Has anyone ever asked you why you homeschool? Did the question catch you off-guard, or were you prepared to answer? The first time that I was asked that question, I was not really prepared to answer clearly, so I purposed to get my reasons fleshed out and written down. This exercise had multiple benefits ... I was better prepared the next time someone asked why I homeschooled, and I could read through my reasons when I was waivering after a tiring day. Several years ago, Sonlight published ten reasons which stated mine (and additional reasons that hadn't yet occurred to me) in a more succinct manner:
1. To instill your values and beliefs in your children - this is a primary reason for most homeschoolers with whom I talk. We want to be the ones who guide our children in developing their character and their faith, and to do so in our home amongst those who love them, rather than trusting them to learn from their peers.
2. To encourage academic excellence in your children. That phrase - academic excellence - can bring both delight and fear to parents. Perhaps you aren't confident in your own academic excellence and thus wonder whether you will be able to set an appropriate standard for your children. If that is the case, then set a new standard for yourself alongside the children, because most homeschooling parents find that they learn quite a lot in the process of guiding their children in their studies. Seek out materials that do not require you to know the subject, but will enable you to learn with the children ... you'll be amazed at the results.
3. To speak to and meet your children's unique, individual needs. Let's face it, in a classroom environment, everyone can't march to a different drummer. But in your home, you can tailor the materials you use to best speak to your children's individual learning styles. Explore my earlier posts about this topic and equip your child with the tools that God designed him or her to use most effectively.
4. To help your children through the difficult times in their lives. Or even allow them to help you through difficult times. That's why God placed us in families - not only to grow together, but to also hold each other up. I have often said that I believe our teenagers need us (parents) as much as our preschoolers do, and the years between are equally as important.
5. To help your children understand the hard questions we face in life. Of course, "understand" is somewhat a relative term for children, since they will grasp increasing depths of understanding as they develop. But we can still be there consistently, answering their questions at the level they can grasp, affirming their desire to know and our faith that God is always with us.
These are enough for now - I'll finish the list in my next post. Meanwhile, I encourage you to contemplate these reasons. Do they reiterate your reasons for homeschooling? If so, what have you done to put them into action, and could you fine-tune your efforts? If not, then how do your reasons vary, and what are you doing to act on them?
Kelly
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
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