Why We Decided to Homeschool

This is our story. It started 18 years ago when I was pregnant with our first son. I was working at an urban middle school as a guidance counselor. I was very pregnant. Huge, in fact. One day, I was mediating a dispute between two girls and they broke out fighting in front of me. Like, three inches from my belly.

At that point, it hit me that I was responsible for this new life, this little baby. I ended up taking a full-year sabbatical to be with him during his first year and never went back. I have never regretted it, despite the challenges of raising a family on one income.

Like most kids, though, at the age of 3 he went off to preschool…and soon after his brother was born and eventually followed suit.

By this point, “oldest” was in second grade with a great teacher in a great little school. But there was a nagging in my heart. Every day I sent him off, he had all these experiences (some iffy ones I would later find out about) that I didn’t get to see or process with him.

Meanwhile his brother was attending preschool, but crying every day and it was almost time for him to start Kindergarten – in our town that had just decided to make Kindergarten a full day program. I knew that wasn’t going to fly, at all.

So, I started discussing “homeschooling” with my husband. He had all the usual concerns: Would they have friends? Would they play sports? Would they go to college? How would I teach them in High School? Would they be weird? (The answer is ‘yes’ – to all of them, haa!)

I didn’t have the answers to these questions, so, I would maintain the status quo. As time went, the nagging didn’t recede. So, I started to research homeschooling by getting books at the library and googling (and praying!). One by one, God answered each one of our questions and we made the decision to withdraw our kids in 2012.

It’s been 10 years since then! I have had my ups and downs, both personally and with homeschooling. My oldest has graduated and is attending college and getting his first job. I have an artistic and thoughtful teenager (16) and a bright and energetic 8 year-old.

(And I only have a few gray hairs…lol)

What was your reason to start homeschooling? Tell me below!