Why I want to home educate my children:

I am responsible before the Lord for the children He gives me. Responsible for their protection – physical, mental, and spiritual. I don’t feel I can adequately raise the children God has given me by sending them away for an average of 1,260 hours every year. That is well over 10,000 hours that I would be missing out on from grades K-12. To lead your child, you need to know your child. To know your child, you need time with your child. I don’t want to miss the time with my children.

Luke 6:40 says, the one who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

I am not handing my children over to multiple, random people to educate them – to shape their minds, character, and souls.

No one is better capable of educating my children than I am. Other teachers may be better trained in a specific subject area, but that’s not what makes someone best suited to teach. It’s knowing and loving the individual, and no one knows or loves our children more than we do.

Life is learning. Not a set time each day, set days of the week, and set months of the year. I want to live a life of learning with my children.

I want my children’s education to be tailored to their individual needs. Not a full classroom’s need. I can set the pace according to their speed of learning and adjust as needed.

I want to expose my children to a living-book curriculum as opposed to textbooks. I want to expose them to artists and composers and Shakespeare. I want them to learn poetry and hymns. I want to help them learn handicrafts and life skills. I want learning to be vast, enjoyable, and memorable.

Less stress. School would be waking up early to get ready, get out the door, then pickup time, and an evening of homework.

There was a time when our public schools were founded on Christian beliefs, but we are very far from that today. Just two generations ago Pilgrim’s Progress was included in school curriculum. Today it is questionable on whether or not prayer is allowed. God has been taken out of our schools. In many parts of our nation there is instead a heavy agenda to push our children far from biblical principles, some starting as young as kindergarten  

As parents, we are to act as shepherds of our children, the Lord’s sheep. We are their gatekeepers. We are called to lead and to guard, laying down our lives as protection for our children to ensure everything has first passed over us before getting to our children. We cannot do this when we are not only separated from our children for the majority of the day, but we are also handing them over to a very anti-God institution.

Homeschool allows more time together. I cannot imagine being separated for that many hours a day. I love and enjoy my children and realize our time together in this stage of life is short.

I want to be the one to experience the moments with them of seeing them learn something new. And I want to learn right along with them.

It’s not just about shaping their minds. It’s about shaping their souls and their character. That takes time of being together and investing your life into your children. I am so excited for the blessing of being able to do that.

I want them to love learning and know how to acquire information on something that interests them. Not learn how to cram for a test, get the grade, and without retaining the knowledge. I was a wonderful student – made the grades, graduated in both high school and college with honors, but remembered nothing. It was all to get the grade. I want more than that for my children.

My goals and priorities for them are no doubt different than the public school system.

My top and main goal for my children is their spiritual growth and knowledge of the Lord. It’s through that goal I will teach all things.

I don’t believe it’s natural (or good) to separate the bond of child and mother so soon.

I see children as growing plants, and I don’t believe it’s best or wise to expose them to the elements too soon. They need time of protected and nurtured growth.

I want to know what they are exposed to – in both education and environment. Sending them to school, surrounded by and exposed to things I wouldn’t choose, is the very last thing I want for my children.

I want my children reading more, outside more, playing more, living more than public school would allow.

I want my children together with their siblings more. Those relationships are for a lifetime. They will learn so much about relating to others through the constant relationships with their siblings. Why send them to school, separated for most of the day from their siblings, to build relationships with others who very few will be in their lives decades down the road?

The socialization concern for homeschool children is silly to me. When a child is in public school, they are secluded mostly to their own age group and mostly the same people, year after year. A child taught at home will learn to interact with all ages in many different environments. Additionally, there will be involvement in activities and events – there will be friends, possible co-ops, church, service ministries, and extra curricular activities. I think oftentimes it is the homeschooled child who is better socialized.

Freedom to discover and be who God crafted them individually to be without the pressure to fit into those around them. Bullying and peer pressure shape a person’s view of themselves. I want them to discover themselves – their strengths, views, and identity – apart from the current of the stream around them.

I feel, as their parent, it is my honor and privilege to know and teach the children God has blessed me with. I feel it’s my God-given duty. I cannot imagine just handing them over to the world to be shaped.

I want the time with my children to teach them work ethic. I want them to have opportunities to learn trades and skills. I would love to ask a local architect, electrician, craftsman, veterinarian, hairdresser, mechanic (the choices are endless) to allow my child to be an apprentice in their shop to learn what’s involved and see where their interests fall.

Will homeschooling be hard? No doubt it will be hard. It’s hard to swim upstream. It’s sanctifying to be with your children all day, but sanctifying is a very good thing. With a short-term view, it is easier to send your children away for so many hours a day. It’s harder to parent throughout the day. But you and your children will benefit immensely from it.