Every year my husband and I discuss and evaluate if we want to continue homeschooling for the next year. Once we’ve decided, I put my head down, get to work, and set up everything we need to make the next school year happen. But as every homeschooling parent I’m sure can attest to, no matter how certain you are that you want to homeschool, you begin to question your decision on the hard days.
Enter in my Homeschool Booster Shot!
Below I’ll share several resources (articles and videos) that I turn to when I’m feeling discouraged or begin to doubt our decision to homeschool. I also keep a list of “whys” on my phone so that when I’m struggling to remember why we chose this, I can read it and quickly be reminded!
Sometimes we just need a little refresher of the benefits of homeschooling – a booster shot if you will – to encourage us and keep our heads in the game!
*And for those who are new around here, I do want to mention that we are very pro-homeschool AND pro-public school. We have loved our homeschooling journey thus far, but are very open to making changes as we feel led. A lot of these resources are heavily pro-homeschool, which helps give me a boost when I’m down, but I also could make a substantial list of all the pros that come alongside public school. In my opinion, education is best when it’s the best fit for each family. Check out my thoughts on Public School vs Homeschool to understand my heart a little bit better on this topic!*
Ok, time to dive in. Let’s start with a list of some of the reasons we love homeschooling. I hope this list not only encourages you, but can inspire you to make a list of your own to have at your fingertips when you have discouraging days.
My Whys:
– Slow mornings and lots of sleep for our kids
– Lots of family time and sibling time together
– Allowing rest/play breaks between subjects
– Flexible schedules we can alter and move around based on our needs: sick days, vacation days, life chaos, unexpected family crises
– Ability to vacation in off-season when places/plane flights are cheaper
– Ability to take field trips when places are empty because most kids are in school
– A slower paced life
– Freedom to choose what work our kids need to do – no busy work!
– I get to see the lightbulbs of learning go off in their heads when they get a new concept
– Choosing how and when we introduce heavier topics to them – war, race, sex, etc.
– Ability to give a God-centered perspective as new topics are introduced
– Helping them know and learn about Jesus can be an overarching focus and theme of our homeschool; we have time to be intentional in this area and have regular discussions about these topics
– Time to play and use their imaginations
– One-on-one learning settings; very individualized and tailored education
– They can explore their passions and it’s easy for me to stay aware of what they’re excited about
– Capacity to do more travel and field trips bc we aren’t needing to recoup on the weekends from a busy school week
– Slow evenings not filled with homework
– Ability to build relationships and collaborate with other homeschooling families
– Slower holidays because we don’t feel pressure to cram in a lot of activities before kids have to go back to school
– Being able to let the kids play outside when it snows or take advantage of the sunny beautiful weather in springtime
I could go on, but that’s a good list to get us started!
Now let’s dive in to the resources I love to read and watch when I need a pick-me-up!
Articles:
18 Reasons Why Doctors and Lawyers Homeschool Their Children
Homeschooling Could Be the Smartest Way to Teach Kids in the 21st Century — Here are 5 Reasons Why
‘It Just Isn’t Working’: PISA Test Scores Cast Doubt on U.S. Education Efforts
Third Indication U.S. Educational System is Deteriorating
Homeschooling: Pros, Cons and Facts
Why Sending Your Child to Public School Won’t Solve Your Problems
My View: Why I Chose Homeschooling
Research Facts On Homeschooling
Videos:
TEDx Talk: The Surprising Truth About Learning In Schools
TED Talk: How to Escape Education’s Death Valley
TEDx Talk: Prepare Our Kids for Life, Not Standardized Tests
TEDx Talk: How Will I Educate My Children?
TED Talk: Do Schools Kill Creativity?
I hope this blog can be a resource you can use to give yourself (or someone you know) a boost and remember some of the reasons you chose to homeschool this year! We all could use a little encouragement along this journey.
You’ve got this!
If you want to connect, find me over on Instagram to see more of our daily life!
xo
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