What Is Homeschooling? And Why Should I Consider It for My Children?

The past couple of years has put our school system and family life in a tailspin. Now, as we enter year three of the Covid Pandemic, we are still facing many questions about our children's education and leaving many to consider homeschooling.

• Do we send our kids to school?
• Are the schools open?
• Maybe I should homeschool?
• Isn't homeschooling what my kids already do with remote learning?

Maybe you know someone who started homeschooling their kids. You know there are private and public schools in your community to choose from, so why would anyone go this route? What is homeschooling? And how can it be beneficial for the child?

Those are all legitimate questions. But for the sake of time and space, I will begin with answering just one today. What is homeschooling?

Please consider following me or signing up for an email when I publish for additional insights into this subject. You are reading part 1 of my series on homeschooling.

But what exactly is homeschooling?

Let's get one thing out of the way. Homeschooling is not the remote learning your child may be getting from your school system. Remote learning is temporary and subject to your local school's schedule due to Covid restrictions.

Homeschooling is education at home, the park, library, a friend's house — anywhere your parents/instructor has deemed appropriate. Mom/dad is often the teacher, and the family chooses the curriculum.

In our household, I was the teacher to my two children. We homeschooled until their junior year of high school, at which point, they enrolled in the local high school.

You may be wondering why we sent them at that point. We made this decision based on the availability of college credit courses readily accessible through the school system. Both of our children started college as sophomores due to the number of credit hours they had acquired in high school.

Our homeschooling years were a mix of purchased curriculums, co-ops, classes designed around their interests and fundamentals.

Why would anyone homeschool their kid(s)?

Choosing to homeschool is a family decision. It requires a great deal of time and effort and affects the whole family. All parents should be in unison when making this choice. You may wish for your children to have a voice in the matter, but ultimately it is up to the parents to decide what is best for the child.

Just as there is no one picture of the ideal family, there is no one right reason why you may consider homeschooling. It is a complex decision that requires a significant time commitment and should balance with the entire family's needs.

Some reasons people choose homeschooling.

• A student may struggle with a learning difficulty or a disability that makes the traditional school setting challenging to manage.
• A child may be facing bullying or other threats causing a danger or distraction for the child.
• A parent believes the school system available to them to be inferior in providing a proper education.
• Religious upbringing may cause conflict with the curriculum of the schools available.
• Private schools are financially unavailable.
• Many parents believe in providing more personal instruction in the home setting.

Family dynamics support a more fluid learning schedule. Mom or dad may travel for work and often take the family. Or they may move around a lot, and it is easier for them to maintain consistency with homeschooling.

Parents believe in the natural continuation of raising and educating their children as they have done since birth.

Sometimes, the reason is as simple as wanting what a parent believes is the best education they can provide for their children is within the family dynamics.

Why we chose to homeschool

I always knew I wanted to homeschool, even before I had children. I know it sounds weird. But it just felt right. When I was pregnant with our first child, my husband and I decided I would stay home. Then as she got older, it came naturally to do her ABCs and 123s with her.

She never went to daycare, preschool, or public school until the middle of high school. It just worked for us.

But I must admit, it was a family decision. It is not just a 9–4 schedule. At least not in our household.

People often ask why I chose to homeschool, and, in the beginning, I think I just wanted to spend as much time with my kids as possible. I wanted to see my children's wonder as the world came alive in front of them.

As time went on, I watched as they discovered their strengths and passions, saw them grow and explore their world and rise to challenges with grace and humility.

Then I realized what I always wanted for them was to find their unique place in this world and know there is nothing beyond their grasp.

You do not have to decide now.

In the United States, our educational system is Kindergarten preceding twelve years of continued education through a state-approved program.

That is thirteen years your kids will be in school. You have time to decide if homeschooling is right for you and your family. It does not have to be all or nothing when the first day of school rolls around. In fact, in most cases, you can choose even partway through a school year.

Sometimes situations change, and it may be better for the child to come home or return to the school system.

Nothing is set in stone, and you can always try different formulas till you see what works for your unique situation. For my family, we mixed things up over the years, some things were more successful than others, and we adapted from there.

Whatever you decide, make sure you and your partner know your roles and the time commitment involved. It affects the whole family. But when it's right, you will know it. The entire family will know it.

Article originally posted on Medium