Wikipedia defines homeschooling this way:
“Homeschooling or homeschool (also called home education or home based learning) is the education of children at home, typically by parents or by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school. Although prior to the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws, most childhood education occurred within the family or community,[1] homeschooling in the modern sense is an alternative in developed countries to attending public or private schools…
Parents cite numerous reasons as motivations to homeschool their children. The three reasons that are selected by the majority of homeschooling parents in the United States are concern about the school environment, to provide religious or moral instruction, and dissatisfaction with academic instruction at public and private schools. Homeschooling may also be a factor in the choice of parenting style… Recently, homeschooling has increased in popularity in the United States, with the percentage of children 5-17 who are homeschooled increasing from 1.7% in 1999 to 2.9% in 2007.”
_As mentioned by Wikipedia, there are many reasons why parents choose to homeschool their children. Let me tell you our story.
_ First of all, my husband was homeschooled and was very determined that his children should also be homeschooled. Even before I knew I was going to marry him, God was working in my heart about homeschooling. There was a family I knew that had decided to homeschool their children. When I was visiting them one day the mom was showing me her new homeschool room that she was setting up. Her excitement and enthusiasm were contagious and she made it sound like so much fun! Then when I went to Bible College, I met several people there who had either been homeschooled or were homeschooling. I realized that I liked every homeschooler I met and each of them spoke highly about their homeschooling experience and wanted to homeschool their own children some day. Among the families I met that were in the process of homeschooling, I was impressed that their children were the most well-behaved, well-balanced children I had ever seen! These children not only knew how to behave around adults, but they could also carry a conversation with anyone of any age.
_ First of all, my husband was homeschooled and was very determined that his children should also be homeschooled. Even before I knew I was going to marry him, God was working in my heart about homeschooling. There was a family I knew that had decided to homeschool their children. When I was visiting them one day the mom was showing me her new homeschool room that she was setting up. Her excitement and enthusiasm were contagious and she made it sound like so much fun! Then when I went to Bible College, I met several people there who had either been homeschooled or were homeschooling. I realized that I liked every homeschooler I met and each of them spoke highly about their homeschooling experience and wanted to homeschool their own children some day. Among the families I met that were in the process of homeschooling, I was impressed that their children were the most well-behaved, well-balanced children I had ever seen! These children not only knew how to behave around adults, but they could also carry a conversation with anyone of any age.
As I thought and prayed about homeschooling, I began to understand my own reasons for wanting to homeschool.
I became a Christian when I was 19 years old. By that time I had already seen more than enough of the worldly lifestyle to know that I never wanted my children to do the kinds of things I had done before I became a Christian. By homeschooling my children I have the chance to spend more time teaching them about God and the Bible, answering their questions and helping them make our faith their own. Hopefully, they will avoid making the same mistakes I did.
I became a Christian when I was 19 years old. By that time I had already seen more than enough of the worldly lifestyle to know that I never wanted my children to do the kinds of things I had done before I became a Christian. By homeschooling my children I have the chance to spend more time teaching them about God and the Bible, answering their questions and helping them make our faith their own. Hopefully, they will avoid making the same mistakes I did.
As we have begun our homeschool journey I’ve added many more reasons to homeschool. I love being with my children! I love seeing their eyes light up when they finally understand something! I love hearing my oldest read to me and knowing that I taught her how to read! I love hearing them say, “Mom, look what we found!” and seeing their excitement about their newest discovery! I love knowing that I have been there for all their firsts; whether it’s their first steps or the first time they sang the ABC song all the way through without help or the first time they read a whole book by themselves! I love hearing them say, “Mom, can we do school today?” even though it’s Saturday! I love knowing that they actually want to do school because we have made school fun in our home! I love hearing my children tell their friends that they don’t want to go to public school because they like being homeschooled! I love knowing that I’m investing in their lives in a way that I will never, ever regret!
Even on our toughest days I know without a doubt that homeschooling is the right thing for our family! I am so thankful that God brought me to the point where I was willing to homeschool my children and has blessed us with this opportunity as a family! (To find our more reasons why I love homeschooling, you can see my post with 10 Reasons I am Thankful for Homeschooling here.)
Even on our toughest days I know without a doubt that homeschooling is the right thing for our family! I am so thankful that God brought me to the point where I was willing to homeschool my children and has blessed us with this opportunity as a family! (To find our more reasons why I love homeschooling, you can see my post with 10 Reasons I am Thankful for Homeschooling here.)
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