I'm not your 'typical' homeschooling mom either... although that stereotyped person really doesn't exist that much anymore. I am somewhat of an eclectic. I attend church every Sunday (assuming there's no illness in my house), but I don't feel comfortable enough in my own faith to be preaching to the Lord’s youngest disciples. I am neither extremely Conservative, nor am I a radical Liberal. I consider myself impartial, knowing and observing wrong-doing and hidden agendas of both ‘parties’. I have read all the information about vaccines and health crises in the country and in the world, but I still vaccinate my son. I do it for those who cannot. I understand the risks, but I also don’t want to be the reason another child perishes from something as minor as measles, when my healthy son could fight it. That's not to say that's the right or only way to think, but God gave me free will and a brain make my own decisions for myself and my family. So even if it's not what you believe, and more power to you if it isn't, it is what I believe. I don’t stay-at-home, or work-from-home (although some day I hope to), I work over 35 hours a week and my husband sometimes over 50 (depending on the week).
Why
Do I Homeschool?
I’m going to address the typical responses, and although there are a lot I agree with, they’re not why I’ve chosen homeschooling for my family.
Religion: Please don’t misunderstand me, I want my son to have a relationship with God, and to know and abide by his Law. I want him to know love, and not in the material sense or the amorous look of another human, but the kind, omniscient love of God. However, I don’t know that public school is the right place for that. Like it or not, the American public has the right to choose their religion. They also have the right to choose public school. Public schools cannot be biased towards one religion when it means that children are patronized for not participating in religious events during school hours. I do think that the before/after-school extracurricular activities, prayer groups and the similar are great.
Negative Influences: A while ago, someone told me “You can’t choose who your child befriends,” and while that’s true, I can choose who I let surround my child. Surrounding him with love, good influences, distracting opportunities, and honesty about subjects is the greatest gift I can give my son when he is fighting these evils. I can give my son the tools to do battle against bullying, to fight for David not Goliath, to love all and show it.
Common Core: I have seen the statistics, I have seen the problems. I'm not a fan and I don't think that style of learning is right for my son. That being said, when you put that many children together, you do have to have some sort of standard. When I was in school, it was the ITEDs, or ITBS, but now it's a different way of finding the same answer. One that parents aren't used to, and are quickly frustrated with because they can't help their frustrated child. If too many children are not able to abide by the extremely high standards that Common Core has set, then something needs to change. We can't hold teachers accountable for the frustration of so many children, when they have so many children they have to teach. If a group of children going on a trip is too large for one vehicle, we divide them up, a similar principle should be adopted here.
The reasons are plenty as to why I homeschool, but these are my top three: for common sense and courtesy; enriching and encouraging not just education but learning; and most of all, for the quality time with my family. I know that in a blink of an eye my son will be grown, and I want to give him the skills to go into the world and be not only successful, but self-sufficient. It matters not where he lives, who he marries, or what occupation he has, I want him to be happy and not feel the struggle of kids who are unprepared for the life-after: life after ‘elementary’, life after ‘high school’, life after college, or life after leaving our nest. Whether or not he marries young, I want him to be able to cook a meal, clean up after himself, entertain himself with a good book or puzzle, enjoy sports, or change his own oil (something even I can’t do!) I want him to have an amazing relationship with his father and myself, and know how important family is. I want him to see the world, if he wants to, or dig into the earth.
My aunt once said, “If he’s going to commit to something, the least I can do is accommodate him.” And despite the fact that she was talking about my cousin and his Boy Scouts, I feel it holds true to my son’s, and future children’s (Lord willing) education. If he finds an interest that lights the fire of inspiration in his eyes, who am I to extinguish that by sitting him in a desk for 8 hours while he learns about something that has no interest to him? I can alter “lesson plans” to fit his loves – for instance, right now he likes cars, puzzles, singing songs and stories, and sports. So what is in my “Pre-K lesson plan”? Car color patterns, foam letter puzzles, reading up the wah-zoo, and sending him off to the golf course or local rec center to play basketball.
He’s also in soccer, attends Sunday school, and is in daycare three days a week. The other days he gets quality time with grandparents or his parents. I have seen my son interacting with children three times his age, and I’ve seen him taking care of an infant – believe me, socializing is not a problem. I have witnessed him hold conversations with adults, sit quietly for a sermon, and walk nicely next to me in a store without running off.
The best part of all of this, I know that we taught him these skills. We are the parents, we are the coaches, we are the teachers.
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