Why I Homeschool

It is always good to take time to remember why we do something that we've been doing a long time. I am beginning my 25th year of homeschooling. My first homeschooled child is now 29 years old and has a family of his own. I hope they will choose homeschooling for my lovely granddaughter. My youngest is entering her 11th grade year. It all started in the summer of 1985. That's 24 years ago! So why have I devoted almost a quarter of a century to doing this thing?

First, I believe God called me to do this. That's enough of an explanation right there. I also believe that God is calling all His people to remove their children from the public school system. It is not a compatible location for the upbringing of children who are His people. They are not mature enough to be salt and light to a hive of non-Christians. Instead, you find the rotten apples corrupting the good apples. Are there Christian teachers in public school? YES! And they should be there, plowing a hard field and trying to make headway. They are adults and can do this for a while. I bless them, and I pray for them.

Secondly, I believe that my children cannot receive a conservative education and mindset from public schooling or even from a traditional private school. No matter what I would say or do in the few hours after school, the hours and hours of inculcation into a liberal agenda would not be washed away. I had the opportunity this year to use a current edition of a text used in our public schools. It was so full of liberal nonsense and such. I thought it seemed obvious. However, to a child who has been told to learn what is in this textbook, the text was an hour a day of why wealth was bad, why white people are mean, global warming, and why only the liberal agenda can fix America. I felt like almost every statement had to be puncuated with a "yes, but...". Does the mindset of a textbook matter? Yes, unless you have the time and the energy to sift the entire thing daily and explain to your student why "yes, we can trust this part is true, but we can't trust that part." It's a very mixed message. So, I'll make better choices for my child, making sure the viewpoint is clearly conservative.

Yet, why not trust traditional private schools? Aren't they conservative? Again, we find a mixed bag. While some of the textbooks (and increasingly I've seen Christian schools select non-Christian texts based upon cost factors) may be Christian or conservative in viewpoint, many of the teachers are not educated as conservatives. They do not seem to know the dangers of a progressive party agenda, global warming, and such. They were educated in liberal colleges and soaked it all in and may not have found their way back.

Even now, upon occasion, I find myself having troubles accepting what I believe should be God's way but remembering that voice of my very liberal high school history teacher explaining the evils of conservatives. Decades later, he still causes me to doubt what I should know to be true.

Thirdly, I homeschool because I do not believe any available school provides the kind of education I want for my children. I have a solid classical education myself, and I don't know of any local schools who would require such a rigorous program.

Another reason I homeschool is because I believe I can design a program that meets each child's individual needs. I can strengthen their strengths and show them how to get past their weaknesses.

One final reason: schedule. By educating my child myself, I can have better control over my schedule. I know what the teacher assigned, when it was assigned, and how it has to be done. If we want to take a trip or participate in an activity, we can take a trip when it is convenient for us.

No other method of education has the strength and flexibility of home schooling done well. After 24 years and advising hundreds of parents & students, I can tell you my stance on home education is stronger than ever. And THAT's why I'm still at it.