The Decision to Homeschool

The decisions that we make regarding the education of our children are important ones. When trying to decide between traditional school and home education, it is a good idea to talk to others who have had to make that decision in the past.

I stumbled upon homeschooling in the mid-1990’s. It was not as popular as it is today. I remember hearing about a family who homeschooled and wondering what was wrong with the kids that they couldn’t go to regular school. I thought it was odd that they didn’t go to school, and I imagined them suffering socially by being at the kitchen table all day. I had a misconception of what home education actually looked like. Home education has become more and more acceptable throughout the years. Supporters say that 1.5 million children in the United States are being taught at home; independent researchers put the figure closer to one million (http://members.iquest.net/~macihms/Education/acesat.html).
I have always been interested in education. I have a Bachelor’s degree in education because my plan was to teach in the school system. When my first-born was three years old, I started to teach her how to read. In six months, she was reading at a 2nd grade level. I was amazed, and I thought about how she would excel in all areas if we homeschooled her. Plus, since she was already reading, I couldn’t see putting her in preschool or kindergarten.

My husband still wasn’t sold on the idea. He was amazed at how well she learned to read, but he still felt like she might miss out on something if she didn’t attend traditional school. Then one day he was doing yard work, and a school bus dropped some kids off. They were pretty young. And my husband said that he heard the most vulgar language coming out of these kids’ mouths. It was so bad that it made his jaw drop. He immediately came in the house and said, “We are homeschooling.” And that is how we came to decide to homeschool.

Others have come to this decision in other ways. Some have mentioned wanting to homeschool because of educational gaps that were evident in their children. They felt their children were not being challenged academically and felt that the school system operated with low standards.

Some people decide to home educate their children because of a lack of discipline and supervision in the schools. With the increase of drugs and school shootings, it seems more people are considering home education. Some have said that even the Christian schools have become dumping grounds for discipline problems in the schools. Home education allows for a broader and richer educational experience, and the time spent with your child is precious.

Some people home educate their children because they do not agree with the anti-Christian values being taught in the schools. They want to teach their children what is real and true by allowing them to see the big picture by learning about the God who is left out of public education. They view home education as a godly calling to train their children up in the way they should go. They don’t want to relinquish this responsibility to the state.

For some, the decision to home educate their children is the very reason that others shy away from home education. It’s known as the “S” word…socialization. Whereas some people think that home education would stifle a child socially, others choose to home educate their children so that they can teach their children not to be so peer dependent and to be able to move at their own pace. Home education enables a child to grow up with less peer pressure and to think for themselves.

The decision to home educate your children really doesn’t have to be a lifetime commitment. Even though there are tremendous benefits to home education, it is not for everyone. What I always suggest to people who are considering this option is to try it for a year. If it doesn’t work for your family, you can always put them back in school. But you’ll never know until you try.