The Five Best Things About Homeschooling

 Whether you’re inclined to limit what your kids are eating or not, you know what’s going into their mouths; and if you’re careful about their diets (or have a child with food sensitivities that make it necessary for you to be careful), you don’t have to worry that they’re throwing all of your hard work out the window just because someone in their classroom had a birthday and brought cupcakes for the entire class.  With red frosting.  There’s no need to worry that your chemical-sensitive child will have behavior issues for a week because someone was stupid enough to give him the aforementioned cupcake, or that your wheat-allergic daughter will come home throwing up (or worse, end up in the nurse’s office fighting to breathe) because someone gave her a cookie.  Friends are not just so-and-so that sits next to them in art class, that you’ve heard about fifteen times but have never met.  You know their friends.  You know their parents.  You know whether or not they’re the kind of kids that you want influencing your child, and you can better control how much time they’re spending together.There’s no ambiguity.  No question about whether or not something is going into their heads that you don’t want there.  When they ask those weird questions that only come up when you’re in your car on the way somewhere with a deadline, generally minutes before you get there, you have some idea of where the question is coming from.View the list »
Every day, if you want.  Sure, there’s nothing that perks up a bad day like putting on nice clothes and a little bit of makeup; but nothing compares to being able to spend the day lounging around in your pajamas with your kids.  If nothing else, it saves on laundry!  

Homeschooling newsletter

Every family makes the choice to homeschool for their own reasons, and there are as many reasons for it as there are homeschooling families. Some choose to keep their children at home because medical or psychological limitations make public schooling difficult. Others prefer to control what their children are learning, including the material that goes into their minds throughout the school day. Still others think there is nothing better than being able to set their own schedules, beginning and ending their days in a way that works for their children instead of being stuck with a traditional schedule.

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Some parents choose homeschooling for children who were struggling academically in a traditional school setting. Some chose it because their children were flying through the curriculum and rarely being challenged. There are a wide variety of reasons—but some things about homeschooling are just universally awesome, whether they are included in the list of reasons why homeschooling was chosen or are simply fringe benefits.

What about you? What’s your favorite thing about homeschooling? Tell us in the comments!

View the list
  • Every day, if you want.  Sure, there’s nothing that perks up a bad day like putting on nice clothes and a little bit of makeup; but nothing compares to being able to spend the day lounging around in your pajamas with your kids.  If nothing else, it saves on laundry!  
  • There’s no ambiguity.  No question about whether or not something is going into their heads that you don’t want there.  When they ask those weird questions that only come up when you’re in your car on the way somewhere with a deadline, generally minutes before you get there, you have some idea of where the question is coming from.
  •   Friends are not just so-and-so that sits next to them in art class, that you’ve heard about fifteen times but have never met.  You know their friends.  You know their parents.  You know whether or not they’re the kind of kids that you want influencing your child, and you can better control how much time they’re spending together.
  •  Whether you’re inclined to limit what your kids are eating or not, you know what’s going into their mouths; and if you’re careful about their diets (or have a child with food sensitivities that make it necessary for you to be careful), you don’t have to worry that they’re throwing all of your hard work out the window just because someone in their classroom had a birthday and brought cupcakes for the entire class.  With red frosting.  There’s no need to worry that your chemical-sensitive child will have behavior issues for a week because someone was stupid enough to give him the aforementioned cupcake, or that your wheat-allergic daughter will come home throwing up (or worse, end up in the nurse’s office fighting to breathe) because someone gave her a cookie.
  •  You know the ones:  the lessons that come up when you least expect them.  Your daughter wanders into the kitchen when you’re trying to decide what to make for dinner, and you have the chance to explain to her why you want to put a variety of fruits and vegetables on the table; or your son sees you balancing your checkbook, and you have the opportunity to explain your financial choices to him.  What things do you prioritize when it comes time to allocate your finances?  What’s important, and what can wait?  All of these are things that you often take for granted, but they’re lessons that you want your children to learn.
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, Knoxville Homeschooling Examiner

My older two kids have been virtual schooled since January of 2012. My eldest will be going back to a traditional public school for middle school; my middle son intends to wait until high school. We do a mixture of the Virtual Academy curriculum and our own supplemental material.

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