Why Homeschool

     Growing up homeschooled I often vowed I would let my kids go to school. I was all about the social side of school, I was jealous my friends were able to see other friends every single day. That was my only argument with being homeschooled, which looking back I did not suffer socially and my parents made time for friends a high priority. Since graduating I have thought about my personal schooling and how I would want to educate my kids. In recent years, the more Adam and I have discussed it the more confident we have become in wanting to homeschool. So as a reminder on the hard days of why this was our choice, and to organize my why's, here it is! Here is why we are choosing to homeschool over any other school.
     Our first and foremost reason is focus. These years of character development and influence are so easily stolen from childhood. We would rather teach our children the foundational beliefs of our faith, and character than have a teacher and peers be the source of knowledge. We don't want our kids to come home from school and have to "relearn" habits, appropriate language, and Creation on top of the hours of homework. We want to teach more about character traits and develop responsibility, diligence, leadership, and compassion on a daily basis rather than adding those lessons to the rare and precious time we would have as a family. We also want to invest into the gifts and passions our kids have. If they like music, they can spend more time in a day doing music If they have a passion for street ministry then we can go hand out sandwiches and have conversations downtown one day. If they love writing, let them spend hours writing stories. Our goal in parenting is to encourage our kids to be the best they can be, including developing the gifts and passions God has given them and we feel we can do that best at home.
     Another reason is the influence society has on the school system in our culture. Some schools explain sexual orientation to young kids. Some schools are telling boys and girls they can decide what they want to "be." I disagree with that. God made you a specific gender for a reason, it's not your choice. The school boards are also required to teach sexual education at younger ages. I strongly believe those are conversations for parents to have with their kids first, not a teacher and not a friend. Adam and I also discuss that often, I grew up in a house where we didn't talk about sex. Adam grew up in a house where sex (and anything related) was joked about at the dinner table. We therefore have decided a balance between the two extremes is necessary. And not the responsibility of the school, but us as parents. Schools say abstinence is best, but since you won't be abstinent then at least have safe sex. A large classroom can't speak into the heart of why to wait for marriage, having a relationship with our kids, we have that chance. 
     Our children's personalities also affect my thoughts on homeschooling. Abbi is full of energy, she rarely sits. With both Adam and my sister, they would have been strongly advised to be put on an ADD drug of some sort if they were twenty years younger. In the States they passed a bill where schools cannot require students be put on treatment for ADHD and ADD. It's sad to me that a bill needs to be passed because that is a problem. The articles are astounding on the affects drugs such as ritalin are having on our continent. Activity levels should be dulled down to a manageable "easy" especially when teachers have 20+ students to sit and pay attention for 8 hours a day. The math of that, for me personally, should not equal a drug, it should be more teachers, more breaks, more interactive learning, and healthier food. But that's just my thoughts. I am confident Abbi would be categorized into the "needing treatment to settle her energy" group. I would rather do a lesson of math with her then let her have a dance party to burn energy before moving onto the next subject. I would rather have her learn to work with her energy so she is not required to take medication for the remainder of her life. Trust me, medicated lives are not easy! It's complicated and if not totally necessary then why put our precious little ones through that?
     Lastly, Adam's work schedule plays a large role into our motivation to homeschool. Two days a week Adam works from lunch until 9pm, those days if our kids were in a typical school setting, he would not see them. With working every Saturday as well, he would miss out far too much on our kids lives. Homeschooling we have the opportunity to take family field trips the mornings he is home and his Fridays off, a time I will definitely cherish.
     I am not against public schools, or any other for the record, but we believe this is the best choice for our kids and our family. Without a doubt, there will be challenges, times I want to give up, but it will be worth it. Encouraging their strengths, learning to work with their struggles, and having a strong foundation of what they believe will help them in the world. It won't be perfect, I am sure I will mess up plenty, but it is worth it in the end. As long as I am leaning on God's strength and wisdom. 
Proverbs 22:6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.