20 Reasons Why We Love Home School

 

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As mom of a son with life-threatening food allergies,

I know one of the most weighing concerns for allergy families is what to do about school.

We pray that our children will outgrow their allergies by kindergarten, and when they don’t…panic ensues.

How will they be safe so many hours away from us?

Yes, we started home school because of food allergies.

I won’t pretend it wasn’t.

But eight years in and with a wonderful program that suits us well…

our family of four is in unanimous decision that home school is for us.

Food allergies or not. 

 

And maybe home school is for you!

Or maybe you will read this post and say no way!

But then a year or two down the road, you will be Googling “Milk Allergy Mom Home School”…

because you just can’t shake the idea.

That’s why I’m sharing this post.

I know some of you will find and fall in love with home school as a result,

and that’s worth it to me to write this.

Every family deserves to find the perfect fit for them.

To help you start exploring this possible option,

I’ve listed 20 reasons why we home school.

I hope this helps you dig deeper as you research educational options for your kids.

Best wishes, mama!

 

1. PUBLIC SCHOOL TOLD US TO

Our public school told us we should probably home school because they don’t want moms volunteering around the school too much.

Um, ok, lol. #freelabor 

2. NO FULL-TIME NURSES AT SCHOOL

The public school only had a part-time nurse.

We felt this was just not enough support for our food allergy son.

3. SCARY CAFETERIAS

I’m the one who has made all our food allergy mistakes so I certainly don’t expect a cafeteria to keep my son safe.

Cross contamination, surface residue, and airborne allergens are all concerns.

4. BULLIES

All we have to do is read the daily news to know what an epidemic school bullying has become.

And food allergy kids seem to get the brunt of it.

5. FOCUS ON STRENGTHS, NOT FOOD ALLERGY

My sons are gaining a lot of confidence by being able to focus on their academic, spiritual, personality, and extra-curricular strengths at home.

I love seeing and fostering their gifts. 

6. SMALLER, SAFER COMMUNITY

Our home school group is small enough to build relationships and to have a food allergy safe environment where everyone is understanding.

Life isn’t always like this but why shouldn’t it be for now?

We believe in baby-stepping into the big wide world.  

7. EFFECTIVE FOOD ALLERGY ADVOCACY

We get to educate a close-knit community about food allergies.

And they are then going out and educating others.

Think quality over quantity. Jesus and the 12 disciples.  

8. LOWER STRESS FOR ALL

Parent and child food allergy stress levels are much lower.

Better for our overall health, and how we honestly are managing the rigors of milk allergy therapy so well. 

9. INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION & SAFETY  

We think we can keep our child alive better than a school can.

That’s a strong reason.  

10. TEACH FOOD ALLERGY SKILLS IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

We are walking alongside our son closely and teaching him food allergy management at age appropriate levels.

Throwing the baby out with the bath water was just not our preferred method for this important training.

11. BEING MAINSTREAM ISN’T OUR CONCERN

Instead, teaching our kids to think outside the box is important to us.

And home school is definitely “outside the box”.

We want them to be thinkers, communicators, and confident leaders.

12. WE HOLD OUR VALUES TIGHTLY

We want to instill values into our children that the school system probably will not.

In fact, the school systems may instill values counter to what our family thinks and believes, and I don’t want to spend our evenings un-teaching what our kids may learn at school.

13. WE WANT OUR KIDS TO BE KIDS

Getting to sled when it snows, ride bikes when it’s sunny, splash puddles when it rains, run in leaves when they fall.

Not to mention that no matter how good parents are at home, the influence at school these days can be appalling.

In my opinion, society is growing our kids up way too fast. Call me a prude.

14. BEING SOCIAL IS THE LEAST OF OUR WORRIES

Our food allergy son is a competitive club athlete.

Our other son is a natural life-of-the-party.

We have sports friends, church friends, cousins, neighbor friends, home school field trips and play days.

In addition, my kids are learning to socialize beyond their peer group, and that’s incredibly valuable.    

15. WE HAVE A GREAT PROGRAM

We have found an amazing, nationalized home school program that will take our children all the way through high school.

Classical Christian education has been the best fit for us.

16. FAMILY TIME IS IMPORTANT TO US

We don’t spend the evenings doing homework, and that means more fun time with dad and as a family.

We can take vacations whenever we want, too. Bonus!

17.  RELAXED SCHEDULE

We can stay up late, wake up late.

Have a slow breakfast.

No lunch-packing stress or limitations, and we have time to make nutritious dinners.

I love our laid back schedule especially in the kitchen!

18. THE HOME SCHOOL MOVEMENT IS GROWING

Home schooling has grown exponentially in recent years and so has the support network.

At our disposal are legal defense, social avenues, online inspiration, and awesome curriculum choices of all varieties!

There’s no need to go at it alone these days.

19. STATISTICALLY SUCCESSFUL

Home school graduates are scoring above average on national tests, and colleges are starting to vie for these well-performing students.

20. LIFE IS SHORT

We only have our children for a short time. In nine quick years, I will be able to do whatever I want with my life.

For now, we are thoroughly enjoying our time with our kids.

ONLY MOMS HOME SCHOOL 

Dads can get involved, too, and they do a great job.

Good male role models are necessary for our kids and society as a whole.

ONLY STAY AT HOME MOMS CAN HOME SCHOOL

I know home school moms who work full-time or part-time, even outside the home.

Doctors, nurses, Chamber of Commerce President, professors, managers, business owners galore. 

HOME SCHOOL HAS TO BE FROM 8am TO 3pm

Nope. For one, learning takes half the time when it’s one-on-one with your child.

And it can be early mornings, evenings, and even weekends.

SINGLE MOMS CAN’T HOME SCHOOL

I know ones who do!

They enlist the help of grandparents, family, babysitters, etc. to help get things done.

With a good ally, I’ve seen it’s possible.

HOME SCHOOL IS TOO EXPENSIVE

It doesn’t have to be.

There are tons of free or inexpensive resources out there.

Our family embraces the classical model of simplicity, and we save a lot of money that way.

I HAVE TO USE PUBLIC SCHOOL BECAUSE I PAY TAXES INTO IT

Well, so do retired people and families in private school.

We will be paying money to the schools our entire life as long as we are home owners.

Moving to a less expensive district can alleviate some of the tax sting. 

Find out your state laws regarding home school. Some have no regulations. Some do.  

Any loving parent can home school. You know your child best.  

You don’t have to be “religious” to home school. There are all kinds of programs.  

There are so many curriculum and methods out there. Choose what’s best for your family!

Practice home school during the preschool years. It will help you learn your styles early.

It’s never too late to bring your kids home. Kids are so resilient and adaptable. 

You don’t have to pick one thing and stick to it. Changing curriculum or school decisions is fine. Do what’s best for now and be willing to change as needed.  

 

I hope you are encouraged to dream a little further about educating your kiddos at home.

I know you can do it!