Why we Homeschool

                   

Catholic school teachers will enjoy this post to learn about other options in Catholic education.  Please look for a post about the gifts we receive from Catholic schools, in March.
Catholic home educators, my hope is that the following post will refresh your desire to teach your children their faith in the home, even on the tough days.

Today, at my sons' baseball practice a friendly dad asked me, "Why do you home school?"  He continued with, "My kids have President's Day off, and they are already driving me crazy."  My response is often an affirmation about how much our family enjoys home educating, and how important our Catholic faith is to us.  Some require more explanation.  My experience as a Catholic school teacher was wonderful, so we did not oppose our archdiocese's schools.  However, catholic school tuition was overwhelming for our growing family; and we reasoned that my teaching license, our solid family, and a home meant that  scholarships should be reserved for Catholic families who had fewer options.

Today our answer for why we home educate is not based on our bank account and my teaching history.  We have grown to respect the choice we made eight years ago for other reasons.  Teaching the Catechism and richness of our faith, participating in the sacraments, and being a part of our church community remain important.

We have also discovered that being our children's primary educators is a gift.  Catholic, and a few appropriate secular, textbooks that are honest and rich in content are read in all subjects. History presents an objective timeline in story format and does not dismiss the great contribution of Christianity.  Literature such as the Father Brown series, based on the great author C.K. Chesterton's books, The Little Apostle,  Pride and Prejudice and Saint biographies are enriching and influential.  My children also choose their own favorites if they do not contradict Christian values or Church teachings.

Catholic education allows parents to decide how and when their children will learn about maturing into young men and women, wordly issues and current topics.  Abstinence curriculum or retreats discuss procreation from a catholic perspective, presenting morality, modesty, chastity, and respect for life.  These courses are enlightening and created with divine intervention.  Older teenagers come to understand the rewards for couples who wait for intercourse until marriage, and that children are gifts in that union.

Character development are key words synonymous with home education.  Because families spend a lot of time together, working together is imperative.  Home educated children learn life skills such as homemaking, maintenance and helping with younger children.  Occasionally, our children go to work with their dad to foster "real world" skills.  Home educated families benefit from social interaction between siblings, friends, and their parents.

Individual instruction is another benefit home education provides.  Recently my first grade twins were struggling in math.  I taught them separately for the first time all school year.  Each boy became proficient at counting coins with Mom and I was reminded how valuable one on one learning can be in every academic area.  It is wonderful time spent together, too.

People wonder how we fit homeschooling into our busy day with six children.  I question how large families complete homework in today's competitive academic world.   A homeschool day for a large family takes about six hours to finish with little or no homework.  Families with two or three students  finish sooner.  Because we meet some objectives in teams, or  I am able to help a child finish
challenging academics during the school day, we have time for extracurricular activities and family time in the afternoons.  Home educating offers flexiblily for field trips and learning vacations.

Daily prayer, attending Mass and sacraments, playing games, and learning together are just a few gifts from home schooling.  1 Peter (1:8) reads, "Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,"  We express that joy as we learn our faith at home, and give thanks to Him for the opportunity to do so.