Why We Chose to Homeschool

No matter why you chose to homeschool, it becomes more than just a choice. It becomes a way of life.

I still remember the first time I told someone we were planning on homeschooling. The look of sheer terror came over the person’s eyes, and I could tell they had no clue how to respond. If I was honest, I didn’t know how to respond either. Yet, I felt deep down in my heart that God was calling me to do it. This is the biggest reason we chose to homeschool.

Homeschooling, was never on my radar growing up I was going to be a teacher! This had been my plan since I was a small child.    I always loved kids and taught Sunday school at my church when I was a teen. I loved to teach! When I had my oldest, the plan was to finish college and start my career (outside the home) but, our plans didn’t work out the way we had in mind, and I ended up being a work at home mom.

I LOVED my job as an in-home childcare provider. It allowed me to teach and allowed me to earn an income. Yet, homeschooling was still not on my radar, and I still planned on one day teaching in the public school system.

Then, when my middle was still a baby, I begin to feel a nudge from the Lord. I had been introduced to homeschooling by an awesome family in our church. However, I felt like I was not equipped to teach my kids everything they needed to know. After all, I didn’t finish college!

So, when my oldest was the tender age of 4, we sent her to preschool.  This was such an eye-opening experience for me. She already knew everything they were teaching her! She was so bored. Did she like school? Sure! She liked playing with her friends but she did not understand why she wasn’t home with me and the other kids. We were playing games, doing arts and crafts, and having fun here, why couldn’t she? I began asking myself the same question.

I pulled her out over Christmas break. My husband still wasn’t sold on homeschooling but the Lord had been urging him too. So, he said that if I could teach her to read, then I could homeschool. That was the deal. Within a few weeks, she was reading. Teaching your child to read is such an amazing accomplishment. There is something about seeing their eyes light up that makes you realize you are capable of doing this! My family thought I was nuts, some of my friends thought I was nuts and sometimes I thought I was nuts. But still, that nagging in the back of my head telling me that I was doing the right thing kept me going!

Our first day of “homeschooling” was January 4^th, 2010, and we have never looked back. Now, we have so many other reasons why we LOVE homeschooling. We started because the Lord laid it on our heart, but we are finishing for that reason and SO much more.

One of the beautiful things about homeschooling is that no matter WHY you CHOSE to homeschool, you will find at least another dozen or so reasons to CONTINUE homeschooling. Homeschooling becomes a way of life, and SO much more than just a choice.

Why did you CHOOSE to homeschool?