Many people ask me why we homeschool. It isn’t every day or anything, because, quite frankly, we are in contact with lots of fellow homeschoolers on a daily basis and a handful of friends and relatives that have already asked in the past so…it has slowed down. But we do get asked.
My husband and I have many reasons why we homeschool. (You can read about “Why We Homeschool” here.) But one of the biggest reasons that we homeschool, defined in a word, is FREEDOM.
Here are some of the ‘freedoms‘ that homeschooling has given us.
FREEDOM to schedule our day the way we wish.
FREEDOM to chose the subjects that we want our children to study.
FREEDOM to start our day at a time that allows our children to be most engaged.
FREEDOM to learn together.
FREEDOM to spend time learning life skills
FREEDOM to include volunteer work and service projects in our day.
FREEDOM to vacation as a family when it works best for our family, not just during set times.
FREEDOM to cultivate relationships between our siblings throughout the day as they play together and learn together.
FREEDOM to be available to our family to help during hard times like sicknesses and surgeries.
FREEDOM make music and art and foreign language a focus in our school.
FREEDOM to take a break when we need it.
FREEDOM to learn by doing not just at a desk.
FREEDOM to make homeschooling a group effort, with our children learning together, with my husband and I learning with our kids, and instilling a love for life-long learning that we feel is vital to the success of our children.
In the end, there are just an amazing number of FREEDOMS that we feel homeschooling has afforded us. We are blessed to have been called to homeschooling and the happiness and peace that it has brought to our family are immeasurable. As homeschooling become more mainstream, the government looks at it more often and we know that we have to keep active and have a voice to ensure that our homeschooling rights are protected and not compromised by those that do not understand what homeschooling can truly be.
Is it for everyone? Absolutely not. I think there are many types of educational options because every family needs to determine the best course for their children and their family. But that means that we need to be cognizant of those that do not understand homeschooling and ensure we keep an active voice that we can protect our homeschooling rights. This is important to me because I want to ensure that my family is able to continue to homeschool as long as we feel it is the best option for our family.
The IAHE (the Indiana Association of Home Educators) is active in helping keep our homeschooling right here in Indiana at the forefront of our lawmakers, protecting our rights as homeschoolers. If you are NOT from Indiana, you are likely to have a homeschooling group that does the same for your state. I urge you to get to know that group. Here is Indiana, to get to know IAHE and those that keep it active and involved to protect our homeschooling rights. The HSLDA is another group that helps with this. Become familiar with these organization and know where to go with questions.
The IAHE Bloggers have shared their thoughts on Homeschool Freedom. Be sure to check out these great articles about Homeschool Freedom. And, if you are here in Indiana, be sure to check out Homeschool Days at the State Capital. This is an excellent opportunity for homeschoolers to meet those legislators that are passing and reviews laws that can affect our homeschooling right here in Indiana.
See what the IAHE Bloggers have to say by clicking below:
Shalynne @ Wonderfully Chaotic
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