On why we are choosing homeschool

There.  

I said it.  

Homeschooling.

I've been avoiding this post for quite some time now.  There isn't much I dislike more than being put in a box and labeled.  I've hesitated to publicize our decision because I've feared being labeled "Homeschool Mom" and having folks think they've got me all figured out now that they can put me in that category.  

If you've been on Facebook at all this week you've seen almost everyone posting cute photos of their preschooler or kindergartner heading off for their first day of school.  Blogs have been full of "kids are back in school" type posts.  There has been a tiny bit of me that has doubted our homeschool decision this week.  Maybe I do need more space away from my preschooler.  What if she is missing out?  How will she learn anything!?!  I've had to, once again, think through our "why".

 -We long to foster and protect a love of learning and discovery.  Curiosity, questions, and creativity are highly valued in our home, and we want that to be foundational in how our kids view learning.  We believe play, outdoor exploration, and real life experiences are key in the midst of minimal amounts of rote learning, memorization, and testing.

-We want to foster our family relationships.  We want our kids to have the foundation of really knowing and enjoying one another.  

-I really love teaching and helping people learn.  I get excited about being able to key in on my kids' unique interests and abilities.  

-We want to maintain flexibility.  I anticipate we will feel more free to let our kids pursue "extra-curricular" interests like music, dance, and sports without them taking up all of our margin.  We can take breaks to travel if we desire.  We can go on day trips.  We can set a school pace that fits our needs.

-We want to help our kids develop foundational ways of processing the world around them.  Our belief in Jesus Christ, his radical never-ending grace, and his call to follow Him as servant King shapes our worldview and we long for that to be the case for our children as well.  We long to live out (in really flawed ways for sure) countercultural values that will hopefully quiet some of the lies our culture will be screaming at them their entire lives.

Obviously, these points have been developed on the front end of our children's educational journey.  Who knows what we might face that will cause us to tweak things.  I'm sure our reasoning will change a bit over the years, but I do think the above points could apply for our kids' lifetime, regardless of where they are being formally educated.  

The one overarching commitment T and I have made in this decision is that it is up for yearly evaluation and reconsideration for each child.  At this point, I see us keeping our kids at home through 3rd grade or something like that.  Who knows, really!?!  What I do know for sure is that Hannah is going to do preschool at home this year and in a once-a-week morning coop with a handful of other girls her age.

So, I invite your questions and curiosity.  And please know that if you are choosing to send your little ones to public or private school, I have NO judgement or criticism for you.  Your role in your child's education will just look different.  I just pray that your children and mine can relate, learn from one another and love one another as they grow and share their different experiences and perspectives.  Isn't that what we want from each other as well?