Last week I shared a little bit about how we homeschooled for preschool so this week I thought I’d share our why.
Decision making is HARD for me! I am incredibly indecisive and have an uncanny knack for seeing every single scenario that could maybe, possibly, no matter how unlikely happen. I am not a fan of this well-practiced skill. It makes scenarios like when I driving behind a log truck that perhaps a log will come loose, fly through my windshield, and impale everyone in the car simultaneously frequently cause me to use extra caution and say a few extra prayers. It’s also why I only sleep in pajamas I wouldn’t mind going to the hospital in or standing in the yard in if our house catches on fire in the night…. I genuinely wish I was joking about those examples, but unfortunately I’m not!
With this lovely skill, it makes decision making a serious and lengthy process. Before our oldest was even born I knew that homeschooling was something I wanted to strongly consider though. Knowing that my husband isn’t exactly a quick decision maker either, I frequently brought it up so he wouldn’t be surprised. (Side note: Just in case you were wondering, two indecisive people make for an interesting time during this home remodel!)
He went to public school so he hadn’t given much thought to any other options. Since I would be the one doing the teaching, Jack’s opinion was that as long as I was willing to reevaluate our schooling choice each year, then he was fine with giving homeschooling a chance!
I, on the other hand, was lucky enough to experience both public school and homeschooling! I really think that living out the pros and cons of both methods really helped me know what I wanted for our kids.
Before I go any farther, let me make it super clear that even though this post is pro-homeschooling, I am in NO WAY anti-public school. Public school is a great option for lots of families and could one day be what we decide is best for us. My “why” has nothing against public school in general.
I was one of those kids who genuinely liked school. I went to public school through 7th grade and then homeschooled from 8th grade until I graduated. Until 7th grade, I had no real complaints about public school… although in reality, who genuinely enjoys that awkward stage that hits around that time so I can’t blame it ALL on the schooling choice!
Anyway, my mom pulled my siblings and I out of school to teach us at home I was THRILLED! (Some of my siblings were not, but that’s another story!) In my opinion, my parents gave me so many great opportunities by choosing to pull us out when they did.
I know a big hesitation with homeschooling is that they’ll be too sheltered. I completely understand the concern, but what if we’re looking at it the wrong way? What if instead of sheltering them, we offer them protection? I personally don’t know anyone who homeschools and completely shelters their kids, but I have seen kids given the chance to be who THEY are instead of influenced constantly by their peers.
Remember how I mentioned that awkward stage a few paragraphs earlier? Well when you’re not surrounded by kids your own age all day long (who are also trying to figure out who they are) it turns out you get the time to decide who you want to be on your own with SIGNIFICANTLY less peer pressure. For me, that meant that instead of the constant pressure to fit in I got to slow down, figure out my own style (or lack there of… have you seen pictures of me in middle school!?), develop my own personality, and hear God’s guidance so much easier than it was for me in public school. I’m a follower by nature and it can still be hard for me to decide if I like something because someone else likes it or if I actually like it, so how much harder is it for our kids?
Another benefit of homeschooling for me was the opportunity it gave me to work ahead if a new concept came easily, but also to take my time on the things I didn’t grasp yet… though the many, many hours a day my mom spent with me as we tried to figure out Algebra may have had her wishing she could send me back to school! Obviously she did pretty good though since I was able to go on and tutor college algebra a few years later!
Even though Jackson is only just starting first grade and Lydia’s in preschool, I can already see this being a benefit for us! Jackson really struggled with math at the beginning of the year so we were able to add in games and extra practice until he grasped it and we could move on. Lydia also learns completely differently than Jackson does. Since there are only two of them doing school at the moment, I’m able to tailor her learning style towards what she needs and now she’s doing so much better!
*PAUSE!!! Before I mention this next reason I love homeschooling, I know this is totally possible if your kids are in public school. Please don’t think I’m saying otherwise… ok, you may proceed.*
My sister and I have been best friends since long before we were homeschooled, but when you get to spend all day, every day with the same people it allows you so many more opportunities to strengthen some of the most important relationships in our lives! Instead of my sister and I drifting apart as we became teenagers and made different friends, we grew even closer. We are total opposites in so many ways, but I never could’ve made it through some of the hard things we’ve experienced if I didn’t have her alongside me!
My parents did a great job encouraging us to be there for each other. Some of my favorite memories are going over Bible lessons with my mom and sister in the evenings, learning how to make grocery lists and budgets as we shopped together every week, impromptu photo shoots, and taking breaks from our school to listen to music with my sister because she always found the best songs. Doing school at home solidified the best-friend status that my sister has held pretty much since she was born. It gave me opportunities to talk to my mom when I might would’ve sought advice somewhere else if she wasn’t right there. It even gave me the opportunity to teach my baby sister sign language and then later help her and my baby brother when they started kindergarten (by the way, I was a TERRIBLE kindergarten “teacher” then… sorry, Mom!)
When we found out we were pregnant with our second baby, we started talking more about what we wanted our family dynamic to be. It was incredibly important to both of us that our kids grew up as friends. We both loved being with our siblings and wanted that for our kids as well.
The easiest way I knew to do that was to encourage their relationship. So we decided to prioritize family over other relationships (except Christ). With Jack working so much, sometimes this means letting the kids stay up late so he could tell them one of his famous bedtime stories or choosing to be in a stifling hot house while he works so we can be around him (can you tell I’m ready for AC at the new house!?). It also means that everyday we encourage our kids to play together, to help each other, and to be kind.
I’m sure we’ll have to work harder at it as they get older… I promise I’m not naive to think otherwise, but currently Jackson and Lydia are inseparable and have been since Lydia was born. Susannah is quite possibly the most adored baby in history and thankfully we’ve had more joy than jealousy each time we added a family member. I love that when they’re apart, they’re constantly checking on the other siblings and can’t wait to get back to them.
How much easier will it be to encourage their friendship if they spend the majority of their days together? If the bulk of their memories include each other instead of friends that are constantly changing? If we expect sibling friendships instead of normalizing sibling rivalry?
When you have the flexibility that homeschool allows for, that also means you can take vacations or field trips (pre-corona) when everyone else is in school! Yay for less crowds and better pricing! It also means being able to start school in July when it’s so hot then take time off in the fall when we want to be outside every day or even take the whole month of December off to celebrate ALL the Christmas!
You can also add in learning that interests your child specifically in ways they might not have the time for if they’re sitting in a class room most of the day. Last year Jackson was obsessed with bugs so we took the time to read every bug book we could get our hands on, read a bug encyclopedia for fun (his fun… though I’ve come around now), and spent months collecting pictures of every bug we could find. He loved it and we all honestly learned so much!
When I was homeschooled, I was able to do things like take my school down to the stables and stop to watch goats give birth before finishing my lesson. I had plenty of time to bake all sorts of new cupcake recipes, knit little baby hats, and learn a new instrument because I was able to finish school so much faster than in public school… this also meant I was able to get a job that wouldn’t have been an option for me if I’d been in public school (fun fact: it was at this adorable little paint and gift shop where the cutest boy also worked in the afternoons when he got out of school. His parents’ owned the store and now that boy is my husband!)
I know that’s a lot of information, but I’m super passionate about this! I could genuinely talk for hours about why I love it so much! That being said, homeschooling isn’t for everyone. It might not even always be the right choice for us, but right now it’s working and I absolutely love it!
