Our Decision To Homeschool

I guess now is a good time to announce that we've decided to homeschool Brielle. 

Brielle ~ Pre-K ~ Age: 3 ~ October 2015

I'll be the first to admit that for most of my life, I was against homeschooling. I thought all homeschoolers were these religious freaks who sheltered their kids from the rest of the world. That homeschooled kids had no social ability and no experience in life. That homeschooling set up children for nothing but failure as adults. 

One of Brielle's favorite things to do these days is trace anything and everything. It's so easy, fun for her and she's brushing up on her pencil skills every time she picks one up.

I'll also be the first to admit that I was wrong. 100% wrong actually. The more research I do and the more people I talk to that homeschool, the more I learn. And the more that I learn about homeschooling, the more I love the idea. 

Not everyone can or should homeschool. It's not for everyone. And if you are making the decision, it's not something that should be taken lightly. I have done endless hours of research, Rhonda and I have talked about it a lot and I have been actively homeschooling Pre-K with Brielle since the start of the school year. Actually before that since we started with lesson books and activities when she turned two.

There are a small handful of people who already know we are going to homeschool Brielle and the age old question of why is quick to come up. So here are our top 10 reasons.

1. Call me selfish, but I'm not ready for Brielle to go to school. I love having her at home. One day too soon, she'll be gone. Just ask everyone who has said that kids grow up too quickly and are gone in the blink of an eye.
   
2. I love teaching her and she loves learning from me. Together we're creating a pretty good team.
   
3. Working together on a different level every day has created a unique, close bond between the two of us. I've had to learn to have patience with her so she doesn't lose interest in learning and in turn, it's allowed us to grow closer. I love that!
   
4. It allows our family the flexibility we want in our life. With Rhonda working 2 jobs, having Brielle at home allows us to spend time together as a family when Rhonda's schedule allows.
   
5. No having to get up early to take the bus (once we move to the acreage).
   
6. As you know, we love to travel and with homeschooling, we can travel any time of the year. We can teach from anywhere in the world! Every outing and vacation is a field trip and a learning experience.
   
7. Brielle can learn at her own pace. No pressure to lag behind in subjects she exceeds in or get left behind in subjects she needs extra help understanding. One-on-one teaching meets kids where they are.
   
8. Learning doesn't have to happen by being stuck at a desk all day long. At home we can create fun, unique and engaging lessons with everything we do. Baking, nature hikes, crafts, building and even daily chores can be the best learning tools to connect with children.
   
9. Both Rhonda & I can participate in the homeschooling process. Because there are no set hours in a homeschoolers day, it can be done at any time and by everyone. I'll be the primary teacher but Rhonda will have the option to participate when she has free time.
   
10. One of her parents will always get to experience all of her firsts; reading her first word, first time writing her name, taking her first test and other things that parents tend to miss out on when their kids are in school. 

Easiest matching game ever. Take an empty egg carton, write numbers and/or letters and have them match the shape. I used plastic fridge magnets from the dollar store.

There are dozens upon dozens of reasons why we are attracted to homeschooling. We feel it will work for our family, at least for a few years. We haven't decided to do this forever. We'll get through another year of Pre-K, Kindergarten and likely Grade 1 before we revisit the idea of Brielle attending school. If we all love homeschooling, we'll continue doing it. But if it isn't working out and Brielle isn't happy at home, we'll do the right thing. We plan on taking this one step at a time. 

When thinking about homeschooling, the biggest thing I had to overcome was my ability to actually teach our child. I grew up thinking I was dumb. Horrible word, I know....but I was never good in school, I never caught on to things quickly and nobody took the time to teach me to ensure I understood. Therefore I felt dumb. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized it wasn't my fault. I wasn't dumb. I just needed more time, patience, attention and one-on-one teaching. I didn't get it and I for sure don't want that for Brielle. If she needs more time to learn things, we'll ensure she gets that. She won't be overlooked in a classroom full of kids. I also realize that I am more than capable of teaching her, especially in these lower grades. This is turning out to be a huge benefit to both myself and our daughter.

The next few years are going to be full of adventure and challenge and tears and happiness and everything in between. Not everyone will understand and the good thing is, they don't have to. Homeschooling isn't easy but it's something we believe is right for our family at this time.

Here are 100 reasons why homeschooling is good for families from our friends over at Abundant Life.

Interested in tons of free lesson plans, printables, worksheets, websites and homeschooling information? Follow our Teaching Brielle board on Pinterest. We're adding things almost daily.