When I started homeschooling I only knew one other person that was doing it. I had a penpal in another state that introduced me to the idea and I started reading about it. I can't even truthfully remember what reasons I gave for wanting to homeschool at the time. Probably some academic and some not. I remember watching a neighbor girl get on the school bus before my oldest was old enough and feeling so sad about it and couldn't even imagine sending my daughter on the bus the next year.............
Fast forward 7 years. I now homeschool without a doubt out of conviction. I think the next time someone says to me, "Oh! You homeschool? That must be fun!" I am going to laugh right in their face. FUN? I don't want to say it isn't ever fun....but for the most part it is WORK! It seems to me that most people that don't homeschool out of conviction don't do it for very long (not a hard and fast rule...but for the people I know). I think you really have to be committed to it and for me it is a conviction that keeps me going. Otherwise there have been many times I would have thrown in the towel and sent the kids on the big yellow bus!
Spunky said
I graduated in the top ten percent of my class from an "excellenet" school and yet I felt I was poorly educated. I had never read a "great book" and my understanding of both US and World History was pathetic.
I just wanted to comment on this.... I took honors classes (they didn't call them that but we had levels on I was in top level classes) in high school. I was an underachiever and maintained decent grades and excellent grades when I applied myself. I always believed that I had a good education. I even did well in college. I didn't realize until I began homeschooling my children how much I didn't know. I really had NO concept of anything that had happened in history at all. I had learned how to memorize, spit back and forget....is this education? or test passing?
I love learning right alongside my children. I also want my children to have firm Biblical roots in everything that we do. I love being able to start our day with prayer and devotions.....and to be able to study science from a Biblical point of view. I love being able to choose the best literature for my children and to allow each child to learn in their own way (something I am learning now!).
My 5 year old son is a bundle of energy. He would be heading to Kindergarten in the fall and I can just imagine the phone calls I would be getting from the school if they tried to make him sit all day long(well it would only be a half a day) There is no question in my mind that he is a kinesthetic learner. If he were to go to school I don't think he would be there a month before a teacher would be suggesting Ritalin for him. (sometimes I wish I had a bit of sedative for him....)
So those are my thoughts on that for today.
