If faith and character are part of your family values, homeschooling could be the right choice.
Are you looking for reasons to homeschool?
When I was a young mom, I loved meeting the parents of teens or young adults with great character. Seeking to glean from their experience, I would ask: “What is the secret?” I wanted practical advice and was eager to put into practice whatever they were willing to share.
Now that I have three young-adult sons of my own, (as well as a teenager still coming up!) I consider it the highest compliment when someone who has met my kids asks me the same question. When that happens, I do my best to share some of the practical things we have done as a family, from teaching kids Scripture to our chore system and how we focus on their character.
But there is one element to our family life that I am convinced has been the greatest shaping factor in the young men we have raised. So, I will eventually add to the list: “Also: We homeschooled them!”
If the person I am communicating with doesn’t pivot and run, I will continue with my heartfelt conviction: “Actually, homeschooling has made all the difference in the world. My boys would not be who they are if they didn’t spend the great majority of their growing up years at home, learning, growing, and doing life with their family.”
I am convinced that if the faith and character my young-adult sons have embraced was the only benefit of homeschooling, it would be worth it all. But the truth is, homeschooling has benefitted them (and us) in so many more ways. Indeed, there a lot of good reasons to homeschool your kids. I share 20 of them in the first chapter of my new book, Becoming Homeschoolers but I’ll touch on 10 of them just briefly here.
Regardless of their parents’ level of education, homeschooled kids consistently outperform traditionally schooled children in standardized tests and are increasingly being sought after by colleges. That’s significant.
They have the time and freedom to pursue interests and hobbies outside of a traditional classroom. Between my four sons you’ll find skills that range from music to computer coding to professional surfing to bird watching, and on and on. These skills were developed in the freedom of their homeschool lifestyle.
They have the chance to eat wholesome food at home rather than cafeteria food or the junk offered on a school campus. They have the time to get regular exercise. And research shows that they get more sleep than traditionally schooled kids, which is so important for their growth and mental health.
I like to flip the “what about socialization?” question on its head as we know that the kind of socialization that goes on in a typical school setting is far-from ideal, and most homeschoolers today are engaged in everything from coops, to sports, to church youth groups. The difference is, homeschool families get to choose who and how they socialize.
Instead of spending all day in a classroom, homeschoolers have the chance to get internships or jobs, to work alongside their parents, and learn naturally from the things that go on in a regular day at home.
Instead of moving from class to class with a crowd of other students who are all following the same directions, homeschooled kids have a great opportunity to customize their education, and their time. Most homeschooled kids become excellent time managers and grow up to be responsible to organize their own workload. My college sons have told me that they felt well-prepared for the college workload because, in their words, “It was a lot like homeschooling!”
Gender, racial, or political indoctrination is apparent in many classrooms all over the country. There is no doubt, kids are vulnerable to their teachers, peers, and the pressures to conform in our culture. Yet Dad and Mom are the best people to teach kids about important moral and cultural concepts. Homeschooling makes this possible.
(And often grandparents and others they have the chance to spend time with.)
I must say, this is high up on my personal list of favorite things about homeschooling! My four sons are best friends with each other. My husband and I have close relationships with each of our grown sons. This grew out of time spent together, homeschooling.
From the story of creation to seeing God’s fingerprints in math and science, the chance to educate our kids through the lens of God’s amazing Word is a privilege I cannot put into words.
Deuteronomy 6:6: “These commands will be on your heart. Teach them to your children as you lie down and get up. As you walk along the way and as you sit down.” Raising kids to know and love God is not an isolated, Sunday-morning or weekly devotions concept. It’s an all-day, everyday lifestyle.
Does some of these reasons to homeschool aligns with what you want most for your kids? I encourage you to consider giving homeschooling a try.
When the day comes, and you are asked the “secret” to your kids’ character and faith? You might just echo my heartfelt response: Homeschooling made all the difference in the world.
Monica Swanson is the host of the The Monica Swanson Podcast and author of Raising Amazing, and Boy Mom. Monica and her husband, Dr. Dave, live on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, where they have raised four sons. To learn more about Monica visit monicaswanson.com.
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Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
The greatest reason to consider homeschooling your kids may be what happens when they leave your home.
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
