Why We Homeschool Our Kids and Risk Them Being “Weird”

Homeschooling has been a wonderful experience for our family. I understand there are those who say this path is not for them. Although I would try to persuade you otherwise on that one. However, I do think everyone should seriously research and consider this as an option before just going with the flow and enrolling their kids in the local school system. While it may seem daunting and out there at first there are SO many positives to homeschooling your children. Please keep reading if you are curious why we homeschool our Kids and risk them being “weird”.

We Want to Be Around Our Kids

Before having children, I worked for 5 years at a Library in the Children’s Department. I met many Parents and a handful of those were Homeschooling Parents. The relationship between Parent and Child, the child’s behavior, and how they interacted with siblings and others around them really left a positive impression on me. However, I didn’t think I could be one of “those” Moms that was around her kids ALL THE TIME. The original plan was to go with a local Co- Op rather than be the one to exclusively homeschool our Kids.

Once Olivia was born, the thought of not having her around and being gone for 8+ hours a day made me SO sad. Lord willing, I will have 18 years with each one of my children. While I am gifted that time and they live at home, I want to be around them and homeschool allows for that. One day if I have done my job well then, they will fly the nest and hopefully desire to come visit me. Wyatt our six-year-old actually asked me the other day where I would be living when I am an old lady. I took that as a good sign that he wants to come visit me when he is a grown man. 🙂 Sure, there are tough days, but I know when I am an “old lady”, I will be so thankful for this time to homeschool and learn alongside my kids.

We Get to Do Life Together

Since having my first child 8 years ago, life has been a wild ride! Our family has experienced seven moves to various states. Five Baby Brothers joining the family. Numerous work trips. Job transitions. Health scares with family. New pets. While the list goes on the fun part is we have experienced all this as a family because of our choice to homeschool!

The Kids are packing alongside me when we are preparing for a move. They wait patiently in the other room while a new brother is being born. Olivia and the Boys experience new towns and states when we travel for work trips. They can go to work with Dad at the different retail jobs he has worked. They are helping me prepare care packages and pray over family members that are sick and in the hospital. There are many memories in the making by doing life together.

It Offers Flexibility

Soon after Olivia was born, Sam was having to travel a lot for work. Granted Olivia was a baby, but we got to go with him. In the years since even after she became school aged, we have been able to continue this tradition by choosing to homeschool. We just load up some schoolbooks, crafts and toys. See what local attractions there are then head out to a new experience that awaits us. We couldn’t do that if we had chosen Traditional School.

I laugh as I write this because we do have extended family that lets us know how against this whole homeschool thing, they are… ha like they get a say so. 🙂 But anytime they visit they always reap the rewards of our kids getting to take a few days off from schoolwork and enjoy the time with extended family. Our family doesn’t have an 8a- 4p schedule controlling our time. Telling us when we can visit with family. Go on vacations. Enjoy a lazy day, etc.

We Control What Our Kids Learn

I want my Kids to learn things that interest them. Not waste time on whatever the Nation’s current fad is that the School System thinks kids need to learn in order to conform. If you spend even 15 minutes researching your school system’s scope and sequence, you come to learn that every few years they change what kids need to learn at certain ages. For example, when I was a kid, it was required that I learn to read IN Kindergarten. Fastforward a few decades and my kids are expected to already know how to read going into kindergarten. Crazy!

I desire for my Kids to have hours a day just to play. Watching a snake sun itself while outside. Learn the correct way to feed carrots to a horse so he doesn’t bite your fingers. Plant seeds that they watch bloom into wildflowers. I want to read the Bible to them, so they know how we are supposed to live and bring glory to the God that created us. Read fun books as a family that they will remember for years to come. Collect rocks that we can learn more about in the Rock Encyclopedia an Aunt and Uncle gifted us for a Birthday. Create artistic things to gift to others. Learn division by making a tasty batch of brownies. Cuddle a sweet new Baby Brother that we have been anticipating for months. All this and much more is what I want my Kids to learn.

Christian Beliefs

In Deuteronomy 6:4- 9 you read, “Hear, O Isreal: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be frontlets between your eyes. You shall write then on the doorpost of your house and on your gates.”

If I am to teach the Bible or “these words that I command you diligently to your child as you sit in your house, walking by the way, when you lie down, and when your rise”, then how can I do that when my children are apart from me almost 8 hours a day, five days a week? I am more able to be an example and teacher to my kids if they are home with me. There are many other verses in the Bible that discuss a father’s instruction and mother’s teaching, but Deuteronomy 6:4- 9 is the main one Sam, and I stand on concerning our decision to homeschool our Kids.

Looking for more Home School Information?

Honestly, I am not worried about my kids being “weird” by society’s standards. What does society really know anyway? I want to encourage my Kids to learn and grow into the adults God is molding them to be. How exciting that homeschool allows me to be a part of this as it is unfolding day after day.

You can find more information on our Home School page. Thanks for stopping by!