Choosing to Homeschool: My Story
Introduction
Hello, and welcome back to NEO Homeschool Connections! As I've shared in my post about what homeschooling is, choosing to homeschool your children is a deeply personal decision. Many parents who choose to homeschool have their own reasons for doing so, and today, I want to share with you a little about what led me to decide that homeschooling was the way I wanted to educate my daughter, Maureen.
Homeschool vs. Public School
When I first met my husband, homeschooling was something that, while I'd heard of it, the idea left a bad taste in my mouth. I'd met a handful of homeschooled kids growing up, and they all struck me as awkward, and overly protected. Perhaps because of my upbringing with parents who rejected the idea of homeschooling, I thought public school was the only way to give a child a "proper education." My husband had a different view on homeschooling.
The oldest of 5, my husband was a homeschool kid. His mom devoted her time and energy to raising and educating all 5 of her kids at home. As a result, my husband was afforded opportunities that, as a public school student, were not available to me. For example, my husband was able to learn at his own pace, and dig deep into topics that interested him. He was also able to run a paper route in which he delivered newspapers throughout his hometown in the late mornings (think 10-11 AM), something a public school student would never have been able to do. On top of that, he avoided a lot of the peer pressure and bullying students are exposed to in public schools. My husband's experience with homeschooling left him with a very different perspective on the idea than the one I'd grown up with.
So, how did we come to the agreement that our daughter should be homeschooled? It didn't happen overnight; that's for sure!
From Classroom to Living Room: My Choice to Homeschool
Prior to becoming a mom, I worked for over a decade in childcare. From infants to school-age, I ran the gamut of childcare center classrooms. My favorite age group was the preschool ages. I spent a majority of my time teaching 2-3 year olds, and then transitioned to being a nanny in January of 2020. Upon becoming a mom in 2022, I left the childcare industry in favor of raising my daughter. Leaving the classroom didn't take the teacher out of me though. When Maureen was just a year old, I'd already begun researching preschool options. A conversation with my husband about my top choices for preschool changed the way I dd my research though.
As any parent can attest, education is not cheap. From early childhood care and education all the way through college, parents pay an arm and a leg to provide their kids with a quality education. Given that I'd taught preschool for well over a decade, my husband did not see the value in paying for someone else to teach Maureen when she reached preschool age. He suggested that I do preschool with Maureen at home, and that led me to research preschool homeschool curriculums.
Little did I know I'd discover a world of opportunity in homeschooling! Upon doing research, my views changed drastically. I began to wonder if public school really did provide the best education, or if my daughter would be afforded more opportunity learning at home. The more I dug in, the more I started to believe that homeschooling was the way to go. And then I delivered the shocking news to my hubby: I want to homeschool Maureen, and not just for preschool. I want to homeschool her for the entirety of her primary school years.
Conclusion
I went from public school advocate to homeschool mama in a matter of weeks, but I did, and continue to do, my research. Choosing to homeschool is not a matter to be taken lightly, and it's not a decision that you make impulsively. Homeschooling requires a significant commitment of time and energy on the part of the parents, and I am by no means advocating that it is the correct option for everyone. This is my story, and shares how I came to the conclusion that homeschooling was right for my family. Maureen is still young though - not even 3 yet - and there's plenty of time and room for circumstances and viewpoints to change. Ultimately, I believe education is about doing what is best for your kid. After all, doesn't every parent dream of their child growing up to achieve great things?