Why do I homeschool my kids?

[boysrus]

The other thread is SOOOO long and may get locked soon (don't know how the gerenal tone is past page 3
so I thought I would put mine out here. feel free to join in if you want

BEcause I NEVER EVER want my child to have to ask permission and get a written note in order to conduct the most basic human excretory functions.

Because I want them to be able to carry cough drops freely on their person when the need arises.

Because I want them to study what truly interests them.

Because my brilliant son with social issues is ten years old and has NEVER EVER been the victim of any sort of bullying and when he was excluded from a group of peers last month, it was not the norm for him.

Because I don't want to have my kids spending all day in a classroom to learn what they could learn in about 20 minutes.

[frogguruami]

Because I don't want DS2 to be placed in a Special Ed class with an IQ of 135 (probably higher now, he was tested very young and I was told it would probably go up another 15 points by the time he hit 5) because he has a diagnosis of Autism.

Because I don't want DS1 to be given the responsibility of "Reader Leader" with the slowest reader in his class because he is too advanced and they can't keep up with him.

Because I don't want DS1 to have to take drugs to deal with the stress of being a "challenge student", "advanced student", etc.

Above were my initial reasons for HSing, but now that we are doing it there are a different set.

Because I like allowing my children to flow with their natural sleep patterns instead of dragging them out of bed at 5:30 in the morning.

Because, even though DS2 still needs medication, he would need SOOOO much more if he were in PS.

Because I like being able to cover material in depth and take as long as we want to study a particular subject.

Because I like having my children with me.

[mother culture]

I also love seeing my 7 year old son read beyond his grade level all learned without a Teacher taking credit for it.
I love being with my children all day and getting out in nature 4-5 times per week and learning in the wide world you can't possible get that from a book.
Each of my children get up in the morning on their own internal clock with a nice slow breakfast and no rush.
We havn't run out of learning enthusiasm yet.
My children are a part of the working dynamic of our home and clean and do chore as needed.
My son isn't socially misguided by other children his age.
My Dh says-
I like the fact that everything is a learning experience.
Our oldest Son is a great example for his younger brothers 5, and 3 who also have developed their own work times.

[LeftField]

I have way too many of these so I won't name all of them.

Original reasons, from when I had one child...
-Because I didn't want my son to be retaught things he had already mastered.
-Because I didn't want my son to not learn new things. This happened to my niece in a local school and it made her very angry and depressed by first grade. She basically graduated elementary school without learning many new things at all. The school admin admitted it and just said their hands were tied. My kids' education and happiness is too important.
-Because I wanted my son to be appropriately challenged so he could develop a work ethic.
-Because I didn't want some of the special qualities about him to be labeled in negative ways and I didn't want him to be forced into a generic mold.
-Because I wanted whoever spent his days with him to recognize his gifts and support him accordingly. This is a risk when a child's gifts do not fall along traditional, achievement-oriented lines within specific "subjects".

Current reasons (the others still stand, however):
-Because I want my kids to receive truly individualized educations, matched to their needs and desires.
-Because I want my kids' learning styles and personalities to be honored.
-Because I want my kids to have plenty of time to play, think, hang out and just exist without a schedule imposed on them.
-Because I don't want their childhood to be full of stomach-aches and head-aches (taken from my exp and family member's exps) arising from weighty obligations and work.
-Because I don't want to ask for permission to hang out with my kids or to take them on vacation.
-Because I don't want junk food and consumerism marketed to them at every turn.
-Because I want them to associate education with fun, not obligation. Because I don't want them to learn to associate "educational" with "boring".
-Because I want them to learn based on the inherent joy, rather than learning for a specific grade. I know this is possible in ps because I did it, but the overwhelming majority of kids I knew were exclusively grade oriented. Even in my AP History class, they didn't want anyone to bring up any topics that weren't on the test. The question was constantly, "Is this on the test?" and if the answer was "no", dirty looks, snickers or eye-rolling would ensue. I don't want my kids in that shallow, anti-intellectual environment (in an AP class, no less).
-Because teachers have favorites and I don't. My kids don't have to work to get my unconditional love.
-Because I wanted my kids' education to be broad and diverse, with unlimited time to pursue things and no requirements to pursue others. Because I equally value Lego building, jazz music discussions, painting, math....etc....

I have so many more, but I need to go running before dh comes home from grocery shopping. Plus, I'd fill the page with this stuff.

[rmzbm]

I cannot tell you how much I LOVE these threads! It's very taxing on me listening to parents shrug of responsability on schools & defend teacher abuse.
I homeschool because these kids belong to THEMSELVES. So many basic human rights issues are compromised when one simply ENTERS a school. :

[blsilva]

Because I don't want anyone who does not love and understand my children as much as I do being responsible for them for the majority of their lives.
Nor do I want someone who doesn't care about them as much as I do being responsible for something so important as their education.

[oldermamato5]

I homeschool because:
1. My children want to
2. Government school is inferior period.
3. I love being with my children and watching them grow
4. I learn new things along with my children
5. I want them to be free thinkers
6. We are a free-spirited family,don't like rigid schedules
7. I want them more than anything to see learning as part of living,for always!

[joesmom]

I homeschool because I am committed to raising my son in a certain way. From the day he was born, I used attachment parenting principles, & listened to his cues, for everything from breastfeeding to cosleeping to potty learning. I did not send him to school to learn to walk. He did not have a tutor come in to teach him his shapes & colors. He learned these things naturally, by living life with me & with his friends & other family members. I could not imagine letting him have the first five years of his life & then suddenly sending him to school. It would seem like such a betrayal to me.

I love homeschooling & have never regretted it for a minute.

[rmzbm]

Good points by joesmom..."betrayal" - never thought to use it but an excellent word, very appropriate!

[Mama2E&O]

-because I want my children to be safe
-because I want them to be able to use the bathroom when they need to, sleep when they need to, snack when they need to, talk when they need to, play when the need to. . .the list goes on.
-because I don't want my highly sensitive dd misunderstood and labelled as a "behavior problem"
-because I want my highly gifted dd to love learning, not to fall between the cracks
-because I want my children to enjoy life and to be free, not to follow rigid schedules
-because I want my children to be free thinkers, not to be taught how to think, and to think like everyone else
-because I want my children to learn about whatever interests them, and to spend as long as they like learning about one specific thing
-because I want my children to spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying nature, not cooped up inside a building with poor air quality
-because I want them to have as carefree and stressfree a childhood as possible
-because I want to be with them all day
-because I want to be the one to teach them and watch them learn

I'm sure I'll think of more later~ we've got so many reasons it's nearly impossible to write them all down!

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by joesmom

I could not imagine letting him have the first five years of his life & then suddenly sending him to school. It would seem like such a betrayal to me.

I love homeschooling & have never regretted it for a minute.

I did try sending ds to school and that is exactly how it felt. I tell people it is the only thing I did as a parent that was a complete mistake.

[joesmom]

Originally Posted by rmzbm

Good points by joesmom..."betrayal" - never thought to use it but an excellent word, very appropriate!

Originally Posted by 4evermom

I did try sending ds to school and that is exactly how it felt. I tell people it is the only thing I did as a parent that was a complete mistake.

Hugs. At least you realized it & brought him home. Some parents keep their kids in school for 13 years, feeling the way you felt the WHOLE time. (I am not talking about every parent who sends kids to public school- only those who do & never feel quite "right" about it.)

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by joesmom

Hugs. At least you realized it & brought him home. Some parents keep their kids in school for 13 years, feeling the way you felt the WHOLE time. (I am not talking about every parent who sends kids to public school- only those who do & never feel quite "right" about it.)

At least my ds had sense to stand up for his rights and ran away (he knew I was right outside, though).

The funny thing was how differently the teacher and I labeled the escape. She called him "openly defiant" while I thought he displayed good problem solving skills. Evidently, he wanted to come see me after snack time and she wouldn't allow it. So ds pretended to be compliant, then bolted out the other door. He only went 10 half days over the course of 6 weeks. It was one of those awkward situations where you want to give it a chance so no one says you didn't try to make it work when you know from the first minute it isn't going to work out.

[alima]

Ds had a horrendous experience in ps and I began homeschooling because I thought it was our only option left and that ps would kill my child.

Going in to our 6th year of hs, the main reason we do it now is because we love it and I would not be willing to sacrifice the great life we have together and the wonderful relationship we have for... I can't even think of a reason to go back to school.

Ds doesn't need a diploma to go to university here, he has friends, both hsed and in ps that he sees regularily and is happy with his social life, and he's consistently been far ahead of ps academically, so going back to school would require years of boredom. I can't see any point in public school for us.

[2 in August]

I started because of my dd's personality. I know that school would crush her. She is sensitive and stubborn and way too smart. I know that she would be a nightmare student in a class of 25+ kids. But her at home she thrives.

Now I can't see having her leave us for 8 hours a day. My dh works odd hours and if she were in ps, there would be lots of days she would never see him.

I also don't like the being told when to be there and what to learn.

[rmzbm]

PS does "crush." It crushes individuality, creativity & uniqueness. "Conform, conform, conform!" Not my kid! :

[Mom4tot]

Because I want my children to be themselves.

I want them to enjoy sunny beautiful days on their bikes and in the garden.

I want them to dress the way they want to.

I want them to laugh and sing when they want to.

I want them to read and learn for enjoyment.

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by Mom4tot

I want them to enjoy sunny beautiful days on their bikes and in the garden.

Ohhhhhhh, you totally just hit a nerve! I spent MANY days in elem. school gazing out the window wishing I was outdoors playing! :

[Mom4tot]

Marie I know what you mean! I am sensitive to this now because I live in Buffalo and Spring just sprung a few weeks ago. We had a terrible storm in October and spent the last few weeks of the fall cleaning and hauling branches, etc. It snowed and rained until the very end of April.... 7 months! I am just so grateful that it is nice out now. We have already planted the garden, hauled more branches, planted trees, sorry, I could go on. There isn't anywhere I'd rather be than outside these days, so why coop the kids up? Freedom!

[boysrus]

I remember, one day when I was young. There was a family that lived right next door to the school where I went. One of the kids was sick, so he stayed home that day. The boy was playing outside while everyone else was in school! Our teacher opened the window and said hello to the mom, who was outside as well (the school was that close to their yard!) and the mom said, "It is nicer outside than it is inside right now, so I figured he could play outside. OH the envy I had!