This question has been asked many times by every single homeschooling mother (or father). Even after years of homeschooling my own children, I still wonder if I’m doing the right thing or if I will really mess them up. Homeschooling isn’t something to take lightly but it’s also not as hard as it seems.
So to answer the question, yes. You can homeschool your children. I can homeschool my children. It’s a matter of finding out your reasons for homeschooling. Are they religious reasons? Are they medical reasons? Are you tired of bullying in the public school system? Do you just like being with your children? Sit and really think about why you want to homeschool and pray about it.
I never thought I would homeschool my own children. All of my siblings were homeschooled to some degree. I was the only one who graduated from a public high school. I am also the only one of all of my siblings (there are six of us) that homeschools their children. Kind of funny.
When my husband and I had our first son, we didn’t even give it a second thought. We live across the street from the best school in our county. We knew he would go there and be just fine. Then our second son was born and I started second guessing our decision. None of them were of school age yet so we had plenty of time.
I started researching and and praying a lot. God led me to some amazing women who spoke to me about raising children in a Godly way. A way the public school system simply doesn’t allow. I felt so convicted but my husband did not. After months of prayer, he came to me with the same convictions and the rest is history. Our homeschool journey began and we haven’t regretted a single moment of it.
As far as homeschooling goes, there are many reasons to homeschool. For us, we felt God leading us to homeschool because He convicted us to raise our children for Him. We feel it is our sole purpose in having children. For them to know and love the Lord. We felt we couldn’t achieve that if our children were away from us for 6-8 hours a day. We actually begin and end our day with prayers and Bible reading. My children have grown in their faith in God.
Another reason to homeschool could be medical. If your child has special needs or is physically impaired, homeschooling might be right for you. In my experience, the public school system is generally not equipped to deal with certain special needs. A friend of mine pulled her son out because he was falling between the cracks of his special needs class. She was heartbroken that he didn’t get the attention he needed. As a parent, you know your child best and can give them what they need more than any other person. Getting outside help can be good as well. There are many programs available to the homeschool community.
One other big reason to homeschool is bullying. I know tons of families pulling their children out of public schools because the bullying is so bad. Children are being hurt and are hurting themselves because bullying is not addressed. There is so much I could say on this subject but I will say to listen to your children. Bullying comes in many different forms. You are your child’s advocate and it’s your responsibility to keep them safe. If homeschooling them is going to keep them from being harmed at school, then do it. Make sacrifices. Don’t let your child become a statistic. Stand up for them and let them know you are on their side.
If you truly want to homeschool, you don’t really need a reason. You just need to know you are not alone. The homeschooling movement is on the rise. I actually know more homeschooling families than I do public school families. Of course, I surround myself with like-minded people. Pray about your decision and talk to other homeschooling families. We are all willing and ready to listen and talk you through your decision. Homeschooling, to me, is fun and exciting. I am constantly learning things I never learned in public school. I am also loving being with my children all the time. They are my greatest blessing and I feel it’s my duty to raise them for God. I pray I won’t mess it up!
