This is probably my number one question when people find out we home school. First off- let me say this: homeschooling is NOT for everyone. There is no right or wrong way when it comes to educating children. God has called some people to home school, while for others public school is the best option. I do not judge parents that choose the public school method, and while I am a FIRM believer in home education for MY children- I don't feel as though we are superior in ANY way to the public school families. That being said- this is why God called OUR Family to home school:
The first and foremost reason why we educate our children at home is God. God is extremely important to our family. He is #1 in our life, and the entire reason for our being. He gives us every single breath we take- and our sole purpose in life is to glorify him in every thing we do. With God being taken out of our public school system our children are being taught science- but not the fact that God created our innermost being.. that he created the entire planet. They are being taught English- but not the fact that God gives us speech. They are taught math- but not that God balances the world in his hands. We have issues with this philosophy. We start school every single day with Bible. If we are taught His wisdom and how to be lead by HIS spirit- he will guide us in every academic area in our lives.
The second reason why we home school is family. We started praying about the education of our children when I first got pregnant with Enoch. We were back and forth as to what God called us to do. We were being drawn to home schooling, but I will never forget the day when God confirmed that home schooling is what our family is to do. It was when we realized that if our children were in public school, we would never have even one day to spend together as a family. With church on Sundays, school Mon-Fri, and Adam working on Saturday- there would not be a single day left to fish, camp, road trip to get ice cream. Nothing. We would not have time as a family to develop the relationships that God gave us - the ones that should be the strongest. With homeschooling this is no longer and issue. The kids are so close, and we school Tue-Sat so that we are left with the same days off that Adam is so we can spend the weekends together as a family. We love it!
The third reason why we home school is socialization. Yes, you heard that right- SOCIALIZATION. We are constantly being asked about this.. "Are you sure your kids are getting enough socialization? Just make sure you get them involved in activities with kids their own age!" ... yada yada yada. No thank you. We do NOT want our kids involved in tons of activities with "kids their own age". If we wanted them to have that type of socialization we would have put them in public schools. Don't get me wrong- we are NOT hermits. You know- the nerdy type children that never leave their home. You've seen them, the kind that are so terrified of public interaction you can literally see them curl into a ball before your eyes at the county fair. Nope. That's not us. However, our children do not have tons of other kids to learn from- and we are fine with that. The public school system is a fabricated environment. Its completely fake. Once you graduate and entire the "Real World".. please tell me where you can find a job where you sit in 1 room for 8 hours with 20 other people your exact same age. Sorry folks- it just won't happen. Also, children are so immature. I can guarantee you that if you picked up any type of bad behavior that you truly regret- you probably got it from a classmate. That's why we choose to socialize our children with a more mature class. We learn and explore with people that can teach us from experience with a little more maturity under their belt. We learn from the "Real World" everyday -and the kids won't be culture shocked when they receive their diploma. It makes more sense to us. No, we are not putting our kids in a bubble,we are, however, obeying God when he gave us directions to protect our children. We realize that one day they will be presented with opportunities to make some bad decisions. Our prayer is that once they reach this point in their life they will be graced with enough maturity to make a wise decision because they will be old enough and contain a strong enough foundation to maintain their purity.
While they are several other reasons why we home school, I will share just one more. With home school, education comes alive. We have found that kids can retain information better when you involve all their senses. Last year we studied about Abraham Lincoln - so we payed a trip to Springfield, IL to tour his home and see his grave. Months later my [then] 3 year old found a picture of Abraham Lincoln and said "MOMMY!!! ITS ABRAHAM LINCOLN!" Now tell me another 3 year old that knows who that is! Its because he meant something to her.. it was real. When we study about the eyes God gave us we dissect cows eyes. When we learn about ears - we make a giant ear on the floor and crawl through it. Last year we were learning about pioneers and how they lived. We went to the cow farm, got the cow's milk, brought it home and made butter from it. Now the kids can appreciate it more when we simply go buy a "tub of butter". They absorb and retain so much more information.
So there it is. Like I said, we have thousands of reasons why we do what we do. If God has called your family to home school and you need help getting started, I will share all I know with you. I might not be the most knowledgeable homeschooling mom alive, but I have a passion for it that runs so very deep. I will help you in any way I know how. If home schooling is not what God has called your family to do, I respect that- its not for everyone. But it is for us- and we LOVE it!
