Since this blog is primarily focused on encouraging moms in their homeschooling and their faith, I thought it would be fitting to start off with explaining why we’ve chosen to homeschool. Today’s post is for those of you that might have tossed the thought around a time or two but you weren’t sure if the benefits outweigh the sacrifice. Or maybe you’re a homeschooling mom going through a rough patch and you just need to be reminded of why in the world you thought this would ever be a good idea. I hope some of these will strike a cord with you and keep your engine fired-up to finish the race.
Top 10 reasons we choose to homeschool:
- Encouraging Statistics-
According to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), recent research shows that homeschooled students fare better in many categories including academics, social, emotional and psychological development. Academically, homeschool students typically score 15-30% higher than public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests. They also typically score above average on the SAT and ACT tests and are increasingly being recruited by colleges. Peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, community service and self-esteem are all facets of life where homeschooled students repeatedly score above average.
2. Enjoying Them-
I love my kids and I love spending time with them. Some people give me weird looks when I say this because they’re they’re wondering if I’m being sarcastic. But I’m really not. My children are human. They each have their annoying faults as most kids do. They can be difficult, picky, selfish and some days they suck the life out of me. But one of the rewards of spending so much time with them is seeing the Holy Spirit do His work. Over time, He strengthens their weaknesses in a way that we know can only come from God.
But I get to enjoy their strengths every day as well. They’re funny, creative, persistent, curious and talented in very different ways. Studying them fascinates me because the Bible tells us that they are God’s handiwork, created in His image. Watching them grow physically, intellectually and spiritually teaches me a lot about God’s creativity, His sense of humor and my relationship with Him.
3. Freedom-
There are countless freedoms to homeschooling, but the freedom to teach them about their Creator is my favorite. We choose to use Christian-based curriculums for all subjects. When we study History, we look for God’s hand and discuss patterns that we see. We learn how God has worked through different people and countries over time to accomplish His purposes. When we study Science we discuss how creative and powerful God is and how He purposely designed each creature according to His will. It adds a rich element to their learning so there’s no gap between their faith and the realities of our world. The God they trust as their Savior is the God who created and takes care of all the things they’re learning about. Recognizing God in their daily lives will become natural for them because they’ve studied His work and will know what it looks like. How can our children fully grasp how things are ordered and designed if we don’t teach them about the Designer? God wants us to use every opportunity to share Him with our children and that includes during their school lessons.
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
4. Purposeful Living-
We have more time to focus on the things that matter most to our family. Our health, caring for others, our relationships with God as well as discovering and developing our gifts and talents, interests and hobbies are all things we value as a family. Homeschooling allows us to do lessons one-on-one or in very small groups, so schoolwork gets done much quicker than in a traditional school settings. They aren’t losing time to line up against the wall and wait for everyone to use the restroom or go through the lunch line each day. They don’t have to wait for other students to understand a concept before they can move on. If they got it, we’re done or we move ahead to the next lesson.
When a child has free time to be curious, create and explore their personal interests, they enjoy life and we create lifelong learners.
5. Self Discovery-
I want my children to be confident in who God created them to be. I teach them that they were purposely and uniquely created by God and they will have various interests, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. If their school environment is encouraging and accepting of their differences, they will gain confidence over time in knowing they may be different from others in some ways, but it is good and purposeful.
“One researcher finds that homeschooling gives young people an unusual chance to ask questions such as, ‘Who am I?’ and ‘What do I really want?’, and through the process of such asking and gradually answering the questions, home-education girls develop the strengths and the resistance abilities that give them an unusually strong sense of self.”
National Home Education Research Institute
An encouraging parent that knows her children can more easily instill a strong self-image in her children before they are released to the world where people will tell them who they should be.
Stay Tuned . . .
My next post will Why We Choose to Homeschool – Part 2. If you’ve enjoyed this, please share it with a friend that may be considering homeschooling. And if you currently homeschool, I’d love to hear some of your reasons in the comments!
House On A Hill 