Why Homeschool?

Weird. No socialization. Unqualified. Sheltered. These are just a few of the misconceptions people have about homeschooling. Do you notice a couple of odd families are treated as the norm for all of homeschooling? There are plenty of “normal” homeschooling families out there.

I have wanted to homeschool my children for a very long time. My sister was homeschooled for grades 7-12, while I went to public school. I was jealous of how much fun she was having. She was involved with a co-op where they offered classes and activities, such as soccer, bowling, and skiing. She probably had more activities on her plate than I did. This leads me to the first misconception – socialization. Socialization isn’t just about interacting with other kids your age. It’s really about learning about how to become a member of society. It’s about learning how to interact with adults, as well as children. Now I can teach my son proper behavior, or I can have a five-year-old do it. I don’t think socialization is the big issue.

I think people really are more worried about homeschoolers having a social life. At age three, Nicholas is already spending a few hours a week with children his age. He is not enrolled in preschool, but he will go to class again on Wednesdays while I am in Bible study.  He also has 1 ½-3 hours of Sunday school each week (depending on whether or not we teach). In addition, we have play dates on a regular basis. When he is older, we will join a co-op where he can join with other homeschoolers. He can also play with family members and neighbors. Our city also offers various recreational programs. Nicholas will not be sitting in the house all day, locked up from the rest of the world (even if we never get a second car –gasp! I will find a way out somehow!!!).

If you want to say that I will be sheltering him, go ahead. I want to teach him a foundation before he is thrown into the world. I want him to understand why he believes what he believes. He will have plenty of opportunities to interact with various types of people as we go about our daily life. He is not immune to the world. In fact, at the restaurant the other day he was pretending to smoke with his straw. Where did he learn that from? Not from our house. Not from our television. He probably learned it from just being outside of the house. It’s just a small example, but we’ll have plenty of opportunities to talk about various issues.

I want him to have a love of learning as well. If we want to spend longer on a topic that he is interested in, we can. If he takes a little longer on a subject we’ll take our time. If he’s mastered it, we’ll move on. As he gets older, he and I will have a better idea where his talents lie and the areas he wants to pursue. This way I can steer him toward his natural bent. I can tailor his schooling to how he learns.

Am I qualified to teach him? Well, I did make it through high school and college. I think I can handle the early years without a problem. As the subjects get harder, that’s where co-ops and other resources come in handy. I may not be the best physics teacher (I didn’t even bother taking it in high school), but maybe my friend excels in that area. Maybe he’s a self-directed learner and can use a computer program. Or, maybe we just learn together. I’m not concerned.

I’ve never felt called to be a teacher in a typical classroom. I don’t know if I could handle that many kids at one time. But, I have felt called for a very long time to teach my children. I am very passionate about it because I feel like that’s what God has called me to do for now. Like I said in my prior blog post, I’m not going to sit and berate you for your choices as my friend Kristy experienced. This is my choice and Evan’s choice. I know our homeschooling experience will not always be easy, but I’m praying that God will equip me as I teach and train our child(ren).