list of reasons to homeschool?

[chelsmm]

I know that everyone has their own reasons for homeschooling, but I'm looking for a master list I've done a google search and come up with about 10 reasons, but I thought a long, long time ago I saw a giant list here on mdc.

Also, I'm interested in hearing other member's reasons for hsing. So, if you don't have a master list of all the possible reasons, I'd still like to hear your reasons

thanks, chelsea.

[chelsmm]

http://www.waldsfe.org/Humor/55reasons.htm

answering my own question...a little more digging found it

[accidental_hs'er]

Evolving reasons

When we started out, homeschooling was a solution to a problem. Our reasons had to do with a gifted boy (reading Magic Tree-House books by 4 years old), with an insatiable need to learn who could not sit still to save his life! There was a little more to it too. Not only couldn't he sit still but his attention span was really bad, motor skills quite behind and it was/is hard to motivate him wherre he has no interest, like with busy-work. And he was a very sensitive boy. Who was/is very, very social!

When he was 3 I was already panicking about sending him to Junior Kindergarten. I could just imagine it: A is a very bright little boy who...(a) won't stop talking; (b) can't sit still; (c) could do the work but chooses not to or works too slowly; (d) doesn't pay attention...etc! I didn't want to lose my little boy. He would have had to change a lot to cope and I know those first few years would have been rough. The whole point of school is to learn and if everything else got in the way, what was the point? His "quirks" would have overshadowed his intellect. And, he was learning quite well at home.

Why we continue to hs (and why we love it!):

Our time is our own. We decide when to learn, when to play...whatever we want!

Less competition. Grades and peer pressure were bad for a former type-A personality like myself. I don't want their self-esteem linked to grades or a bad teacher's view of them.

More family time.

The kids learn at their own pace. Ds does grade 2 math, grade 5 science, Kindergarten writing . I love the flexibility!

No homework!!!

We get the museums to ourselves during off hours.

We spend time on subjects that are important to us but have been cut from schools due to lack funding.

No busywork. Once they understand a concept they move on.

We don't have to get up early every morning.

There isn't some other entity out there that has a say over my dks. I don't think I could easily handle the school administrations rules and regulations after hs'ing like we do. I would kind of resent their interference.

Michelle

[AllieFaye]

We knew even when pregnant with our first that we would be "those parents" about which every teacher moans and groans. We didn't want to spend over a decade fighting with teachers and administrators, so homeschooling is our option.

[ohiomommy1122]

When DS was 4 I wanted him in K but the cut off was Sept 31 they would not let him in early even though he was very ready so I found a virtual acadamy that would let us styart when he turned 5 on his Birthday in OCT I fully intended on sending him to School after 1 year of homeschooling since he would then be considered a 1st grader no matter his age. After that year thou I realize I could provide him a much better education than local schools and since we could afford some of the better schools we stuck with it. My DS is 9 now and in 5th grade and plan on homeschooling all of our children for as long as possible. We don't use virtual acadamys anymore but it was a good start for us since I knew NOTHING About HSing and knew NO ONE.

Reasons we continue:
-Homeschooling provides my children the BEST education we can afford
-Not having to deal with peer pressure or bullies ( we still encounter it , but on a much smaller scale)
- Being able to instill may life lessons that children is school sometimes miss out on
- spending lots of family time

I have many more to list but my sqirimy baby whom I am nursing right now keeps trying to grab at keys while eating !

[Grace and Granola]

[Reebekah]

i could go on and on about my reasons...but overall the main reasons are:
-my family wants the freedom and flexibility of homeschooling....to "do school" in the evenings or weekends if we want to....or to go on field trips whenever we want....or to go on vacation whenever we want to....we can work around my husband's work schedule, which allows us so much more family time.
-i want to include religion in our studies on a regular basis
-i do not like what goes on in public schools...bullies, materialistic people, peer pressure, etc.
-i dont like "one size fits all" education....i want to be able to teach my children based on their own individual abilities and needs and interests. for example, my kids LOVE to read, so we are doing a literature based curriculum (Sonlight). my 4.5 yr old is already reading, but when i called a local preschool to see what he would be learning if he went there, they said he would be learning 1 alphabet letter per week. he's known those since he was 2...he would be SO bored.