Why Homeschool – Reasons to Homeschool Your Kids

Today was tough. My seven year old did not want to do his schoolwork. This is becoming a regular occurrence. We are right in the thick of first grade and he is learning how to read. It’s tough for him, it’s tough for me. I often wonder how any of us learned to read because teaching it even with our favorite curriculum, My Father’s World, has been tough. It doesn’t help that he’s really not interested in the Bible stories, so we just muddle through each lesson. 

My fifth baby turned four weeks old today. I’m still trying to figure out a routine for homeschooling, caring for all the kids, and housework. It’s a challenge, I tell ya. My oldest daughter got upset today. Since we are behind with our homeschooling because of my pregnancy and the birth of the baby I have been working hard with my oldest son. I hear her. She’s upset because she feels I spend all my time with my oldest and none with her. 

It’s moments like these that I ask myself, “Why homeschool?“

As a first generation homeschooler, I often question myself. I mean, am I really doing this right? Is everything going to turn out okay? Am I a crazy person for thinking I can successfully homeschool five kids? Homeschool preschool was easy when I only had two kids, but now I have five and I’m not only teaching preschool.

Sometimes I have to take a step back and remind myself why I wanted to homeschool.

Why Homeschool?

Because I’m a rebel.

Well, not really, but it took a little courage for me to start homeschooling because when I started this journey I knew NO ONE who had ever homeschooled. I did a lot of research, and I did a lot of praying. I had to make sure this was the right path for my family, and everything told me it was. 

I wanted to foster a love for family.

I grew up going to public school. My brothers and I got to spend very little time together. I wanted my kids to truly be friends. You can’t get to know someone and be good friends with them if you don’t spend the time with them. I also wanted to be available for my kids as often as I could. I think I had visions of all of us snuggled up on the couch reading together. And while that does happen, it doesn’t always look all cozy and perfect. I do have a newborn, a toddler, and a three year old running around! Still, we are doing all these things together as a family and we wouldn’t get this much time to do it otherwise.

Because I wanted freedom.

I wanted the freedom to pack up and go on a trip whenever we felt like it. When I was a teenager I spent one summer traveling across the U.S. First I traveled west with one set of grandparents, and then I traveled east with the other set of grandparents. I toured the Carlsbad Caverns, marveled at the vastness of the Grand Canyon, stared in disbelief at the size of a Redwood Tree, saw the Colorado mountains, dipped my toes in the Chesapeake Bay, and got to experience Amish country all in one summer. I want to do this with my kids at some point. I also have a great dream of taking them on a European vacation when they are all young adults/older teens. 

Besides the freedom to travel, I love being able to take my kids to see my grandparents whenever we feel like it. I love the freedom homeschooling gives our family.

Because I wanted my children to grow a love for God and for learning.

Most importantly, I chose a Christian homeschool curriculum to keep God at the center of our homeschool. My kids wouldn’t get to talk much about God at public school. I can’t tell you the great discussions we have had because of My Father’s World. I also wanted to instill a love for learning into my kiddos. I know that right now my oldest is struggling because he is having to do the hard work of learning to read, but I hope that once he is reading well he realizes a whole world will be opened to him and he can learn whatever he wants.

He loves to create things. Just the other day he designed a special water bottle. He drew his design and told us all the cool things the bottle can do. I want him to have the time and desire to do things he wants to do. 

I know homeschooling is not perfect and not the answer for everyone. There are definitely bad days for us. When I have those bad days I just think about why I started homeschooling in the first place. That helps me get my head back in the game!

Why did you start homeschooling?