Four Reasons to Homeschool | Choosing Curriculum

Four reasons I love homeschooling. (As a second generation homeschooler.) - **Christian Instruction** - **Academic Rigor** - **Family Connection** - **Flexible Lifestyle** NOTE: Every family is different. Homeschooling isn’t right for everyone!! What’s good for one family might not be the best for another!! It is so sweet to enjoy the freedom to seek the Lord for guidance in what in each specific circumstance. <3  **Christian Instruction:**  I want to pass down to my children the faith that dwells in me.  “ I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” -2 Timothy 1:5  We cannot save our kids, but we can teach them what is true. Homeschooling gives me an additional 1,200 hours a year to declare to them the good news.  "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'" (Romans 10:14–15) **Academic Rigor** God spoke and it came to be, described himself as the word made flesh, and has preserved his holy word through sacred writings (the Bible.) He is an orderly and faithful God who does not change. (2+2=4 anyone?) When we train our minds to make sense of words and language, of order and logic, we enable ourselves to make sense of his world and more fully participate in the great, glorious, and holy conversation of knowing Him and making him known.  As a homeschooler, I can be a student of children and determine the best materials to begin them on a lifelong pursuit of learning.  “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” - Deuteronomy 6:5 **Family Connection**  I want my kids home with me. I also want them to be home with each other. I can’t force my kids to be friends. Sometimes kids will grow to be best friends and sometimes they won’t. But I can seek to order our time in ways that foster sibling friendships.  **Flexible Lifestyle**  Homeschooling means we get to (mostly) determine our schedule based on what is most lifegiving for our particular family. As a kid, I grew up riding horses and climbing mountains. I wasn’t hustled off to school. Instead, I spent hours upon hours playing outside.  Harvard Medical School writes that free play shapes a child's brain — and bestows a lifetime of benefits. Research reveals the role of unstructured play in learning, self-regulation, and creativity.  If my kids are in school –even a lovely Christian school –they are by necessity going to have less time at home to play and a more rigid schedule.