homeschoolers: what is your main reason for homeschooling?

[foxbridgeacademy]

We are totally secular but that doesn't mean I don't have a problem with my children being exposed to bad influences. My definition of "bad" might just differ from someone with a Christian perspective.

 

As for my number 1 reason (I have lots of them) to homeschool..... I did not want my children being "raised" by people I don't know and don't trust. That is essentially what we do when we send our children off to be educated by the state. They will spend 6-8 hours a day with a group of people I know nothing about. Whether they be other children, their teacher, the lunchlady, or in administration, these people's behavior and ideas will become the basis of my child's moral group.

[Parker Martin]

Main and beginning reason was to provide a superior, individualized education.

 

Now equally important reason is dislike of the popular culture into which public school children are socialized. (Extended adolescence, materialism, "hotness", relativism, etc.)

[Mommy22alyns]

Individualized education to meet their needs and strengths.

 

Dissatisfaction with the state of public schools (and living in a low-ranked state overall).

 

Ability for my girls to be themselves and not have to conform to a certain style.

 

Ability to choose the influences for my children.

[mom2scouts]

My son was extremely unhappy and stressed in school. He had a teacher who yelled much of the time and classmates who made fun of him. He is very bright but also shy and would go for days without having anyone talk to him. When he would try to talk to his classmates about his interest in animals or Star Wars, they would make fun of him because of extensive knowledge about both subjects. He was in first grade and started peeing in his pants, crying after school everyday and developing tics. His teacher had less knowledge on certain subjects than my son did and I knew I could do a better job with less stress for the whole family.

[jewellsmommy]

1. It's God's will for our family.

2. We can provide the academic rigor and challenge that can't be found in govt. schools.

3. We can customize the curriculum and teaching to each child's learning style.

4. We don't like having their time wasted.

5. We like being around our kids. They're fun.:)

 

e.t.a. To clarify, we didn't pull our kids from P.S. We never, ever gave PS any consideration whatsoever. We planned from day 1 to homeschool all our kids.

 

 

 

Yep. What he said. :iagree: :D

[jewellsmommy]

 

6. Why NOT homeschool? Why should sending children to public school be the default position? For most of human history, most children haven't gone to school.

 

 

Exactly! It seems as though home schooling is often viewed as 'the fallback plan.' :glare:

[mom4him]

I am just curious what motivates people for doing it. I am neither against it or for it necessarily, just wondering what makes someone pull their child from public school to teach them at home. I have known several friends who have done it, but they were strict christians who were worried about bad associates at school. so if you're not one of those strict christians, why do you do it?

 

I am a Christian and that is part of my reason but it goes way past that. My older dc went to public school. I started hs our then youngest when he was a 7th grader. The next year my dd was a senior and just before Christmas came to me and asked to be home schooled. I was very skeptical as she was going to graduate that spring. After much discussion I pulled her and we started. I was truly shocked. She could NOT construct a sentence say nothing of a paragraph. When we were blessed with our two youngest I KNEW from the start that I would home school. I haven't done a perfect job by any means but I know that scholastically they are better off than they would be in ps AND they don't have the influences that both the curriculum and some kids would bring into their lives. They work very diligently 3+ hrs and they are done with their 'school' work. They then have the rest of the day for other positive learnings. I choose the curriculum they use and can tweak it to what they really need. We spend time together and they never seem to tire of spending that time together and with me. They are their best friends. Truthfully the list simply goes on and on.

[justamouse]

Classical education. And once we got started, the whole family lifestyle.

 

Main and beginning reason was to provide a superior, individualized education.

 

Now equally important reason is dislike of the popular culture into which public school children are socialized. (Extended adolescence, materialism, "hotness", relativism, etc.)

 

:iagree:

 

It's such a myriad of reasons, but now, after all these years, this.

[dirty ethel rackham]

We are Christian, but religious reasons are not our main motivation. We did it for academic and social reasons. My kids never went to school as I "saw the light" when my oldest was preschool age. I knew that if he went to school, he would have trouble fitting in because he was so passionate about learning or he would dumb himself down. Also, because he was such and eager, gung-ho learner and a sensitive kid, he would have been a target for bullies. Since I was bullied for years, I knew way too much about it.

 

Since adding my other two to the mix, we love that we can provide a customized academic program and a positive learning environment.

[Rosie_0801]

My kids won't be going to school because I like to have the power to deal with my responsibilities. If I send the kids to school, I retain the responsibility, but most of the power is handed over to a system where no one is officially qualified to change it. I don't see much virtue in bashing my head against a brick wall, so I shan't.

 

In the early years, I think they are too little to be sent off to fend for themselves.

 

In high school, a flexible schedule should allow my kids to work, not at an after school, chicken shop job, but a junior admin position or something that will actually build a resume. We're in Australia, and that really matters.

 

And these days there is so much teaching to the test that instruction is even more disjointed than it was when I was at school. That was bad enough. :glare:

 

As far as religion is concerned, we are secular homeschoolers who value religious instruction and expect it to be one of our core subjects. I expect writing that up will be jolly fun.

 

Rosie

Edited November 20, 2011 by Rosie_0801

[2_girls_mommy]

I want the best education available for my kiddos. Good private/prep schools are out of our price range. Hsing it was/is.

[CalicoKat]

For the past three weeks my public schooled nieces & nephews have spent one week studying for the standardized tests, the 2nd week taking the standarddized tests, and the 3rd week they're recouping from taking standardized tests. No teaching time for new material. They're watching movies & playing games instead. It's not academic games or movies either.

 

The local public school takes this particular standardized test twice a year. That's 6 weeks without any new material being taught. They also have a couple other different standardized tests they take too. At least 6 to 12 weeks a year there's no teaching happening!

 

I homeschool so that my children will receive an education.

[mcconnellboys]

My oldest was in a private school, but I pulled him because his twice gifted needs weren't being met and I had no remaining illusions that they would ever be met at the point I pulled him. As the years unfolded, I became more unhappy with organized schooling (at least in our town) and pulled the youngest when he started first grade so that we could all do things together, both in homeschooling and as a family. I was not unhappy with the his particular school situation, but it was hampering our lives as he moved into full day schooling....

 

The oldest decided to retun to school as a sophomore, but I have continued to hs the youngest. He will make a decision at some point about whether to return to school or stay with me....

 

I don't think you have to be a Christian in order to worry about the "poor associations" one makes in public schools. Unless you're in a very affluent area, full of terrific, moral families, nearly any school is going to provide you with things you don't want to see your child exposed to as they grow up....

 

I guess I'm wondering why you would choose this forum to post such a first question upon joining? Most who classically homeschool are pretty committed to academics, so knowing that this is a classical homeschooling forum (although many of us here do NOT use that model) it seems that you could guess what the majority of your answers would involve....

[momma aimee]

We the parents have the moral and legal obligation to craft, mold, and guide our children into adulthood as functional, ethical, moral and productive people ready and willing to serve God’s Glory and to be productive members of their community and good men / fathers and husbands. Trustworthy, successful, and competent. Deuteronomy 6:7 “You shall diligently teach your children My words as you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.â€

We can, and should, use all resources available to us, such as the state school system, but the end result the responsibility is ours alone. The education of our children is our mandate from God who blessed us with the children, and to Him alone are we ultimately accountable, and to our grandchildren. This not a burden we can, or would choose to, hand off to any other individual or organization.

It is wise to remember that Modern institutional education began only in the last 100 years in American and that this great country was founded through the efforts of those who were schooled at home or in one-room schools; at the time the norm and the expectation for all education. It is also important to remember that Home-educated students typically score 15-30% points above public-schooled students on standardized academic achievement tests. Our intent is for our children to excel when considered with their peers and it is our duty as parents to give them every means necessary to do so.

While we are teaching our children to study, research, and write, we need to remember that they are establishing and perfecting tools that they will one day use to God’s glory. Both tools of knowledge and academic skill as well as tools of faith. Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.â€

Socialization:

• Young children are impressionable; we the parents are morally obligated to ensure that the models the children are impressed upon by are worthy.
  
• Children should not be expected to exercise sound judgment regarding actions and associations independently until they are of an age to be able to make such moral decisions.
  
• The family must be the most important circle for children till they reach the age of accountability and can be a motivational force within their peer group.
  
• You cannot effectively compensate for 30+ hours/week of a humanist worldview with a few hours at home when the child is already tired or emotionally done. The influence of the school system on young children is a very serious thing.
  
• It is very difficult, even impossible, to tell a child the MUST listen to an adult (teach or other) then to tell them NOT to listen / believe certain things that person says, or not to trust that adult or believe him / her on certain issues. That is an unfair situation to place a child in; and will effect child ability to learn anything in that situation.
  

Goals of Education:

• Generally:
  
  • 
    
    • To facilitate an education developing the ability to locate, understand and utilize needed information. To be a fully functional productive member of society that is able to think for ones self and make sound choices and demonstrate the ablity to reason and evaluate data and arguments.
      

  [*]Specifically

• To read well, critically, for comprehension and for joy. To be able to find and expertly use reading to gather needed information on any topic
  
• To learn to research and gather information and data confidently and quickly. While evaluating the gathered information for validity and relevance and “trustableâ€.
  
• To be a critical consumer of pop culture and the media. To evaluate bias and its effects data offered.
  
• Confidently express self well orally and in writing, present information clearly and persuasively when necessary
  
• Be able to successful use a variety of math skills in daily life and for complex reasoning.
  
• To be able to engage in complex reasoning and use advanced logic in life and professional / academic endeavors
  
• Enjoy Art and Music and Lit for its intrinsic beauty as well as understanding how it fits into history and expresses and reflects the time period of its creation, as well as how it makes God visible in our daily lives. To recognize and appreciate universal truths.
  
• Understand history and politics so as to be able to make critical choices and make sense of current events with the end of being a fully participatory member of the electorate and the body politic personally if necessary.
  
• To understand the scope of science to an extent that allows for an understanding of current event and the working of the world around us. Also to allow for recognition of and respect for God’s inherent design in all.
  
• To understand the human body, its form and functions and care. To make wise personal choices in lifestyle and personal behavior. To be an educated and wise consume of health care.
  
• To build a solid foundation in faith and the Word of God. Both as it speaks to our lives in matters of personal choice and faith, and also as Lit and History.
  
• To be aware of other world religions / schools of thought / faiths. To compare and contrast them with our faith, and with each other. With an eye towards being able to understand others, live tolerantly and to understand world history and politics and current events more completely.
  

Other:

• No fear of bullies on the playground or being disgraced in front of our social group (class) when you struggle with a subject
  
• No opportunity to fly under the radar and get by with out truly accomplishing a task or learning information or skill
  
• Expectations
  
  • 
    
    • Age / dev app – not sitting quiet all day at age 5
      
    • Achievement – higher personal goals, not dictated by the average of a class of 30 (or even 20)
      

https://scribinglife.wordpress.com/education/family-education-mission-statment/

[nono]

I'm an older Mom who left the corporate world to adopt my children and be a full-time Mother to them. We've had many homeschoolers in our family, so it wasn't such a big deal for us to choose this as our path.

 

In all honesty, for us, we didn't feel like conforming to a school calendar. Yep, you read that right. The decision includes MY needs and my husband's needs. If one decides to send his/her children to school, he/she must comply with the calendar, etc. Join a group, and follow the rules. I believe that, and I wasn't willing to make the commitment. Therefore, I had to step up and do the teaching, so we could have the calendar and lifestyle we wanted. :)

 

Also, I'm not competing with public schools in my homeschool. Living in New Jersey, I do keep in mind the Educational standards that the Dept. of Education has published. But, I hope to compete more with the private schools that are few and far between here at the coast.

 

Oh, and from a religious perspective, we couldn't find a school that could fit the needs of a Roman Catholic/Taoist/Episcopalian/Buddhist family.:lol:

[HSMom2One]

There were several reasons we decided to pull our child out of public school, not just one. Here are the main reasons:

 

1. The environment of public school life was not conducive to the level of academics we had in mind for our child. The socialization (even in the primary grades) was not the type we felt was healthiest and best for her. (i.e. groups of girls with LOTS of drama, unhealthy peer pressure, exposure to far looser morals than those of our family, way too much emphasis on extra curricular activities, etc.) All of these things seemed to pull on our daughter at a very young age and take precedence over the actual education she was there for.

 

2. We wanted our child to have a rigorous education that would be customized to her own specific needs rather than a whole class-full of students at various levels of progress.

 

3. We want to exercise the freedom to include our faith and worldview into all subjects she is learning. Our beliefs and lifestyle aren't just on the fringe of our lives, it is at the heart of all we do and learn.

 

4. We wanted to draw closer as a family. As the teacher/mom, I love the closeness I share with my dd as we explore and learn so much together. This has been a rich adventure that I would not trade for anything in the world.

 

5. We wanted to have more flexibility. It is wonderful to have our own calendar and schedule to follow rather than someone else's. Also, homeschooling allows me to work part-time and still provide my dd with an awesome education. We can homeschool day or night, have a longer school year if we need to - or go year round, plan vacations whenever we want, take Grandma to the doctor or even work through snow days.

 

We have learned so much during the past five years since we started. Homeschooling has changed our lives so much for the better! There is a ton of information and support available to hs families nowadays, and it has been proven over time to be a highly effective means of preparing young people for life. The success rate of homeschool education is absolutely astounding. There is really no reason NOT to hs unless you just lack the desire or conviction to do it.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

Edited November 20, 2011 by HSMom2One

[tricia]

They are MY children, only I am accountable to God for them and I cannot trust the PS to train them. It is MY job and MY job only. And hubby's too of course.

[Once Again]

One of my children has mild autism and is just not able to function in groups. She has to have one on one to learn and that is not possible in the public school system.

[AnnaM]

At first it was because I couldnt bear the thought of parting with them at 5. Now it is a mix of moral and religious conviction.

[sandellie4]

I do have one to add, though, and it is hard for me to articulate - but it comes down to empowerment. I want my children to know that they have choices in this world, and this is something that is difficult to convey while sending them to school. I find schools to be fairly controlling environments (understandably!) but it is not what I want for my children.

 

:iagree: This lack of ability to empower children (understandably, I agree) is even more evident in special needs classrooms. Time and again, I see public schoolers at social skills groups, for example, and everyone seems to be on a pretty even playing field until about age 10 or so. Then it seems like our children are more empowered overall, and they start outstripping most of the public schoolers. Our home schoolers have been making their own choices as much as possible since they were wee; public schoolers are usually much more regimented in their learning, and many complain and detest any activity that gives the least hint of being "educational." This isn't because they are "bad" children or because our area public schools are poorly run. It's just because a lot of special needs children require individualized instruction, not just in reading and writing and math but also in LIFE. In my opinion, it is not possible to deliver this in an institutional setting. I see so many children who are no more "special needs" than my children, but somehow they don't fare as well. Services for them seem to dwindle as they get older, and the cookie-cutter job experiences offered in high school don't seem to help them transition to adulthood at all. Every single one of my children has at least two internships (or volunteer experiences) in high school. This is difficult to accomplish in any meaningful way in an institutional setting. Students end up at jobs that don't fit them (one of the jobs here is cleaning animal cages at the humane society; the job is the same, no matter how able the student is or whether this is his or her second or third time doing the exact same job). Due to a lack of available jobs, other students wait in the classroom, learning life skills by worksheet, playing card games for socialization practice, etc. My children are all special needs, and I can't take the chance that they'll have a few bad teachers, a few bad placements, etc. Everything, everything counts when you're trying to raise your special needs kids up to have choices to whatever degree they are able.

 

Sandy

[Mimm]

Academic reasons. We strongly believe we can provide a better education at home than the public schools in our area.