Why I Loved Homeschooling

Imagine this…extra time to have fun. School that seems like play. Getting to learn about the things that bring them joy. Sounds like every kid’s dream, right?

Homeschooling gives you the chance to make learning fun and meaningful so that your kids are making the most out of their school and getting the chance to love learning. You’re in charge of their education and can make sure you are going about it in a way that’s enjoyable for both you and your kids.

Wondering why you should homeschool? Here are some things I loved about homeschooling; you might just love it for the same reasons.

1. More freedom in your schedule
   
   Talk to homeschoolers and most of them will say that one of the biggest benefits of homeschooling is…you guessed it, no homework! For the homeschooler, school and homework are often the same thing. They don’t sit in classrooms all day listening to teachers, only to get home and spend several hours on homework. Instead, they get their school and homework done at the same time, giving them more free time in their day.
   
   What kid wouldn’t love getting more time to play?
   
   In elementary school, this meant I had long afternoons to play house with my younger sister. In high school, we always stopped at four o’clock, done completely. It gave us more freedom in our schedule to do what we wanted to do.
   
   
2. Interest-driven learning
   
   I was a reader from the start. As a child, I would check out big stacks of books from the library. A week later, I’d be finished with that pile and would be begging to go to the library again. Because homeschooling allows you to build your curriculum around your children’s interests, my mom got to use a literature-based program that fueled my love for reading. I got to learn history, Bible, and literature in a way I loved. You can strategically choose courses that you know will help hone the skills your kids have while speaking to their passions and interests.
   
   Is your child interested in art? Focus on that! Do they have dreams of being a doctor? Have them take science classes like anatomy. Children love learning the things that they like to do.
   
   
3.  Learning at their own pace
   
   Growing up, there were some subjects I understood well and naturally some I struggled with. Being homeschooled, I was able to work through those challenging subjects at a pace that made sense for me.
   
   Sometimes, your kids are going to need to work at different speeds to get the most out of their school days. They might understand one subject really well and fly through their textbooks, or they might need a lot of help in another area, taking their time to fully understand what they are learning. Homeschooling gives you the option of working through subjects at a pace that works best for them. It’s individualized education at its finest.
   
   
4. A variety of experiences
   
   Homeschooling is flexible. It allows your kids participate in everyday experiences that you do, like grocery shopping, without missing a day of school.
   
   For my family, it meant that if my mom was going to the farmers’ market to get groceries, we would go along! If we wanted to get involved in a soccer or basketball club and make new friends, we could.

Real-life can’t be taught within the walls of a classroom. It’s learned first-hand by interacting with the world. Homeschooling let me do that.

Homeschooling is a different kind of school that has different benefits from a traditional brick-and-mortar school. But it’s those benefits that made me love it.

Why do you love homeschooling? What are your favorite parts?