Why homeschool? The world continues to tell us how to raise our children, and we must decide for ourselves how to cultivate hearts that love God and neighbor. Homeschooling can be a wonderful way to have the time and ability to do just that. This post will explain the benefits of homeschooling and why it can be such a great choice for Christian families.
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“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
— Aristotle
Hi, I’m Cayce Fletcher. I’m a wife and mother of three, and this is A More Beautiful Life Collective. I’m here to walk hand in hand with you as we grow in grace, build with purpose, and live beautifully.
I just finished a lovely – but intense week – virtually attending the Memoria Press Summer Conference. We are gearing up for another year of homeschooling as my son will be entering first grade. In the week, I was reminded about the beauty of why homeschool – and classical education in particular – is such a good and beautiful thing.
Homeschooling is such a life-giving and important part of my life. So, I wanted to take some time to discuss why I homeschool and share a few lessons I’ve learned in the little years.
This post will be the first part in our Homeschooling 101 series. Check out the shop for more homeschooling resources, including the Homeschool Attendance Tracker and the Build a Beautiful Homeschool Guide. Everything there will help you to set a vision for your year and keep organized as you create the education for your children that you have always wanted. You will figure out your own answer to the question: Why Homeschool?
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If you’ve ever wondered “Why should I homeschool?”, this post is for you. Homeschooling is a worthwhile endeavor. It is a way to disciple your kids. It is even a way to redeem your own education. It is not easy, but it is worth it.
Read on to learn more. Why Homeschool?
Who wants to spend all day with their kids?
An infamous interview is popping up all over social media of an older woman vehemently criticizing homeschoolers and all that they stand for. In the interview, the woman states that homeschoolers are a ‘Crazy Christian problem.’ That it just results in the ‘trickle-down stupidity’ of ‘right-wing’ nonsense. In the midst of her political and religious rhetorical bashing, she mentions this one line that should stop you in your tracks: “I just don’t trust parents who want to spend all day with their kids.”
What?
I mean, what?
I remember my first day back to work when I had my second child. I dropped her off and cried all the way to school, saying, ‘Lord, I don’t want to do this. I just don’t want to do this.’ And I know that I am not alone. All the moms at work looked at me with knowing eyes and said that it is just hard, but it does get easier.
Yes, working moms do enjoy the break from their kids sometimes, and as someone who works from home while homeschooling, I know the pleasure of a day all to myself. The peace. The silence.
But, to make a claim that it’s weird to want to spend time with your kids? To act like you are superior because you pick them up from daycare at 6, feed them a quick supper, and put them in bed… all for a total of 2-3 hours with them at the end of your day? That is just… wild.
As a new(ish) homeschooling mom married to someone who was homeschooled himself, I take the comments she made personally. We are operating on a different paradigm. We have totally different goals for our children. What is wisdom to the homeschooling world is folly to the world outside because they just don’t understand.
So, let’s talk about it: Why homeschool? Why should we homeschool?
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The Benefits of Homeschooling
Homeschooling has taken off in popularity in recent years. In the 80s and 90s, homeschooling was rather fringe – even illegal (pre-1993). According to the National Home Education Research Institute, prior to the pandemic, roughly 1.3-2 million children were being homeschooled in the U.S. After COVID — with the lockdown and other measures —homeschooling surged. Now there are roughly 3.4-4 million students homeschooled in the U.S., roughly 6-10% of all school-aged children. That number continues to grow at a rate of about 2-8% per year.
Why are people flocking to homeschooling?
The primary factor seems to be freedom and choice. EdChoice’s “Who Homeschools, Really?” found that homeschooling is racially and ideologically diverse. There isn’t a monolith of homeschoolers (and it isn’t just MAGA-people on steroids, as that podcaster would say). It’s full of different people who have chosen freedom over being chained to the public school life.
There are several reasons why people are choosing to homeschool (Read more on this thread). When asked Why homeschool?, this is what people responded:
- Parents want to instill a love of learning in their children.
- Parents want their children to experience more than just sitting at a desk all day.
- Parents want to be able to individualize education to meet their students’ needs (both for students who are advanced and students who may be falling through the cracks).
- Parents want to be able to teach their children using materials that align with their beliefs.
- Parents want to pull students out of difficult schooling situations related to bullying, poverty, etc.
- Parents want to avoid the peer pressure that comes in the older years.
- Parents want to give a ‘private school education’ with a ‘private school price tag.
- Parents want their children to be able to pursue their interests and learn life skills.
And, this is just a snapshot. There are so many valid, good reasons to homeschool your kids — and it doesn’t just stop with the parents’ preferences. It is also born out by research. (View Homeschooling: The Research.)
Homeschoolers generally:
- Score Higher on Standardized Tests: Homeschooled students typically score 15% to 25% higher on standardized tests than their public school counterparts.
- Have Lower Rates of Depression and Anxiety: 64% of homeschoolers score better on social-emotional tests than their public school counterparts.
- Are More Civically and Community Minded: Homeschoolers are more likely to do unpaid volunteer work and are more politically tolerant.
- Are Ready to Launch: Homeschoolers have good outcomes not only in college but also in adulthood.
The research is clear. If you have the desire and ability to homeschool, then it is definitely worth it.
Why Homeschool?
People homeschool for a variety of different reasons, and as I’ve mentioned, some of those reasons come from a secular standpoint. The question becomes: As a Christian, why homeschool? Should we as Christians homeschool?
I think the answer to that question is “Yes!”
Brian Ray’s research mentioned before also found that — though homeschoolers are generally more politically tolerant — “By adulthood, the home educated internalize the values and beliefs of their parents at a higher rate than average.”
In Deuteronomy 6:7, we read the playbook for how we should disciple our children. It says we should talk about the commands of God all the time: “Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” As we do life together, we are saturating our speech with the Word of God. In so doing, we pass on the faith we have to our children.
This framework for parenting falls apart if we fracture the household into a million different pieces – with mom running one way, the kids all in a different extracurricular activity, and dad always working. Your children are being trained by something, and if you are not there to teach them, someone else is doing that work.
Homeschooling provides the time and opportunity to train up our kids in the way they should go. It is not a guarantee of resulting in a lasting Christian faith for our children, but it is one of the best ways to do the work that we are called to do as parents.
If you are interested in learning more about the Christian call to schooling our children, check out these books:
- Education: Does God have an opinion? By Israel Wayne
- Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason
- The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
- The Inspired Homeschool: Lessons from 10 Home-Educated Heroes for Confident, Faith-Filled Learning at Home by Jennifer Pepito
Homeschooling is a choice that I did not make lightly, but it is one that I am making in trust that by homeschooling, I can cultivate my children’s hearts and pull them towards the good, true, and beautiful.
Do you homeschool? Why or why not? I’d love to hear in the comments below.
And, don’t forget to check out the shop to get the Build a Beautiful Homeschool guide plus the AMBL Homeschool Attendance Tracker.
Until next time, keep creating a life you love and cultivating your heart for God.
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