Do most hs b/c of educational reasons?

[OneStepAtATime]

Well, whatever the reasons, I am grateful those of us who live in a country that allows it don't have to fight the legal system to keep doing it.  My family's lives have improved so much since we made our last minute, stress-filled leap off the homeschooling cliff.  We didn't fall, we flew (although the rocks did get a little close at times :) )...  Lets hope that the homeschooling option remains a legal one forever, and for the families in other countries that are still fighting for this freedom, I pray and hope they succeed....

[Camelfeet]

I think where I am people homeschool for financial reasons.  We don't have access to public school so the only options are private.  Have any more than 2 kids and the 8-20k USD per child per year starts to become impossible if your employer isn't footing part of the bill.

 

I know a few who do it for religious reasons, a few more who do it for educational reasons, and one who does it because of bullying at school.  

 

I had a favourable view of homeschooling before my children became school aged, but the poor quality of the schools combined with high tuition was a motivating factor to actually 'take the plunge'.  Now I really think its a better way to educate my children so even if given access to free schooling I would not enroll them in PS.  

[foxbridgeacademy]

So many reasons.... originally yes, we pulled DS out of P.S. in 1st grade because he was having trouble reading and his teacher complained that she had to go to his desk and help him 2-3 times a day. (There should be a little pause here while you think "ummmm, isn't that her job?).  We continue to homeschool because I don't like the idea of people who don't know and love my children having that much influence over them.  DD's health is another factor and DS is still a slow reader and would not do well in the system.  Religion does not play a role in our decisions, as we are...

non-religious.  

[happypamama]

Coming back to this thread to add some stuff. We planned on hs'ing long before we even had children, because we felt that hs'ing would work best for what we wanted -- strong academics (but also, a gentle introduction to heavy academics for young children), support for our religious and social beliefs, and just a general feeling that keeping our children at home was right for our family. We decided that we would have a parent (and likely me) stay home with our children if at all possible, and homechooling seemed like a natural extension of that.

 

And the we actually HAD children, haha. Yeah, I'm pretty sure a public school couldn't meet our oldest child's needs in a lot of areas. I'm really glad we had already decided to hs her. But if we'd muddled through public school with her, it would have been DS1 that turned us to hs. At 5.5, it was obvious that he was plenty bright but just not ready for heavy academics or for a group social setting; he was very shy, and he wasn't ready for reading at that point. Keeping him home and not forcing him into a classroom environment was the best thing I could have done for him. He was ready to read when he was about 7, and at 8.5, he is THRIVING at home. He's a strong reader, strong at math, willing to challenge himself, and while he's always going to be a little less outgoing than some of his siblings, he does beautifully in social settings. (Otoh, one of his little brothers is not quite 5, and that child is outgoing, Mr. Personality, and raring to go, academically; this is the one child I could actually see doing okay in a public school classroom, but I'm glad I get to keep him here with me so that I can enjoy him, and our home schoolroom would be lacking something without him.)

 

For each child's individual needs: THAT is the true reason I homeschool.