Why we homeschool

Today is our first day of school.  We homeschool if you didn't know that.  I like to start at the beginning of August because it's hot and yucky here in August and by now our kids are bored and ready to get back to their routine.  If we start early like this then we can take more time off during the year and finish in May.  This our third year homeschooling and our kids are starting second grade, first grade, and  preschool.

Why do we homeschool?  Lots of people ask us this.  It probably wouldn't have been my first choice but as my husband and I prayed about our family we both felt like this what what God was asking us to do.  We are being obedient to God's plan for our family.  Here are some of the other reasons:

1.  We want our children's education to be God focused.  Our English curriculum talks about how God made words and our words are to be true, right etc.  I love this.  God is also the focus of our history and science and one of the subjects we study is the Bible.

2.  We want to be the main influence in our children's lives - not other kids or adults.

3.  We want our kids to have time for other activities.  We're usually done with school by noon at the latest.  If our kids were in public school they would get home around 2pm then have home work to do. I would never want my kids signed up for activities because I'd feel like I barely saw them or we just didn't have time.  Last year our kids took piano lessons and acting classes, did soccer, basketball, baseball, swim lessons, gymnastics, Awana, and we were involved in our home school group.  It was busy but fun and we had time for everything!

4.  We want our kids to be able to go at their own pace in school.  If they struggle or excel in a subject we can adjust.  Or if they love a subject we can spend more time on that.  Our second child has a December birthday and she would have had to wait until she was almost six to start kindergarten.  Because we homeschool I was able to start her the August she was four (almost five) and she was more than ready.

These are some of our reasons.  We have nothing against public school and don't judge anyone who makes that choice for their family.  Homeschooling is not for everyone and is not God's plan for every family.  We appreciate the friends and family that are supportive of our decision to homeschool.  I was kindof surprised by some of the judgement we got when we first started this.  How on earth could someone else tell me what was best for my kids?   I'M the one who is praying about it.  We aren't about pleasing people but obeying God and since this is what He asked of us, this is what we're gonna do.  I don't know long we will homeschool so will follow God's leading about that.  For now we are enjoying it (for the most part :)  and I'm looking forward to another year with our kids.

One of the most rewarding things I have ever done has been teaching our oldest two kids to read.  It's not rocket science and I used a book that told me what to do but I still felt awesome.  I did that!!  And they both read well!

We belong to a homeschool group and it has been such a great experience.  Our kids go to class every Friday.  This year our second grader will be doing a writing class that focuses on missionaries.  I'm teaching in our first grader's class and they are doing world geography, and our preschooler will be in an ABC based class.  Our homeschool group goes on field trips and last year we went to a dairy, visited a bakery at the supermarket, a pumpkin patch, and toured In-N-Out.  They also had a bowling party, a Fall party, a track meet, went to Magic Mountain, and had a snow day.  In the past we've also gone to the Monteray Aquarium.  Throughout the year the little kids were paired with older kids for Book Buddies and had reading time together each week.  The kids played games, learned the pledge, sang patriotic songs, did crafts, memorized verses, and enjoyed the year together.  At the end of the year they had an Open House where the kids performed songs and verses they'd memorized, and showed off their work from the year.  The friends our kids and I have made from this group have been such a blessing and we're looking forward to another year together.