Hello!!!  I know, get over the shock, I'm blogging!!!  It's been so hectic around here and I haven't felt inspired to blog, however, today I feel the need to answer the question:  Why school your children at home?  You might be a little surprised at my answer, maybe not.  I would like to say that I feel that the ability to school my child at home is a true blessing from the Lord.  It really gives me a peace knowing that my daughter will be with me at home--learning and thriving--knowing she is safe.  Trust me, no kid is going to shoot her at home...unless they shoot me first. 

 

I should have made that a paragraph, so please forgive that error in composition !  I just want to say that as I child, I really sufferred a lot in school.  I was always a year or so younger than the kids in my grade because I started kindergarten at age 4.  I was very quiet and meek (it's true!! I swear!) and I was easily influenced.  If kids threatened me, I was truly scared out of my wits to go to school.  After I hit about 5th grade, it was even worse.  Kids were threatening me because a boy they liked would like me...stupid stuff, but to a child, that is very scary.  Having boys "like" me was strange too, I was so young, I had no idea about things like that.  My parents watched me and I was a very innocent child, until I hit 7th grade...Jr. High School was excruciating...it's no exaggeration, I hated it.  By the time I hit High School, I begged and cried to my mother to send me to the CGT school.  Kids are just so cruel and I felt the sting every single day of my life in school.  When my junior year came up, things were easier, and senior year also.  BUT, I was not truly happy and even though I was very intelligent, I just didn't feel motivated to improve myself and my grades.  Maybe it was because I was being taught by teachers that could care less about me?  Maybe it was because everything going on around me was so confusing and intimidating?  I did graduate and I danced home that night knowing I would never have to be in High School again.  So all of the people who lament not going to public High School, well.....think about this, only about 1% of the kids are cheerleaders and football players.  There are pressures in high school involving drugs and sex also.  People think, "Oh not my kid!!"  HAHA  Open your eyes, it's there bigtime.  So when the whole "if you homeschool your child, they don't get socialization skills".  That makes me laugh!!  I don't want my children being "socialized" the way I was.  I want them to grow and learn in a nurturing environment.  My children spend time with their friends that do happen to go to my wonderful church, but they also spend time with neighborhood childern.  My daughter is very outgoing and kind, she can make friends at the supermarket, she speaks to everyone, says hello and is about the cutest little girl you have ever seen!  So there ya go!  There is reason #1 I suppose.....because I had such horrible experiences in the public school system, I do not want to expose my most precious treasures on this Earth, my beautiful childern, to the same experiences that I suffered through growing up. 

 

Second....I want to know exactly was it being taught to my children every single minute of every single school day (is that possible, well, YEAH!! When I'm the teacher it is!)  There are certain things that I do not want my daughter to learn about in 1st grade.  Will these things come up someday?  Ofcourse!!!  But I'd rather have a discussion with her about these issues when she is mature enough to listen to my opinion and her father's opinion, think about how she feels and make her OWN decision how she feels.  I don't think that a first grader can truly grasp the concept of...say...homosexuality.  I just don't want my daughter thinking about that right now.  She honestly has no idea about it yet, and I'd rather her find out when she is older and can really comprehend the concept.  I want her to have the education and stability in her foundation as a Christian and as a human being to be able to come to her OWN conclusions...I pray she will always have mercy and love her neighbor.

 

That comes to reason #3!!!   I want her to learn about my Jesus and His Father!!  I want her to get a trophy for Bible memory!  I want to pray with her during schooltime!  I want her to say the Pledge of Allegiance and sing "America the Beautiful".  Is there anything wrong with that?  These things are completely erased from public schools and I find them important and significant!  I love praying with my children when we start our school day.  I rejoice when she says her scriptures and I can tell her about God's love through His word!  It's so crucial!  I want her to have a relationship with Jesus and I feel, as her parent, that it's my responsibility to be a witness of God's love every single minute of every single day!  I want her to see her mother and teacher as a light in her world!  I pray everyday for the grace to do this!  Do I fail?  Oh yes!! But honestly, it's a joy to school her and I focus on this:  Thank you Lord for giving me the health, the mind, and the financial ability to do this! 

 

Anyways, I just want my daughter and my son to have the best opportunities when it comes to education and life in general.  I feel that schooling at home is what is right for MY family.  For parents who do send their children to public or private schools....if that is what is best for your family, I say that's wonderful.  I NEVER judge others' decisions to no homeschool.  I do not think they love their children less than I love mine.  You have to do what is best for YOUR family and I support that 100%.

 

By the way, as an afterthought, my daughter is in 1st grade this year.  I must say that she is thriving and learning so much!  She is a fabulous reader (she learned to read in kindergarten...did I mention that I LOVE A Beka!!!).  She is learning about science and history, cursive writing, mathematics, spelling, art and PE!!  She is also getting straight A's...not only is that a huge and wonderful accomplishment for her, it is for me too!!  She has also started piano lessons and is so excited!!  She's doing really well so far!  She has a world of opportunities open to her, and I am going to help her to achieve whatever she decides to do with her life EVERY SINGLE STEP OF THE WAY!!!

 

I'd also like to add one more thing....if at any time I felt like my children were not thriving and learning everything they needed to be, my husband and I would explore other options at that time.  Like I said before, I want my daughter to have many open doors of opportunity, and if I can't give them to her, somehow, we will find a way to make it happen!

 

love you guys!  have a blessed day!!!  Chrissy