not this cute anymore!I get asked this question a LOT. There are actually hundreds of reasons why I educate my kids at home... but to make things simple, here are my top TWO.
1. Time
Time is precious and the time my children would spend in school is just too long. It's not that I think going to school is a total waste of time, but it does take away a lot of their childhood. Although this had nothing to do with my decision, I recently found out that children in elementary schools in Vegas get 20 minutes of recess- 20 minutes of their 6+ hours in school! You only get to be a kid once and by homeschooling, I feel like I am giving my children the gift of time-- they are free to spend their time however they please. Riding bikes and painting is what they prefer to do right now... but as they get older, I hope they have the freedom to develop talents that they otherwise wouldn't be able to do if they were in a public school setting.
I am SO free with my own time as a mother. I don't answer to anyone else's clock. I don't have to chauffeur kids back and forth to school or plan my day around the bus schedule. I love being able to do what we want to do, when we want to do it. I believe I am more laid back as a mother because I don't feel rushed to get out the door... (although this does happen on an occasional Sunday morning!)
Family time is HUGE! I was standing in line at the grocery store at the end of the summer when I heard two women talking about how they can't wait for school to start so the kids will be "out of their hair." I understand why these are common feelings among some women, but my heart literally sank in my stomach. I LOVE being with my kids and I think they know how much I enjoy being around them. At least 90% of our day is spent together.. and family time is priceless to me. I think the school system takes a lot away from the family life.. not just during the days, but also in the evenings with homework. We have very little stresses or deadlines. We just get to learn together at home and it is such a bonding experience!
2. Learning
Education comes SO easy and naturally for children. They are brilliant little sponges just begging for more information. Learning should be exciting and thrilling! But it's hard to be passionate about something when you are sitting in a desk all day, (even when you have the best teacher in the world.) I believe that information sticks with them only when they are interested in what they are learning. Homeschooling allows the child to direct what they learn about and for how long. Some days we spend hours (literally) learning about bugs, stars, dinosaurs or whatever else happens to be of interest at the time. And my kids retain the information because they are usually fascinated with the subject. If they don't seem captivated, we move on to something else. Education can become dull when it's forced.. and I don't ever want my kids to be turned off to learning- especially when they get older.
I think most people find it odd that I homeschool. Many homeschooling moms have a negative outlook on the public school system-- usually from their own experience. I absolutely loved my school years and believe I did well. My grades were decent and college wasn't a struggle for me.. but my graduation day from BYU was not what I expected it to be. Instead of feeling proud of myself for all my hard work, I was very disappointed. All I could think about was how much I didn't learn. We all know my social skills were developed, but what about my character? I had just spent most of my life in school, but the information I retained was so little. That was the day I began my education... and I feel so blessed to be learning with my children, everyday.
DISCLAIMER: We decided to homeschool for very personal reasons-- basically because we knew it was right for our family and our children. I hope not to offend anyone because I know every situation is different and I do not judge parents who send their kids to school. Hopefully this sheds more light on homeschooling and how wonderful it can be. That doesn't mean it's easy!! Please don't think I sugarcoat it because it's a lot of work, but the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices.
1. Time
Time is precious and the time my children would spend in school is just too long. It's not that I think going to school is a total waste of time, but it does take away a lot of their childhood. Although this had nothing to do with my decision, I recently found out that children in elementary schools in Vegas get 20 minutes of recess- 20 minutes of their 6+ hours in school! You only get to be a kid once and by homeschooling, I feel like I am giving my children the gift of time-- they are free to spend their time however they please. Riding bikes and painting is what they prefer to do right now... but as they get older, I hope they have the freedom to develop talents that they otherwise wouldn't be able to do if they were in a public school setting.
I am SO free with my own time as a mother. I don't answer to anyone else's clock. I don't have to chauffeur kids back and forth to school or plan my day around the bus schedule. I love being able to do what we want to do, when we want to do it. I believe I am more laid back as a mother because I don't feel rushed to get out the door... (although this does happen on an occasional Sunday morning!)
Family time is HUGE! I was standing in line at the grocery store at the end of the summer when I heard two women talking about how they can't wait for school to start so the kids will be "out of their hair." I understand why these are common feelings among some women, but my heart literally sank in my stomach. I LOVE being with my kids and I think they know how much I enjoy being around them. At least 90% of our day is spent together.. and family time is priceless to me. I think the school system takes a lot away from the family life.. not just during the days, but also in the evenings with homework. We have very little stresses or deadlines. We just get to learn together at home and it is such a bonding experience!
2. Learning
Education comes SO easy and naturally for children. They are brilliant little sponges just begging for more information. Learning should be exciting and thrilling! But it's hard to be passionate about something when you are sitting in a desk all day, (even when you have the best teacher in the world.) I believe that information sticks with them only when they are interested in what they are learning. Homeschooling allows the child to direct what they learn about and for how long. Some days we spend hours (literally) learning about bugs, stars, dinosaurs or whatever else happens to be of interest at the time. And my kids retain the information because they are usually fascinated with the subject. If they don't seem captivated, we move on to something else. Education can become dull when it's forced.. and I don't ever want my kids to be turned off to learning- especially when they get older.
I think most people find it odd that I homeschool. Many homeschooling moms have a negative outlook on the public school system-- usually from their own experience. I absolutely loved my school years and believe I did well. My grades were decent and college wasn't a struggle for me.. but my graduation day from BYU was not what I expected it to be. Instead of feeling proud of myself for all my hard work, I was very disappointed. All I could think about was how much I didn't learn. We all know my social skills were developed, but what about my character? I had just spent most of my life in school, but the information I retained was so little. That was the day I began my education... and I feel so blessed to be learning with my children, everyday.
DISCLAIMER: We decided to homeschool for very personal reasons-- basically because we knew it was right for our family and our children. I hope not to offend anyone because I know every situation is different and I do not judge parents who send their kids to school. Hopefully this sheds more light on homeschooling and how wonderful it can be. That doesn't mean it's easy!! Please don't think I sugarcoat it because it's a lot of work, but the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices.
I am so interested in what you have to say and questions you have.. please comment! You can also email me @ janetleeshumway at gmail dot com I have lots of books to recommend and even more encouragement for those of you are thinking about homeschooling your kids!
PS. Happy Birthday, Annie Bateman!
Posts
12 comments:
I think that your awesome! I want to homeschool Brinley too, but this year, with all that is going on, i decided to put her in preschool. I felt that she needed something stable. I might be a little "out of it" for awhile, and I can help out in the class at any time. She loves it! I also do A LOT with her at home. She is way ahead of others her age, but she has always soaked up learning. Her mind is like Matt's, she remembers everything! I love it.
Thanks for sharing Janet, I really appreciate what you had to say, I can't remember having heard such a well put reasoning for homeschool. I wish that homeschool, public school mix could be more flexible. Right now Miriam goes to pre-school 3 days a week in the afternoon and I feel that is the perfect amount, it has definitely given me a lot to think about.
There CAN be a mix for older children, but not so much for the elementary school age. Many homeschooled high schoolers have the option to attend classes such as choir, track and field, as well as other core classes, but don't have to go all day. I hope my boys will have the option to go chose what they want to do and still have the "socialization." But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Amelia, what is the school system like in Scotland?
Janet, great remarks. No need for a disclaimer at all. You've got lucky kids.
I was so happy to read your comments! Those are some of my biggest reasons for homeschooling as well, and you put them into words so eloquently. I plan on writing a similar entry for my blog in the near future since I've been getting asked "why" all the time lately too. I'll try not to plagerize your words when I finally write about it. I "Ditto" your great post.
You go lady, you have wonderful, smart, loving, compassionate, funloving, warm, adorable boys. Whatever you're doing it's working. Keep it up!
Great post Jan. It seems too intimidating to me--and I don't know if I could really do it, but I'd really like to. :)
Your explaination makes perfect sense, I don't think you need the disclaimer either. I really admire your talent for being so patient and willing to learn with your children. I came/am still coming to the conclusion that my talents as a mom lie elsewhere in how I am able to bless their lives...and I've never felt that you judged me differently for sending my kids to school! :)
As the mother of 3 boys also, I'm wondering HOW you get anything else done? Like laundry, bills, cleaning, shopping...?! I think it must take an organized mom to manage regular life PLUS schooling. What is your secret? And do you think you could still homeschool if you were pregnant and sick, or had a newborn? (I have a 2 month old on my mind). Or is flexiblity one of those benefits of homeschooling? Either way, there's no doubt your kids look happy and smart as whips! Those boys are lucky be part of such a special family experience.
I'm just learning about the school system, but there are free preschool places for 3 and 4 year olds, and it is just constructive play, no lessons as such, which is just perfect. I have been really impressed so far...
I'm interested in the curriculum, if any, that you try to utlize. What I mean is, are there certain standards or portions of a subject that you teach them? Like, at the end of the year are there certain topics you've taught or is it all based on their interest? As a public school employee (I'm a school psychologist) I can definitely see the benefits of homeschooling. I've been in classes that are AMAZING because of the teacher, and I've been in some that seem like a complete waste of time because the teacher doesn't know what they're doing.
As far as "socialization" I really don't think public school is the only way to develop social skills--in fact, sometimes I wonder if it does just the opposite. Don't get me wrong, there are wonderful things about public school, but I think my inside view of the system often makes me critical of it all. I think you're amazing and I'm curious about how homeschooling all works. I'm not sure I have the personality for it, but I'd like to hear more about it.
I found your blog from Allison's site. I am another wife of a Gonzaga Law Grad. :-)
I read your thoughts on home-schooling and I found it very interesting. I have often pondered this subject, so I hope you do not mind that I commented.
I think if I had all boys I would home-school too. Public schools are really not geared for educating boys. I have 2 boys and I am very interested to see how my first handles kindergarten next year. I expect he will struggle with sitting still!
I am a strong supporter of home-schooling, I totally respect people who do it. The only reason (truly) that I do not--is something my dad told me long ago. He said, "What if we took all the "good kids" out of the school system, who would be left?" He also went on to tell me how we need to send our little beacons of light into the world to be a strength for good. Hearing his words of council, I very reluctantly let my children attend public school. Meanwhile, I pray that their lights will shine, and not be dimmed by the "realities" of life, and an often cruel world.
I really loved how you spoke of your family, and "letting them be little". I am a very happy Mother who stays home with my children to love and teach them. Being a Mother (and wife) is everything to me--I can tell it is everything to you.
I recently had a parent-teacher conference and I told my daughter's teacher that school is not a daycare for me. I am my child's first teacher and I consider school a bonus as far as education is concerned. I know that for many, school is a free daycare for them. I walk my daughter to school everyday and I watch the huge vans from daycare centers pull up and drop off a load of kids. Then they pick them up after school too--so sad!
I think public school can be a very good thing. I think if life is kept simple outside of work/school/church there can be so much quality time in a day spent together. I try to teach my children the importance of a strong family and that we come first before friends, even teachers, etc. I never send my children out into the world without praying together--it gives me great comfort to know they are in God's hands.
I can tell you are a great mother. I totally support your decision to home-school (even though you don't know me). I think it is so great. I am happy to know that there are other moms out there who love and cherish their family time and children as much as I do. It gives me great hope that there are happy homes full of love and family--little beacons of light in a disintegrating world.
Many thanks for your thoughtful insight! :-)
mari4u.blogspot.com
Post a Comment