Why We Will Be Homeschooling

Since the time my hubby and I found out the prince would make an entrance to our lives, we have struggled with one decision. Would we send him to public school or homeschool? (Private school is out of the question in our area.) We don't want him to miss life lessons children learn in school, but every time I thought about sending him to school, I would start to panic. I have always been taught to trust my gut, but this is a decision that will affect him for the rest of his life.

Pirate Man

We decided that it was time to make the decision. If we want him to go to pre-school, it is almost time to start registering. It quickly became crunch time. My hubby and I analyzed our feelings about school, and were able to quickly come to the conclusion that our gut instinct was the right one.

I first want to discuss the things we find on most lists for pro-homeschooling. These items were no where on our list.

1. The avoidance of a schedule
2. Learning at his own pace
3. Religious views
4. To shelter him

In fact, we believe in the opposite of these. Here are our thoughts on homeschooling. 

1. It is important for children to learn routine and a schedule. Routines will follow our children in one form or another their whole lives. If they fail to learn routines and schedules, this will only hinder them when it is time for college or a job. 
2. Children learning at their own pace is a tricky one. Children learn differently; they should be stimulated and allowed to truly learn lessons- not just pass a test. I also believe that if we expect our children to succeed and have faith in their abilities, we are setting them up for success. 
3. My religious views have nothing to do with this decision, except for one issue. I don't want someone I barely know teaching my son their religious views, forcing their views on my family, or teaching him moral lessons. That is my job, as his parent. (Yes, this does still happen)
4. I don't want to shelter my son from cultural or social differences. (One of the reason I don't like private schools.) I do, however, believe I can do a better job at exposing him to social differences than schools can. The only thing I want to shelter him from (until he is older) is the evil in the world. Violence, war, and school shootings should never be discussed in an elementary school classroom. Period. 

The other issue my husband and I have discussed is socializing. We want him to learn to work well with others and build relationships. We came to a few conclusions regarding this. 

• School is for educating, not socializing and making friends; just like work is for working and not making friends. 
• My husband and I learned the most valuable lessons about relationships outside of schools. 
• We do have to make sure he is involved in organizations and activities that involve teamwork and fun socializing.

Being like Daddy!

These are not all of the reasons why we are going with homeschooling. These just happen to be the core reasons. We made this decision because it is what we believe to be best for our family. My husband and I will do whatever it takes to insure our son has all the opportunities available for success. This journey will not be easy, but the rewards will be great. I hope you follow along with our journey. 

I would love to know your reasons for the schooling decisions you have made.