Hi! I decided a few months ago to home school my 3 daughters ages, 4, 7 and 12. They are finishing their year in public school this May and then we will home school and we are all VERY EXCITED! I am getting so many questions from family and friends about why I would home school which has surprised me and caught me off guard. I am very confident in my decision and my children are so happy to home school as well. We are not happy with the public school system at all! I hate having to explain my self to everyone and would love a simple answer. My question to you all is how do you answer these questions to family and friends without getting defensive or going into deep detail about your decision? Thanks in advance! Crystal
I homeschool because I was not happy with the public school we were zoned for, and because I love that my children can have a customized learning plan, spend time together and with me, and it's a journey that we are all enjoying together! Homeschooling is becoming more and more popular and as it does, fewer people will ask questions. As soon as I got out into the homeschool crowd I learned there are HUNDREDS of people in our town alone who homeschool. It's not unusual anymore. Congrats and good luck!
Congratulations on your decision! It is an awsome journey. You will learn as much if not more that they do!!! Simple response: (With a big smile) We love our children very much and decided we wanted to be the primary influence in their lives, especially that of our pre-teen!!! That is all you need to say.
I usually just say that we homeschool to give our kids a better education. I don't think I have had anyone question that.
Here's our goals/reasons for homeschooling Homeschool Mission Statment by SonitaLewis, on Flickr I don't feel the need to defend my parenting decisions to anyone, but if someone is genuinely interested in why we choose to homeschool, I can offer a list of reasons a mile long. For us, it just seems like a natural part of parenting that the government has convinced parents they aren't qualified to see to. We're Christians, I don't want them indoctrinated with secular humanism 5 days a week that simply can't be undone by going to church on Sundays, I don't want them being taught bad morals and dumbed down curriculum, I don't want them forced into a box, I don't want their creativity squashed, I don't want them out alone in the world at such young ages, I don't want them to have to worry about bullying and guns when they should be worried about playing and learning, I don't agree with the public schools educational philosophy.... Homeschool graduates test higher, and as adults are happier, more involved in community and politics and less likely to be unemployed. http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/homeschoolinggrowsup.pdf
My number one reason is that I want to be the primary influence eon my children's lives. Then there's all the secondary reasons. Also you can just say..."why do I want to homeschool...because I can...why would I not want to homeschool. I love my kids." Etc etc etc
We chose to homeschool originally because my then 7th grader was struggling so much in school. He was having 4-5 hrs a night of homework and still bringing home D's and F's. And my younger son had a teacher that just didn't care and wasn't challenging my then 5th grader. Neither boy would ask questions in class, and now they don't have a choice to answer questions. There is no hiding behind the tall kid in front of them. LOL. We knew they could both do better,and deserved better. They needed an individual education plan and to move at their own pace. And they needed to know that I love them enough to want the very best for them, and will not settle for less when I know they are capable of giving so much more. Plus, add all the other reasons - learning poor behavior, being bullied and teased at times, not having time to be kids and play, not being able to learn about God in their daily studies, etc..... Not every textbook is right for every child, and we don't agree with everything taught in public school, especially at the upper levels. Plus, there are numerous history lessons that I want to teach the boys, that are not taught in school. The list is endless. I don't have any problem defending my reasons for homeschooling, because when I am done talking, everyone is just like wow. that is so awesome. Homeschool is not for everyone, but its the best decision we have ever made.
I disliked school and thought that a lot of what we did was busy work or wasted time. I had dreamed about homeschooling, but my husband was reluctant. My dd and I had many power struggles when she was small. It was hard to imagine that we could successfully homeschool. When my dd struggled with the structure of the privat school she attended in 4k, 5k and 1st grade, we began to homeschool her. Even my in-laws said a year later that it was good for her.
Oh we have so many good reasons for homeschooling I think that for us though the word "Freedom" sums up the majority of them - we're free to sleep in and start as late as we want, free to tailor education to each child, free to slow down or speed up as wanted/needed, free to teach our children our values. Mostly I just end up telling people that we really enjoy it, in the end it doesn't matter WHY we homeschool, what matters is that we are enjoying it.
