Discover the Heart and Why of Homeschooling
I always knew I wanted to homeschool my children. Whether this is your story too, or you feel completely opposite, today’s post will explore the heart and why behind why we actually homeschool, desire notwithstanding.
Yes, I wanted to do it. And for the most part, I enjoy it! But there are days and even sometimes weeks that make me question our choice, and emotion alone is not enough to keep me (or any of us!) going.
These are the times when knowing WHY I’m choosing this way of education becomes paramount. It’s so catchy right now to talk about “your why” in any given activity that it makes me want to shy away from it to avoid being cliché, but in truth, exploring our motives in all that we do is extremely beneficial, so here we go:
We homeschool because God commanded parents to teach their children the words and ways of God.
Deuteronomy 11:18-22 NLT “So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him.” (Emphasis mine.)
All godly parents are responsible for educating their children in God’s ways. Does this all HAVE to take place at home? Not entirely, but the home is a beautifully conducive environment where these “teachable moments” happen naturally. When we are with our children throughout their days, we can demonstrate and bring them along into a practical, daily relationship with the Lord. Even when they’re learning reading, writing, and math, we can point them to God’s creativity and order, and bring His Word into the minutia of all of our lives.
We homeschool because it is a natural way to disciple our children.
Our children are going to be discipled by something. Homeschooling provides a beautiful opportunity for us to be the main “disciplers” in their lives, as we are spending lots of time with them and teaching them skills.
Jesus modeled this example for us as He lived and worked with His followers. They got to see how He handled stress or tiredness. They learned how to pray like Him. They got inside information on His teachings. By spending a copious amount of time with Jesus, they became like Him—His very representation on the earth, even after He had gone back to heaven.
Of course, none of us parents are a perfect model like Jesus was, but as we are being discipled by Him (this is our goal and desire!), we can then turn around and disciple our children. We seek to honor Him as we educate them, and have them follow us as we follow Jesus.
Young children are naturally wired to believe whatever they are told. They cannot discern fact from fiction or fable until close to 10 years old (of course this varies depending on the child). Of what great importance it is then, that their discipleship is undertaken by the ones who know them best and want the very best for them—their parents! (Just a note here: this is a good reason to be very careful about all of their influences. TV, friends, movies, games, etc. have a profound influence on our children.)
We homeschool so we can be the first ones to teach them about important things.
The “law of first mention” indicates that whomever teaches a child FIRST on any given topic, becomes the “expert” on said topic in the child’s psyche, and the way it’s presented will determine how the child views that topic from then on. Whether it’s the infallibility of the Bible, the truth about gender, an introduction to sex-ed, or any other topic, we as parents are best-equipped and responsible to teach our children the truth. We set up a lifetime of important conversations with our children when we are the ones who introduce them to the important topics in life.
We homeschool because we can give our children a biblically-based education.
Did you know that the Scripture is full of science, math, art, and poetry? Did you know that the way we learn those things will directly influence our view of God and ourselves? What a joy to be able to unlock the mysteries of learning with our own child as they discover that God is the foundation of all that is—including science, math, and writing! It is easy in our western way of thinking to separate things we deem “secular” from those we consider “sacred”, but in truth, they are all connected. Our children’s view of creation (God vs. evolution) will affect not only their self-worth (there’s a great difference between being intentionally created in God’s image and slowly changing from worthless sea slime into a person, for example), but also how they see every other thing in the world—including their education!
Through Bible memory we can literally grow their brains and expand their minds. We can teach them to hear God’s voice in a practical way as part of their education. How precious to be there to witness the explosion of learning that happens in our children! It is just beautiful to be with them as they blossom and flourish.
We homeschool to protect our children from evil.
The sad truth is, there is evil in the world. Whether it be evil people, evil agendas, curriculum that exalts or encourages evil, it is our job as parents to protect our kids. “Protecting our kids” isn’t popular these days, but it vitally important! Their future depends on it.
We homeschool to provide an individualized education for each child.
Homeschooling is an ideal environment where education can be specifically tailored to meet each child’s needs and encourage their strengths. This is the benefit of a very small class size! Each of our children has different strengths—why not build those even when they are young?
On the other hand, any weaknesses in our kids can be grown in an uplifting way without heaping shame or destructive self-talk on them. As their education is not peer- or competition-focused, they are free to learn at their own pace and in a way that will help them learn best.
We homeschool to create a family culture of learning.
Cultivating a love of learning in our kids will set them up well for life! If we equate learning only with “school”, we might think that it ends when we graduate high school or college, but this is not the case! In truth, all of us are learning every day. Learning lasts a lifetime.
We homeschool because we want our kids to have time to be kids.
One of the many benefits of homeschooling is no homework! Kids can have plenty of time to get outside, be creative, play freely, and use their imaginations. This sets them up for the ability to problem-solve in the future—even as adults! The more they use their imaginations now, the better equipped they will be for life in the adult world. And the physical freedom to run, jump, climb, and play will pave the way for a healthy body for life.
A bonus of homeschooling is the flexible schedule.
Want to take a vacation in October or February? Need some time to adjust to a new baby, or visit relatives? Homeschooling can easily be adjusted to accommodate all of this! You can follow the conventional “school year”, or create your own family-tailored timeline—the choice is yours! Some families thrive on a year-round schedule with 6 weeks on and 2 weeks off, some want longer breaks around holidays or during the summer. Some choose a 4-day week with the 5th day devoted to more hands-on activities. Some take homeschooling on the road and travel their country or the world all while giving their children an excellent education. Whatever your family’s needs or desires, you can make it happen.
Do you homeschool? What are your big reasons?
Are you new to the idea of educating your children at home? With which of these concepts do you resonate most?