks high on my list of  ”best life experiences.”  It’s up there close to the day they were born. The smile; the sparkle in their eyes; the bouncing up and down and clapping their hands; doing cartwheels in the living room, hugging me, kissing me, telling me they love me and then calling their Papa to read to him for the first time is truly a breathtaking experience.

Blessings!

Tags: Christian homeschool, cons, curriculum, family, home, homeschool groups, homeschool tips, negative, positive, private school, pros, public school

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