5 More great reasons to homeschool

This past week I was asked by a young mum about homeschooling. She and her husband are thinking about it for their family and I realised afresh that there are just so many benefits and advantages that we love. In fact, I can’t imagine not growing with our children and being inextricably intertwined with their learning and life experiences…

Of course there are days when overwhelm, the busyness of life, or the exhaustion of daily routine feel too much. But those days are truly few and far between. It is far more common for me to find myself taking a deep breath and feeling so grateful for the privilege of raising such fabulous people.

So here are 5 MORE great reasons to homeschool… you can read about the first 5 reasons here!

For many families, homeschooling is chosen because they want their children to experience childhood in the context of real life. Including our children in everyday activities like shopping, going to the library, visiting family, running errands, and doing the daily responsibilities at home teaches them so much!

Meeting people, engaging in conversations with adults, and learning through normal life has so many advantages. Our children are not disconnected from society (as some would think they are!), they are actually living their childhood actively engaged in society.

Homeschooling provides the opportunity to observe life and then to participate in it in an age-appropriate way. Instead of being in a controlled microcosm of the world, children who are homeschooled are learning skills through real life experiences and relationships.

All parents have the responsibility to raise children who are polite, kind, loving, and considerate. This is far easier said than done! But I do believe that homeschooling helps because we can nip negative or harmful behaviours in the bud.

When we are around our children every day, we are hearing their language, seeing their attitudes, and able to follow up straight away with wrong behaviours. We can also take time to talk about the long term consequences of habits and attitudes.

Homeschooling also gives us more time to build strong relationships with our children. This is the foundation of healthy discipline and effective communication. We are able to speak into our children’s lives and encourage them to mature and change. Our Christian faith plays a big role in providing a firm foundation and context for appropriate behaviour.

I remember when I was a school teacher and had to rush off to work every morning. Being able to stay home with our children has been one of the biggest blessings in my life! It means we can live a ‘one piece’ life, not pulled in so many directions outside of the home.

How wonderful it is to begin each day at a pace that suits us! We can take it easy and have a long breakfast, or all get going and launch into school work. No two days look the same and, even for a routine person (like me) this is a blessing! We can create a rhythm that works for us but has enough flex to adjust for the needs of each day.

I am also so grateful for the freedom to plan holidays in term times, to take Sabbath weeks, and to follow the ebbs and flows of family life. Although it’s never great to have sick children, I’ve learnt to accept that there are times when we all need to slow down and recoup. This is made easier by the fact that we are in charge of our schedule and activities so we can take a break until everyone’s feeling better!

When my daughter turned 18 a few weeks ago, I had the chance to reflect on our parenting journey. One thing that stood out to me was the gift of a long childhood and I think homeschooling has been a big part of that.

Sam and I take our parenting role very seriously. We have always tried to raise our children with intentionality, not on a whim. Setting our own pace as a family has meant that we have been able to help our children grow at their own rate.

Our eldest has definitely taken her time, and for that I am so grateful! Our eldest son is more eager to explore his options and experience new things, but for both personalities, I feel that we’ve made the most of their childhood.

We’ve been by their side to talk through things our teenagers are processing and working through. We’ve tried to scaffold their growth and to be proactive in discussing real life issues. And I am so grateful for their honesty and grace towards us as parents as we muddle through and learn right alongside them!

Having a large family has helped with this, too. I am so excited to watch our middle children grow and to make time to focus on their learning through their teen years. I know now that the journey to adulthood is a wonderful stage of life. It is not to be feared or held at arm’s length. Every child is unique, but knowing them so well means we’re able to call out their strengths and be their loudest cheerleaders!

Over the past two years, our homeschooling journey has been quite different. Our daughter has been taking classes with Open Access College to gain her Certificate of Education (SACE). This has been such a steep learning curve for all of us!

Through the process of her external study, we’ve discovered that homeschooling has actually prepared her well for the route that she is planning to take beyond school. She has had to complete some compulsory subjects but these have only served to remind us all how thankful we are to be outside the school system!

We are planning a slightly different route for our next oldest child. He enrolled in Inventorium and is enjoying it so far. Our next son is more likely to follow a trade path to suit his practical skill set.

Traditional schooling can provide good support for career choices, but in the homeschool sphere, things are done a bit differently! I am grateful for older mums who have gone before us and who have shared their experiences and advice openly and honestly. It’s so important to have wisdom and words of encouragement because we want to offer our children the best opportunities.

Within our home, Sam and I have sought to stay one step ahead by spending time talking regularly and praying for our children. It is vital that we are on the same page and in agreement in our parenting.

Practically, we have focussed on helping our children find their own path by:

If you are considering homeschooling, remember that no one’s journey looks the same!

Every family is different, so your homeschooling will reflect the values and priorities of your home. It’s easy to look at those around us and question our own decisions (and sometimes this is necessary!) but often it can be a distraction or a discouragement.

If you’re not sure about the right path for your children, pray and ask the Lord to guide and lead you. He knows what’s best for you and loves the children he’s entrusted to us even more than we do!

Finally, be confident and brave!

If homeschooling feels like it could be right for you, give it a go! It may just be one of the best decisions you ever make.