Top Three Reasons I Home Educate my Kids

I chose the term home educate over homeschool because I am not trying to copy what schools do in my home, I am trying to far surpass them.

1. I think children are people.

Real, live, thinking, feeling people forming ideas and becoming themselves. I would say this idea is one of the biggest reasons I homeschool my children. Because our education system as it currently operates does not recognize the full humanness of children. They are crammed into boxes, and the capabilities of their minds are judged by checklists and multiple-choice tests.

They are not often treated and viewed as dynamic persons who deserve to be in an active role as learners. It was not until recently when one of our children ventured into a public school that I fully realized just how dehumanizing the system has become, even at top schools. My son was treated as a commodity, who needed to fit where it was most convenient to put him. No class changes allowed, no choices, no assessment or regard for who he is as a learner or how the school could best serve his needs. They would not even look at standardized test scores when assigning classes to him.

2. I think children are smart and want to give them the opportunity to be well-educated.

I think the whole idea of gifted children is a myth. They are all born gifted and our system stunts them. Some are more stunted than others depending on disposition, personality and learning style. The school system favors certain people. A few survive unscathed. A few thrive.

Many are lost in the system, unable to realize the full potential of how smart they are and how capable they are of learning if given the tools, time, and the environment they need to thrive. I homeschool so my kids can have what they need to learn. A well-educated child is an endpoint goal, but something that can happen naturally when the child is given what they need.

If you think these are ideas are far-fetched, NASA research backs this up, check out this article and video about genius research.

3. I want my children to be functional adults.

Homeschooling gives us time to focus on life skills. Such as, how to cook, how to keep a house clean, how to take care of a yard, how to socialize with people of all ages. As homeschoolers, we encounter many everyday situations and challenges and can bring our children into the solutions.

I am not saying kids who go to school can’t learn these things, but often they don’t. Homeschooling gives us time and space to make sure our kids know how to take care of themselves as adults. This includes their physical, emotional, and spiritual selves. Adults who know what their needs are and how to provide for those needs are confident and happy. When a young adult fails to take care of their own basic needs, they feel stupid, no matter how smart they are, what their high school GPA was, or what kind of degree they have.