Why I Choose Home School

Parents always seem so relieved and even quite enthused when it’s time for their kids to begin a new school year. And it hardly ever has anything to do with looking forward to the education experiences that will be provided for their children or the new skills that may be learned through those experiences. It almost always has to do with getting the kids out of the house each day so parents can have more time for other things or some similar line of thought.

I cannot identify at all with the general feeling held and displayed by many parents this time of year. I see no benefit in being separated from my children for the major portion of every weekday for months on end, having strangers teach them and look after their needs each day with little care for their special interests or concerns, having no control over the subject material they cover or the learning techniques they use or the regular influences of their daily environment, and missing out on all their major learning advances.

Why do I choose to homeschool, or rather, educate my children from home?  

This is something I have been asked several times before. 

My reasons for homeschooling are many. 

In brief, they include:

• ·          personal experience with public education

• ·          observation of those close to me throughout my life within the school system

• ·         having a child with special health concerns

• ·         not wanting to vaccinate

• ·         not wanting to be a part of any compulsory system in relation to being a parent

• ·         not having first control over the situations and environments that affect my children's learning

• ·         not trusting that the system has my children's best interests in mind

• ·         not trusting that my children will be cared for or protected

• ·         not agreeing with the common structures and ideals of the system

• ·         wanting my children to have a holistic educational experience

• ·         wanting them to learn through cooperation rather than competition

• ·         having a different idea about what type of socialization experiences are required for healthy and well rounded personality and emotional development

• ·         not wanting my kids subjected to religious attitudes and teachings that are prevalent in many areas

• ·         having a different idea of what subjects should be taught to them and in what way

• ·          having a different idea about how much time should be spent inside a classroom setting rather than in real world settings

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My decision has nothing to do with laziness (as has been suggested by some homeschool critics, I have heard). The research, preparation, and general effort that goes into ensuring my children experience the type of education and life learning that I believe they would most benefit from indicates something in great contrast to laziness.

And money is certainly not a deciding factor. Many people assume that if you are able to homeschool then you must be in a well off financial position. It’s true that it is not always easy or cheap to provide the things we want in our at home educational environment and since we are not frequently in the greatest financial shape there often is not enough money to do things exactly as we would prefer. Therefore we must often adjust our plan to better suit our finances...we make the extra effort because we know it is best to do so for our family.

To be clear, I certainly don't fit into any mainstream homeschooling group or label. For instance, many people that homeschool do so for religious reasons; to put a greater emphasis on religiously based curriculum/teachings. One of the reasons, as previously stated, that we homeschool is to keep our children away from strong religious leanings in their social and academic experiences.

I have never fit a common mold and I don't expect my children to either- if I am any influence on them at all.



To read more of my thoughts on education, please refer to the following essays that I have made available on my site Holistic Think! 

Personal Philosophy of Education
Alternative Education
The Holistic Learning Approach 

See more essays by visiting the home page of my website Holistic Think!