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Why I Homeschool |
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| December 13, 2008
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We chose to homeschool for a litany of reasons. We live in St. Louis city and our school district lost accreditation. We did not want to go into debt to pay for a pricey private school. We have been increasingly unhappy with the homogenization of some of public education. We're unhappy with how good teachers -- my husband's family are all public schoolteachers -- are being stifled by an obese government bureaucracy. We wanted more faith in our curriculum than state-run schools allow. But MOST importantly: we wanted to teach to our children's aptitudes. If they turned out to be bright, we reasoned, we don't want them held back by a curve; if they are struggling academically or have a learning disability, we want to give them plenty of time to correctly deduce and understand their lessons. Even more important than that, Chris and I live our lives according to the philosophy that life is short: do what you love. We fervently believe that each person has been put on this earth with a specific gift or skill and that our job as parents is to identify, recognize, and encourage the development of those gifts. Chris works in music; I write for various outlets and work in radio. We try to contribute positively to society via these skills and want our kids to do the same. We also want to present education as something that is a constant. I don't want Liam or Ewan to think that they have to learn just for tests or that learning only takes place during little blocks of time through the week. Learning happens in our house from sun up to bedtime and we've set up a house that facilitates this with books, paper, pencils, crayons, et al., in every room. (I'm loathe to insert this but when I don't people go crazy: I'm not making a universal statement on all schools or all teachers. There are many good schools and teachers out there and I'm the fruit of some of them; however I'm personally unhappy with government meddling, things like No Child Left Behind, and feel that to be more effective, American education needs to be restructured. We field genuinely curious questions, both in person and online, but we also get a lot of people who aren't asking a question because they're motivated by curiosity; the question is a formality -- they are making a statement about our educational choice. It's taken me several years to realize that some people will take someone's personal decision to opt out of state education as a statement.) There are days where I do feel overwhelmed, days when the boys drive me up a wall and across the ceiling, days when I don't get my laundry done. My house is in perpetual disarray. The days when I can actually see the light bulb flick on over Liam's head are what's worth it, though. I taught him how to read, how to add and subtract, how to do division, fractions; he knows history and about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights because of our lessons. Every afternoon he and his brother share the armchair in our living room and Liam reads aloud a book of Ewan's choosing. Society wants our children to grow up so fast; homeschooling is another way for us to slam on the brakes and indulge in family time and togetherness. It sounds like a something from the cutting room floor of Little House on the Prairie, but with what Chris does for a living, what I do for a living, with our unusual schedules, we felt it was necessary. Homeschooling isn't for everyone and at first I even wondered how on earth I would ever get the patience for it, but I quickly learned that I wasn't giving myself enough credit. Homeschooling turned out to be just the right thing for us. Next up: what about their socialization? | ||
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1. JessicaAPISS
Dec 13, 2008 16:54
This is a great, informative, enlightening, "real" piece. It's something I think about personally a good deal2. dewde
Dec 13, 2008 20:20
My wife and I are on the cusp of making a decision with regards to homeschooling. This article was very helpful and timely. Thank you!peace|dewde
3. Kymberly
Dec 14, 2008 14:56
Excellent essay.I'm not a homeschooler myself but I respect the right, and responsibilities, of every parent to choose the educational method that works for THEIR child.
Sounds like you've found a great match for your boys. Enjoy!
4. Julia Hodges
Dec 15, 2008 13:25
Really love this article, and agree with you completely.What lucky boys to have such parents.
5. MN
Dec 15, 2008 15:11
Very well written, I think I understand even more so the reasons you chose to home school, including practical reasons such as school district losing accreditation, plus desire to impart what you deem is important for your children to know. I think your reasoning was very clear and I hope more parents can benefit from your valuable insight if they are looking into the education of their child.6. JL
Dec 15, 2008 15:36
Applause! You just said everything I could have said but you always, ALWAYS say it better. I've been a homeschooling mom for 14 years and I would not change one nanosecond of that time.7. Traci McClain
Dec 15, 2008 16:03
Hello,Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy is coming to St. Louis MO Scottrade Center Jan. 7-11. We have worked with you before with a show that was in the area. Now we are currently looking for influential home school sites that may be interested in running an enter to win contest or advertise for the show. We can provide tickets for the winner of the contest as well as tickets to you for helping us out. We can also provide a link to purchase tickets to a Friday morning show as well as a Supergroup Webpage, which is a splash page that is customized for each group, gives discounts, and can easily be emailed to your members. Please let me know if you are intersted in helping us again.
Thank You,
Traci McClain
Feld Entertainment