Why We Homeschool - Year 2

I am always a season ahead. I would be lying if I didn't say that my kids costumes are already on their way from Japan for Halloween. Speaking of, always check shipping prices before you order from a new company, oi vey. We loved 4th of July, but going through my head the whole day? "What pie should I bake for Thanksgiving?"

So yeah, it's July 10th and I have spent the last two weeks combing through our new curriculum, planning worksheets and ideas for the subjects in which we are making our own curriculum, fine tuning our schedule, and going over our past school blog posts to prepare. I almost have everything printed, cut, ordered, and prepped through January, as we have a new student joining us somewhere around Thanksgiving and I know that my round the clock schedule will not work out as far as planning goes once he or she makes their debut! Add renovations to a new home and a move in two weeks to the mix, and I think I'm on the verge of insanity. Anyway, I was going through old posts and I found this! How far we have come in one year. So far in fact, that I want to take the time each summer to reflect on why we homeschool, and enjoy the posts in the future.

Before I begin, let me say, I have nothing against anyone who chooses any other form of education. There are some great private, public, and charter schools out there, and throughout the course of my education, I took advantage of all three options. My degree also happens to be in education, although I accepted my degree with my 2 month old daughter sitting in the stands, so I never got the chance to apply it...for pay, anyway!

Sidenote - that just prompted me to go through old pictures. Look how tired we are! PSA - newborns and finals do not mix!

 

 

 
So all of that aside...here are the top ten reasons we homeschool:

1. Accepting the call to instruct my children is rewarding. I love watching them grow on a day to day basis, and it adds an extra element of accountability for me, as well.
2. If we didn't homeschool, I would go to work once all the little ones were school age. My work would probably be at their school...teaching other kids. Makes no sense to me!
3. I have a pretty good grasp on the personality of one of my 2, almost 3, kids. She would be the one getting in trouble every day for talking. Or being too excited. Or pretending her desk is a car that she's fixing. So yeah, we will use these traits to aid in our learning, rather than suppress them!
4. Hearing "Mommy, are we schooling today? YAY!!!!" every morning is one of my favorite ways to start the day. Kids are better than most adults at giving useful feedback, and my kids reactions to year 1 of preschool and tot school definitely encourages me daily.
5. I am a morning person by nature. I am not, however, by... motherhood. I wake up around 6 each day, get a ton of stuff done before we start school, but am generally still in my pajamas and glasses through the first two workboxes we complete. Lunchtime is typically my "OK, time to look like a real person" deadline, and I don't want to be "that" mom that gets out of the student drop off line with knit slippers on. And you better believe that I am serious, people.
6. I love having the opportunity to work at my children's pace, rather than the state's ideas of what my child's pace should be. We have a 4 year old starting Kindergarten. She will be doing K level phonics and math, simply because she is ready and wants to, but will still be doing age appropriate activities for science, bible, etc. This means that NEXT year, she may be doing 1st grade phonics and Kindergarten science, and who knows? Maybe math gets too tough halfway through the year and we have to slow down and not start 1st grade math until she is almost done with first grade phonics. Strengths and weaknesses cannot be standardized.
7. Homeschooling involves my whole family. It truly takes a village. It has taught me to ask for help, to let go of what is unimportant in our schedules, and to branch out into the community for resources. Music, for example, is being outsourced. Thank God for piano academies! And auto correct, because apparently I spelled that wrong on my first two attempts.
8. Opportunity. Love it! We got to explore our community more in one year than I could have ever imagined. I would ask any and everyone if they were open to a mini field trip, and I kid you not, every business complied. A few invited our entire group, and provided us with amazing experiences. Like I said, it takes a village to raise a child. We love to learn through experience, rather than textbooks.
9. Our support group. I never knew when we decided to homeschool that the Lord would provide me with an amazing group of women who I know are now lifelong friends. We call one another, school together when possible, plan field trips and play dates together, and pray for each other as the Lord leads us to teach each one of His unique children. The kids, who range in age from 2-10 seem to have no problem encouraging one another and are so far from being negatively competitive with one another that it is refreshing for me to watch. Added bonus - if you ask each of them what they want to be when they grow up, you'll get some great answers. Oh, and double added bonus, none of them know what the "Harlem Shake" is or what "crop tops" are. Hoping it stays this way. Sometimes a little shelter isn't such a bad thing!
10. The most important reason we homeschool, same as last years post, is because it is the calling of the Lord on our family. And just as I've said already, He has a unique plan for each of us, and this happens to be ours, so we will accept it with open arms. And drooping eyelids. And a Michael's credit card. We go through a lot of glue.