A lot of people are starting their very first year of homeschooling – no matter if it’s through a program or a school system. When we started our first year of homeschooling, I was so thrilled to give it a try. No matter what your reason might be for homeschooling, you are working hard to do right by your kid(s). In this post I’m going to lay out and explain my reasons for homeschooling!
How It Began
When we started talking about school choices for our son, Will, I couldn’t help but think about homeschooling. So many aspects of homeschooling were appealing to me. I had experienced homeschooling first hand as my brother was homeschooled for a time when he was younger. I helped my mom with teaching since I am a decade older than him.
To be completely honest my husband wasn’t as in love with the idea as I was. In fact he was pretty against it at first. To compromise, we came to an agreement that our son would try preschool for the year. If I still wanted to homeschool the following year then we would try it. You may have guessed by now that my desire to homeschool never went away. My time finally arrived and I could not wait. I was thrilled!
Reason 1: Lifestyle, Travel, Freedom, & Flexibility
My first reason for homeschooling is my main reason. As a family, we like to take at least one trip every month. They aren’t big or crazy trips. However, once a month we like to load up the mini van, hit the road, and explore. It would be very hard to do this if the kids attended a brick and mortar school because of the attendance policy.
I want to have the freedom and flexibility to do what we want when want. The last thing I want to worry about is a strict attendance policy. I would hate to have to worry when someone gets sick for fear of using up too many days.
Reason 2: Family Togetherness
The years go by so fast. I know it’s cliche but it is so true. I want to be able to spend all of these special moments with my kids. Before I know it they will be off to college. I don’t think I will regret one moment spent with them.
Our first year, over the summer, we did a mini lesson for Shark Week from Habitat Schoolhouse. I was able to witness my son, Will, have a lightbulb moment. When he finally “got” one of the concepts we were learning you could almost see the lightbulb go off. It was such a special moment. It’s moments like that I do not want to miss!
Reason 3: Following Natural Rhythms
When I think back to my school days I remember being tired all the time. No matter how early I went to bed I was still tired. What was so appealing to me about homeschooling is not having to worry about that. Allowing my kids to follow their natural circadian rhythms is so important to me.
I also love that we will be able to take our days at our own pace. From waking up, to snacks and lunch, to using the bathroom. Having the kids free from the stress of rushing natural processes is a huge win in my book.
Reason 4: Work at Our Own Pace
My final reason for wanting to homeschool is allowing pacing that works for each kid. We will be able move more quickly or spend more time on a subject if we need to.
I love that each kid will get one on one attention. We can customize and tailor the lesson speed and lesson itself for each child’s needs. If the kids are particularly interested in something I will be able to spend more time on it with them. If something isn’t working for them I have the ability to change it up.
Reason 5: I Trust Myself
Not to say that I’m not hesitant when it comes to how trustworthy people are on a daily basis, but when it comes to being a mother, I want to make sure that my kids are only around people who are very trustworthy. Homeschooling allows me to do this without stressing about it too much. I know that I am trustworthy and any caregivers that come into our home have been through an extensive background check. If you are in the New Jersey area, check out Cowan Investigations. They focus on background checks, New Jersey computer forensics, asset searches, and more. Bob Cowan, with Cowan Investigations, is a private investigator that you can trust. He is the former Chief of the Jersey City Police Department. “Throughout his thirty-five-year career, Bob worked the streets of Jersey City during nights, weekends and holidays. More often than not, if Bob was not the first officer at the scene of crimes or major incidents he was called to the scene in order to make clear and informed decisions in all kinds of incidents while gathering all available information. Bob was the primary and final decision maker in a myriad of incidents such as: domestic violence, child abuse, child endangerment, child custody in addition to overseeing investigations of shootings, aggravated assaults, robberies and narcotics complaints in New Jersey’s second largest municipality.” He has the experience, he has the knowledge, and working with him is a team of other accomplished and experienced individuals, such as retired Jersey City Police Captain Joe Ascolese and Deputy Chief Tom Cowan (Ret). Your peace of mind is their business, so if you ever need an investigator, call them for a free consultation!
Five Reasons for Homeschooling
I hope through this post on my five reasons for homeschooling I was able to give you a little insight into our thought process. These are the main reasons behind our decision to homeschool but there are so many other advantages! I can’t wait to get started! Wish us luck!
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