When you hear the word “homeschooling,” you might think of a single mom who has to work two jobs and can’t find childcare, or an extremist cult that wants to keep their kids away from any outside influences. But homeschooling isn’t like that at all – it’s actually a great way for parents and children to learn together.
It can be hard to understand why some people homeschool their kids. Homeschooling is all about freedom and different ways of learning.
As a homeschooling mom, I’d love to share all the reasons we love homeschooling.
1. Homeschooling Allows Children to Learn at Their Own Pace.
This is very helpful for children at different levels for different subjects. In a public school, children usually move along with their grade level, even if they are struggling. With homeschooling, children can stay on a concept until they grasp it. This keeps children from falling behind by moving ahead in their lessons before they have learned prior concepts.
Your child might be in a level 1 reading curriculum and a level 3 math curriculum. That’s perfectly acceptable and normal with homeschooled children.
Homeschooling is great for kids who are gifted and can move along quickly through the material.
Many homeschooled children graduate early.
2. You Can Tailor Your Child’s Education to Their Interests and Passions.
My son loves science experiments and anything with wheels. I use this to structure his learning around things that interest him, which holds his attention and makes for an easy day where we have fun and learn together!
Maybe your child loves dolls. You could have them sort their dolls by hair color, count their dolls, or start with 10 and take 5 away for an impromptu math class. Kids love to learn when you cater to their interests!
If your child has a specific interest in a topic, they can explore it more deeply. Oftentimes, this leads children to discover what they want to do for their profession at an earlier age.
3. A Home-Based Learning Environment Will Give Your Kids Plenty of Time to Be Outside.
Kids need ample outdoor exploration and creative playtime. Many public schools have to limit this because of the length of time it takes to teach 25 kids with 10 different learning styles.
4. Peer Pressure is Not an Issue for Kids in Homeschooling Environments.
One of the things that terrified me most about sending my son to public school is the pressure he may face from his peers. I don’t want him to feel like he has to fit into a certain mold or participate in activities just because everyone else is doing it.
There is a common misconception that this is just a part of growing up. But it doesn’t have to be!
5. Homeschooled Children Do Not Have to Worry about Bullies.
The benefits of a home-learning environment allow them room for personal growth without feeling like they need to defend themselves all day long against taunts or attacks.
Suicide in teens is growing at a rapid rate and I have just heard way too many stories about bullying in school and over social media. I don’t want to subject my son to that if I can help it. Homeschooling gives me peace of mind that he won’t face those struggles.
6. Homeschooling Allows for a Very Flexible Schedule.
Remember those awful days of being tired from staying up late the night before to finish a science project only to be woken when it was still dark out to go to school again? Homeschooling allows for kids (AND PARENTS!) to sleep in whenever you want. We need freedom, not super strict schedules.
Some days we do school in the morning. If we want to go to the pool, we do school in the evenings – or just skip that day, because we can! Some days we go on a field trip. Some days, Grandma comes over and does an art class. It really is so flexible.
Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to plan vacations around Christmas Break and summer?
7. Homeschool Moms Don’t Have to Pack Lunches.
No more looking EVERYWHERE for the lunchbox that was left at school. No more late nights or early mornings rushing to get lunches packed.
Sitting down as a family to eat lunch is much easier and more fun!
8. Homeschooled Students Are More Likely To Go To College.
Studies show that homeschooled students are more likely than their traditionally schooled peers to go on to college or university, at rates higher than those for public-school graduates.
This may be because homeschoolers learn how to learn, rather than just relying on what they are taught in school.
9. Homeschooling Means More Time with Your Kids!
Homeschooling can be a great way to connect with your kids and learn more about them. I just didn’t like the idea of my son’s teacher getting to spend more time with him than I did – as his mother!
I had to go through fertility treatments to have my son. He is an only child and we waited years to have him. I want to soak up as much time with him as I can.
10. Homeschooling Helps Create Strong Family Relationships.
This can be accomplished in many ways, such as creating memories, learning together, and becoming a strong team.
11. The Pressure to Perform Well on Tests is Not Present for Homeschooled Kids.
Have you ever had your child cry because they froze taking a test and received a bad grade? That type of pressure is unnecessary.
In high school, in preparation for a test, I remember reading my notes 1 time and getting a 100%. I have a photographic memory, so it was easy for me.
My heart broke for a student in my class. He would study every evening for hours, only to get a failing grade on his test. I would have traded grades with him in a second. Seriously – I barely studied for my grade. I definitely didn’t retain the information. He studied to learn the material and “failed.”
12. Homeschool Moms Don’t Have to Get Their Kids on the Bus.
Can you imagine a world with no rushing out the door in the morning for fear of missing the 7:45 am bus?
Also, no more rushing home before the bus drop-off time or long pickup lines at the school!
You’ll get an hour back in your day.
13. Homeschooled Kids Do Not Face As Many Safety Concerns.
School shootings have been an unfortunate reality of public schools in recent years. When my son started getting closer to school age, I just couldn’t shake the fear of school shootings.
Another concern I had was sexual misconduct by school staff. I know that there is a very likely chance that he would be safe and nothing would ever happen. But what if? I would rather eliminate the worry completely.
14. Homeschooling Can Take Place Anywhere.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to not be tied to a school system location? We live in Ohio. Every single winter for as long as I remember, we’ve talked about going somewhere warm for the winter.
With our son getting closer to school age, we had to make a decision. Homeschooling was an easy decision for us. Now we have the freedom to travel when we want, without considering when our son will be off school. Here’s an article about how we became snowbirds and traveling homeschoolers!
One homeschool mom recently mentioned taking her kids to see the Rio Grande since they were learning about it in geography. How cool is that?! That is so much more fun and memorable than reading about it in a textbook.
15. You Get to Choose Your Child’s Curriculum.
You can teach your children at home with an interactive curriculum or you can give them books to read on their own. You can choose to “unschool”, take a more classical approach by studying literature, or select a Charlotte Mason approach if you have a hands-on student.
Since we are a traveling family, I selected a curriculum that is grab-and-go, so we can homeschool on the road. It is amazing!
There are curriculums for all different types of learners!
16. Parents Can Instill Their Values While Homeschooling.
I love that I am able to convey the importance of loving God, being kind, always being a friend (especially to those without friends), and many other values I hold as extremely important.
Other parents may have different values, but I think we can all agree that it is important to raise our children to hold our family’s values.
17. Homeschooling Helps Children Learn Every Day Life Skills.
There is such a focus in public schools on things that we may not need in our adult life. Do you remember memorizing the Period Table of Elements? What was the point of that?! Do you even remember more than 5 of them?
Wouldn’t that time have been more well-spent learning about personal finance, how to do laundry, and grocery shopping? That’s what homeschooling is like. At 5, my son knows how to pump gas, operate our washing machine, air up tires, use power tools (with adult supervisor, of course) and more!
He often gets complimented for being especially self-sufficient for his age.
18. Homeschooling Only Takes a Few Hours Each Day.
Many people think homeschooling takes as many hours each day as public schools. Not even close! Homeschooled children typically are done within 1-4 hours. Here is more information about how long homeschool takes and why it varies from public schools.
You can even count going to the zoo and library as school hours!
19. Homeschooling is So Much Fun!
My son and I have more fun together now than we ever did before he started school. We color and play games all the time, which helps him learn in a style that works for him. If you are struggling to try to think of ways homeschooling can be fun for your young child, here are some ideas.
There are many reasons why we love homeschooling – but most importantly, it has been beneficial for our whole family!
Lastly, this isn’t meant to criticize parents that send their children to public schools. NOT AT ALL! Most of my close friends and family send their kids to public schools. They are amazing parents with really smart and well-behaved kids.
But this blog post is about why WE love homeschooling. Not everyone has the ability to teach or is even interested in homeschooling and THAT’s OK! We should all parent our kids the best way we see fit.
Homeschooling is something that changed our lives for the better and I’m very passionate about sharing all the amazing benefits of homeschooling.
If you are interested in learning more about homeschooling, HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) is an excellent resource.
You can also check out your state’s regulations and talk to other homeschoolers in your area for advice.
Good luck on your journey!
