You Do What?

How are you?  Where do you live?  Where do you work?

You know- the standard questions you ask people.

Where do your children go to school?

Yep, that's the one that usually stops the conversation.  Here's how it usually goes from there:

 we homeschool

what?

we homeschool-

Oh!

silence

Why?

OK, to be fair, the why question may not come up so quickly, but believe me, it does come it.  Which is kind of funny to me since I cannot recall one single time that I have ever asked someone why they send their child to school.  Not once.

But I do have reasons and so today I am setting the record straight.

I homeschool because-

1- My husband is a pilot.  Yes, that really is the first reason we started homeschooling.  He had a crazy schedule, worked a lot of nights, was in and out a lot and I knew if I sent the kids to school they might not see their dad for weeks at a time.  That simple.

2-  We are a military family that moves.  Often.  I could not stand the thought of my poor kids being in two or three different schools in one school year! How mean would that be.  Not only would that involve the normal first-of-the year school confusion times two or three, but the standards of education are different in every state.  Some places you may be lucky and your children will be deemed ahead; others, they could be behind or asked to repeat certain classes.  Trust me, I have seen it happen.

3- I had a friend who homeschooled- she made it look easy and her kids were amazing.  I wanted kids like hers!

4-  I liked the idea of private schools but could not afford them at the time.  I honestly thought we would spend the first few years schooling the "easy subjects" while saving up to send the kids to private school in the "harder" years.

5- I was/am a chicken!  At the time of initial decision to homeschool there had been several school shootings and other random events that made me decide that there was no way I was going to send my kids out with the crazies!  (the bad people, not the other school kids!)

6- I am a homebody.  I am very content at home and like my kids being here with me.  They are fun to be with (most days) and I enjoy our time together.  Put us in a cabin in the woods and we would do just fine, thank you.

7- I like being able to choose what my kids learn.  Yes, we all need to learn basic grammar, math science and history, but I love that I can teach the kids the Bible and what we believe without any concern of reprimand or backlash from a school system that may not believe as I do.

8- GOD CHANGED MY HEART!  That really is my bottom line now.  Somewhere along the way of doing what I wanted and what I thought was right, He changed how I schooled and why I schooled.

"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

I do not pretend that homeschooling is for everyone, but I know it is right for our family.  I believe that the Lord has called me to teach my children- about Him and for Him!  I am honored!

This post is part of The Schoolhouse Review Crew Blog Cruise!  On Tuesday check back HERE to see what fellow CREW members have to say about why they homeschool.  You may be surprised at some of the answers!

    This post is also linked up to The Modest Mom's Not Back to Homeschool Week Blog Hop!