So Many Reasons To Homeschool!
There are times for many homeschoolers that we find ourselves saying “That is another reason we homeschool” and goodness those mental lists get very long. I joke and say “This is reason 3,688 that we homeschool” and as I have no list, I am just being silly with the number. I thought it would be cool to collect all the reasons my family homeschools and share them. This is not a list to “debate” but rather share our beliefs. This isn’t a list that should make anyone feel like less of a parent if they don’t homeschool. It isn’t about anyone but our family and maybe those others who have these things in common. Homeschooling is not for everyone, like everything it has it’s pro’s and con’s. Not Homeschooling doesn’t mean you love your child any less. For every reason on this list the opposite can be argued, but again, this list isn’t about debate. We have looked at both sides and find that we believe it to be one of the many reasons we homeschool. Your millage of course will vary!
This list is a work in progress as I find a few minutes to add to it, and as I link in blog posts to those reasons. Numbers will jump around, they might move, and really their number will have little significance. If you think I am forgetting something, I would love to hear your thoughts on reasons to homeschool!1.We are geeks who love to share learning with our kids.
1. They Love Homeschooling (most days)
2. We love to spend time with our kids.
3. We don’t want to miss learning moments with them.
4. We can protect their childhoods.
5. They can follow their interests.
6. No Bullies getting in the way of learning.
7. Learning from people of all ages, not just their own age group.
8. More time for Art
9. More time outside
10. Not limited to a desk for almost 6 hours a day
11. Having Great Technology to Learn with
12. Custom Curriculum
13. Finding their learning styles
14. Their learning Styles Respected
15. No bed time battles
16. Learning in PJs
17. Learning on the Go
18. Car Schooling
19. Purple Hair (the teen insists!)
20. Movement in Learning
21. They don’t have to ask to go pee! (This one my son says is important!)
22. Health issues are not held against them.
23. Sick Days are respected!
24. Sick Days can be productive!
25. So many military moves could be chaos on their education.
26. Time to Travel
27. Time to Mourn
28. Not Pushed into being Drugged
29. Kids not slowed down by curriculum, teacher, slower students.
30. It’s ok to at be at different grade levels in different subjects!
31. Kids not crammed in like sardines.
32. More hands on Learning
33. Drug free Learning Enviornment
34. Teacher loves them!
35. They can sleep in!
36. More Library Time
37. More Field Trips
38. Makes friends with people of many ages.
39. Social skills modeled by those who have good ones, not still learning.
40. Real sex-ed!
41. Time to Protest!
44. Time to travel for competitions if they want.
45. Field Trips to fun places not crowded with kids during school hours.
46. Behavior issues are handled right away.
47. Music, sometimes you must drop everything and just play! (or so I am told!)
48. Don’t have to stop learning at the sound of a bell.
49. No crappy school lunches.
50. If someone takes your stuff, you tend to know where they live! (and sleep!)
51. Not grounded when your parents get your report card!
52. If Mom can’t teach it, she finds someone who can.
53. Do they do glass blowing in public schools?
54. No forced dissection but we did accidentally kill a frog….
55. Animal husbandry. (Do most homeschoolers have so many pets? We seem to….)
56. Family Learning Projects
57. No I don’t want to learn Spanish. How about sign language?
58. Getting to learn real Science and Free Thinking!
59. Textbooks not made by this guy….
60. Teachers don’t abuse the students (Not in this house!)
61. Cooking is a Class
62. There is time to fix what you break
63. MINECRAFT (You knew it was coming right?)
64. Bring your hamster to Class
65. Homeschool Co-Op are fun!
66. Learning from other great kids.
67. Homeschoolers have Crazy Hobbies (Fire twirling?)
68. Family Bonding
69. BOOKS BOOKS MORE BOOKS
70. We don”t have to buy our children a bullet proof blanket for school!
71. Gaming counts as school too.
72. Can cuddle during a storm, can’t at school!
73. “school” photos can be retaken as many times kids/parents want.
74. The school year is not set in stone.
75. No school Bus safety issues.
76. No Missing the Bus
77. No late detention for innocent things.
78. No fashion Police
79. They have homeschool dances too!
80. Learning that everyone has something to teach and learn.
81. Getting to pick books to do reports on.
82. More time to write their own Book
83. Dedicated NaNoWriMo time!
84. Cell phones not banned in class.
85. Can pause lesson to dance in the rain!
86. The trampoline can be GYM class!
87. Chance for kids to teach other kids what they know.
88. No fund raising/begging.
89. Not dealing with Multi-Level-Marketing Moms at pick up.
90. Clique free learning environment
91. Can ride a rocking horse while learning!
92. Lego Lessons!
93. No Test Anxiety
94. One on One time in needed areas.
95. More focus time on family morals.
96. More time for creativity.
97. Learning beyond the page.
98. Learning history from a world view, not just an American one.
99. Not stuck using the lowest bidder.
100. Flexibility around deployments.
101. Can stay up most of the night to watch meteor showers.
102. No rushing out for projects kids forgot to mention.
103. Love new curriculum that comes in the mail.
104. Make the Ordinary Come Alive
105. No mindless Busy Work
106. No worksheets teachers didn’t even bother reading first.
107. Proving teacher wrong does not make you “disruptive in class”
108. Hands on problems and hands on solutions.
109. We live in GA, with too many school shootings.
110. Many homeschooled kids go to college early.
111. Not forced to dissect cats!
112. Good Teachers Are Leaving Education Others Are Jaded
113. Avoid the unhealthy obsession with flawed standardized tests
114. Not my Circus, Not my Monkeys
115. Public Schools – A lesson in Blind Obedience
116. Not stuck in the middle of the common core debate!
117. They are learning so much!
118. Our Teen got A’s and B’s when she went into cyber school with a professional teacher. We didn’t mess her up!
119. We don’t want the kids duck taped to the floor!
120. Homeschooled children seem to communicate so well with all age groups!
121. We have more health care choices!
122. No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem
123. Crazy Art Projects not limited by lesson time.
124. Getting to read banned books!
125. Learning environment free of sin!
126. Can Pledge allegiance how ever they wish without negative repercussions.
127. Not held back in some areas because of learning disabilities in others.
128. No one trying to shame you for spelling or grammar errors.
129. Time to get a real world mentor
130. More time to volunteer
131. Not trapped in a lie that school is “the mini world”
132. Not stuck at school during a natural disaster!
133. Not stuck at school during a man made disaster!
134. Not stuck at school being shamed by the religious cliqui.
135. Not having to be stuck dealing with rape culture in school placing blame on what females wear or don’t wear!
136. Homeschool Perk says the teen “Staying up all night talking to friends who NEED to talk, supporting one another.”
137. Bowling counts as P.E.
138. So does lazer tag!
139. Spelling Practice can me jumping loads of fun!
140. Kids can teach classes too!
141. Kids have a say in how they learn!
143. Other Awesome Homeschool Families!
144. You can’t see an endangered snake in your classroom!
145. You can’t rescue and nurse a kitten during a public school day!
146. Get to try out cutting edge curriculum
147. Use school supplies from other countries
148. Have your own laptop with learning games too
149. You can have class on a boat
150. You can have class in a pool
151. You can have class on a plane
152. You can fly a plane! It counts as a lesson!
153. You can be a night owl
152. You can paint at 2 in the art room.
153. If your Dog ate your homework your Mom believes you!
154. Because around here adults can hit kids at school!
155. We rather the bus driver not pepper spray the kids!
156. An art class can go on for hours if the kids want it to!
157. Science is so hands on!
158. Science is up to date and relevant to today’s news and issues!
159. One of the hard parts of cyber highschool is picking electives or making your own!
160. Can have peanut butter for lunch! (we are lucky and would gladly give it up if in school where chances are kids are allergic without complaint!)
161. Homeschool Conferences!
162. Special classes from museums just for homeschoolers!
163. Homeschooling is safer when there is an outbreak.
164. Mom is the school nurse who know every thing about you.
165. Some states pay for homeschooling curriculum.
166. Friend spent $740 on school uniforms for 2 kids and still not done shopping for gym uniforms and such. WOW
167. Friends report their kids learned more when homeschooling than costly private school even!
168. We rather schools not serve our children literally trash!
169. Doctor Who can be an Elective!
170. Stained glass window markers for art!
171. Finishing school work early and going to the mall while other kids are still in school!
172. Playing “guess the wild hair color today” with other kids in cyber school!
173. Others kids creativity pushing you further to express your own.
174. Not stuck on an over crowded school bus with all sorts of potential dangers!
175. School Playground Brutality – #justice4avalynn
176. Kids get to plan there own school photos!
177. The kids love homeschooling!
178. The kids love Mom as a teacher!
179. The kids love Dad as teacher!
180. Because it seems public school teachers can get away with being sexual with students… (Susan Kathleen Duursma case)
181. Doctor Who History Curriculum. I kid you not. Look it up! LOL
182. Homeschooling WORKS! Studies show kids score 70 – 80% better than most public school students!
183. My 9th grader scored in the high 12th grade for many of the language arts criteria on her DORA test. (see above point…)
184. Homeschoolers are less likely to get things like lice!
185. Studies show homework doesn’t help kids, so why do schools not adapt?
186. We don’t have to ask our kids what they learned today only for them to say they don’t remember!
187. When the book is wrong, we can help our kids write to the company to get it corrected!
188. Two words: Water Bears! (How come I never learned about these in school?)
189. Halloween costumes in our homeschool can be scary and be worn for many days while doing learning work! LOL
190. I don’t have to hurt my children or make them fear to help them learn! (Unlike some teachers….)
191. Because we don’t want Corporate America parenting our kids!
192. Because some teachers don’t understand NO means NO!
193. My homeschoolers read more than most public school children
194. Common Core is focusing on non-fiction while studies show brain benefit for novel length fiction.
195. Ability to change classes quickly to meet child’s needs.
196. Ability and freedom to learn something and express that learning in creative open ended ways.
197. Test scores are not used to shame or punish but to guide.
198. Grades are not use to limit student learning.
199. Following up to date news is second nature not a special class from time to time.
200. Son wants a DNA Extractor….. doubt he would have much time to even come up with that in school.
201. 4 Lies About School Dress Codes That Cover Up Their Oppressive Effects
202. Praise from family who once told us horrible things about homeschooling:
204. Our children do not want to go to school, specially our teen!
205. Kids don”t need to be preached to and bullied by teachers in our opinion.
206. Having manners doesn’t make homeschoolers uncool!
207. There is more time for life skills like mowing the lawn.
208. Play can be a priority!
209. Little one was watching and learning and teaching herself to read at 3 year old.
210. We can still school if there is a local illness outbreak.
211. Grandparents after a few years of seeing results have come around to homeschooling.
212. Drivers Ed can be a high school elective in homeschooling too.
213. Apparently in public schools teachers can be bullies and students can be suspended for getting evidence of it!
214. New crayons are a great motivator for little ones as it turns out.
215. Kids can be creative and invent holidays. No getting into trouble for underpants day!
216. If accidents happen there is no rushing to school with spare clothing for a child.
217. All the kids have their own laptop or PC in our house.
218. No privacy concerns as there can be with borrowed public school technology.
219. My kids skin color should not decide weather their school gets AC or not!
220. Because an innocent prank can cause kids to do 10-20 years in prison….
221. Homeschooling lets the kids keep with technology changes.
222. Programming isn’t just a class for high school kids!
223. We homeschool because if there is a bully in the classroom Mom can actually help!
224. Listening to music can help one retain information.
225. Having a frog voice doesn’t mean you will miss a day of school!
226. If teacher is having a baby you don’t get stuck with a bad substitute.
227. Never lost at school!
228. Getting help is encouraged.
229. Enthusiasm isn’t linked to a teachers pay scale.
230. Politics aren’t likely to change the science curriculum.
232. Finding solutions to everyday problems is so much better than testing skills.
233. A hammer and nails is part of the curriculum package for homeschooling.
234. Can’t do Earth Hour at school but perfect for homeschool time.
235. Because having cancer gets kids out of private schools….
236. Kids have ample time to find true motivation.
237. Kids given time to learn how to prioritize learning.
238. A homeschool day can have a lot of physical activity not just going from class to class.
240. Principles can get away with being racist just by saying the Devil Made Her Do It.
241. My children will never at home get away with saying mythology made them behave badly.
242. The kids love that we get to do a lot of swimming as homeschoolers!
243. Learning can happen in the pool.
244. Public school children take tests that are set up against them!
245. It is rather easy to change classes to fit future career goals as a homeschooler.
246. Certain kinds of homeschooling has been shown to help children develop as highly self-motivated, self-directed individuals.
247. Female students shouldn’t be punished because male students are not expected to have self control.
248. We have homeschooled for 10 years and no lice! 🙂
249. We don”t want our children treated like prisoners in isolation rooms….. who would?
250. Apparently a teacher in a country that scores far better than our own ate a hamster to teach his students a lesson. Just. No.
251. School learning is often based on the negative, one doesn’t want bad grades or to be left behind by their peers.
252. Reading the same Curious George book over and over is more than acceptable if little ones want to.
253. Not back to school parties are a blast!
254. Our oldest daughter negotiated with her online private school and got to take a different math curriculum than the standard!
255. Geekery is celebrated!
256. I. Just. Can’t…. local shooting at elementary school. (Why do I even feel the need to justify homeschooling again?)
257. I homeschool because we are an attached family.
258. I homeschool because children grow so fast I want to spend as much time as I can with them.
259. The kids want to homeschool.
260. Because they love the minecraft homeschool my husband set up!
261. Because I have friends who keep their kids home because of testing pressure and my heart hurts for them.
262. We can focus on STEM or rather STEAM.
263. Because my husband has no interest in even trying any of them in public school.
264. We have met some great homeschool families.
265. We have inspired some great new homeschool families.
266. Someone has to keep the libraries open!
267. All the kids are the popular kids in Homeschooling!
268. If a child is falling asleep through a lesson then it is clearly nap time, not possible in school.
269. Doctor Visits don’t count against the child. They can be educational.
270. Lessons can be sung, the whole thing.
271. Backwards Day!
272. Giggling in class is encouraged.
273. No bad grades just for daring to challenge a teacher.
274. Mommy says: Dare you to prove me wrong and she means it in the very best way!
275. Teacher can breastfeed and teach at the same time!
276. Learning about breastfeeding might be a life changing gift to daughters. See the 100 reasons to breastfeed post!
277. Exposing kids to liberal values for a better world.
278. Summer doesn’t have to end Early!
279. There are schools with toxic fracking happening within visible distances from their buildings.
280. Kids are allowed to talk about hot topics at home, not so much in school!
281. A friend told me about how her son punished and recess taken away because he pretended to marry another boy, his invisible friend. Poor Kid.
282. Staying home with a sick pet is a valid excuse for a “missed” day and easy to make up. Caring is something we should encourage in children!
283. The song Fish Heads does fall under music appreciation in our homeschool! LOL
284. Internet is not a course for most kids in public school when really it should be at least a few classes each year to keep up with technology!
285. Public School is set up a lot like Prisons.
286. My kids don’t fear mass homeschool shootings.
287. Teacher doesn’t need a weapon to protect students.
288. Food allergies in Homeschool are respected.
289. No need to argue with a “Science” teacher who insists on teaching mythology as fact.
290. Homeschoolers are helping keep Libraries alive.
291. Kids can play Pokemon Go in homeschool class!
292. Opportunity to teach other kids.
293. Kids should not have to risk bladder infections for a “treat”
294. Little kids are often left to fend for themselves against older students on the bus.
295. Kids can research and present their political views while feeling safe.
296. No fear of their teacher or educational programs being politically ended to save money.
297. Will not be attacked at school for questioning the President.
298. Are able to go protest on school days.
299. Schools failing lead and copper in their water tests.
300. Public school teacher sleeping while students fight and no one believes the students!
301. Science projects that can be ongoing all year long.
302. Classes that support hobbies.
303. Life skills can be an actual class that most teenagers need!
304. Homeschoolers can go to Prom too!
305. PE requirements can be met in unexpected ways and often outside.
306. Gender transitions can be easier at home as a friend tells us.
307. No need to bother friends and family with fundraisers for trinkets and pizza parties!
308. Having the time to celebrate a child’s ambition and not have it limited by a school building.
309. Normal end of year awards can be hard on kids, Mock ones from teachers like this can be horrible!
310. Graduations can be so limiting to students and yet it is their celebration! Homeschoolers I have noticed have more choices!
311. Child murdered in school bathroom and the justice for her was heart breaking too.
312. Kids are not stuck with teachers who target them. Homeschool parents have more choice in picking teachers for their kids.
313. Homeschoolers can take social media classes to help them navigate this difficult communication medium.
314. Homeschoolers can take classes based on their abilities and not be limited by their age.
315. Online classes are expanding every year giving homeschoolers more access to experts.
316. In some states high school students can take duel enrollment classes for free.
317. Homeschoolers can still take ACT’s and SAT’s like public school students.
318. Homeschoolers have flexible hours making it easier for teenagers to work.
319. Kids can just be “taken” from schools. This happened in Georgia. I has happened other places too.
320. If a text book is white washing history, we can choose to use another one!
321. Each child can have a say in their curriculum.
322. What motivates a child can be included in their educational plans.
323. Showing a bra strap will not keep a girl from learning while homeschooling. Schools on the other hand….
324. Who needs shoes when spelling? Be comfortable!
325. Inspired to write a poem at 2am? Go for it! We can move classes to later in the day!
326. Many homeschoolers seem to rock duel credits young!
327. Baking a pie still counts as class credit for homeschooling. Do public schools still have home economics?
328. Yes, our homeschool kids love playing chess. Truth be told, none of us are masters though!
329. Lots of silly family time together to come up with snizzle bites stories. You had to be there.
330. When insane dictators of the world want to play who has the biggest weapons of mass destruction and schools want to talk hiding in hallways from fall out, we can talk about reality.
331. Teaching kids that just because someone has Authority doesn’t mean they earned it or are responsible with it and it is ok to question it!
332. How wide spread is sexism in public schools when principles are body shaming girls?
333. Hazing in sports is still alive in American schools sadly.
334. Schools and the world will ask kids what they want to be when they grow up. Parents remind them who they already ARE.
335. Paper books can be lost on adventures so homeschoolers can often pick e-books. As long as you have a device you can read your book!
336. No waiting months or years for a school board to approve a newly released book for reading.
337. I guess school supply shopping is so stressful for some that it is a gun sport now? Oh my!
338. I can know the details of the health environment my children are in.
339. Others “privilege” shouldn’t have an impact on my children such as poor/rich school districts.
340. No one is able to “recruit” our children without us being aware.
341. Horrible school conditions and the politics behind them!
343. We homeschool to celebrate success in the moment, in the real world, in real world applications.
344. Kids have more time to explore the newest technology.
345. Gym isn’t an exercise in embarrassment.
346. They love to tell others about curriculum they use that they love.
347. They love to tell others about curriculum they don’t like and don’t use anymore too! LOL
348. Some schools are using tiny seclusion enclosures to punish students. It is a kind of torture.
350. Homeschool days on the road with fantastic audio books!
351. Traveling so much bringing geography to life.
352. Helping kids be navigators and map readers and sign spotters.
353. Real life everyday decision making and not simply rule following.
354. Giving kids space and time for negotiating their own lives.
355. More time for kids to see real life and how they can make compassionate choices.
356. Many teachers are now no longer grading the homework they send home, this doesn’t help students see weak spots or catch issues before they are tested on the material. If students spend time on something, that work should be respected and at least graded else it is worse than just busy work.
357. I hear from parents scared to talk about classroom issues with teachers as some teachers retaliate against students. While of course bias can be an issue when homeschooling it is all together different. Many homeschool parents thus rely on tools to help them gauge where their children in the skills they need.
358. This teacher thinks it is ok to threaten to shoot a student. Never an excuse for that. (not all teachers are bad of course, we know many lovely ones actually, however this is my list of reasons we homeschool, it comes in handy on the hard days!)
359.I don’t need to drag my slightly sick children to a doctor (where they could pick up other more serious illness while their system is already fighting something, or possibly make others sick) just for them to get the rest they need.
360. Some schools demand all kids go to school unless they have over 100 fever, this means kids who are contagious are being forced to bring that illness to school. This is of course about the budget, about testing, and not about what is best for the child.
361. Kids get motivated and help motivate other homeschool kids to get their assignments completed so they can go off and play outside while most other kids in public school haven’t even seen more than a few minutes of sun that day.
362. There are few things like being woken by a child excited about what they already learned that day! Thank you Zoey, you have always been a self learner and your joy for learning is infectious! I hope you ways greet the day with your curiosity and always have someone there to give you your morning hug.
363. Fred is our smilie faced hot water bottle and when a child is using it, you know they are hurting. Seeing them use it WHILE getting lessons done shows grit and while I don’t demand they work through pain, I admire when they do it anyway. Fred would not be allowed in a public school, and even if so, who would want to put up with the cruelty of other kids over it? Crystal, your grit while being in pain and still taking your online live classes doesn’t go un-noticed. You are amazing and stronger than you know!
364. It is said only about 4% of the time does a teacher step in when a child is being bullied at school.
365. A Mother facing charges for recording bullies when school ignored the issue! Seriously….
366. Getting to pick your own cap and gown and no ridiculous rules about it!
367. Could graduate on a beach, or at Disney, or really any place with the way WiloStar3D is set up this year!
368. Science in a way that just can’t be done in a 45 minute class!
369. The Giggle when you meet a former teacher who now homeschoolers her children as she knows the system and believes homeschooling is better!
371. More and more online schools popping up making homeschooling easier for parents and more choice for kids, this is great!
372. With children not behind the same desk every day but rather out in the world their is more opportunity for problem solving.
373. Homeschooling allows teenagers wanting to have a job the chance to have more flexible hours than public school kids.
374. Employers seem to look favorably on homeschoolers.
375. It is easier to get volunteer hours when your schooling hours are more flexible.
376. The ability to take the time and go over old material without getting behind is a refresher is needed.
377. Students having a say over their own schedule and learning to figure out what things must be worked around, just as classes paid for at certain times verses volunteer positions they want to take.
378. Letting the weather inspire their learning day.
379. Snow days can be sacred where going out to play comes before lessons as childhood is over too quickly.
380. The ability to argue with Mom when she forgets that snow days are sacred and not getting detention for it!
381. The skills to juggle needs and wants in a busy big family when you have choices, unlike a school where you have little choice in anything.
382. Being part of history — Womans March DC (our oldest teenager)
383. Schools don’t tend to have classes on filling out applications and joy interviews and resumes, but homeschoolers can make that part of their education rather than struggling with it just on their own.
384. The adventure of buying science regents and figuring out what is legal to ship!
385. Getting to safely use fire in chemistry when young in ways many students no longer are able to do in schools. Cultivating a love of science when young is so vital to STEM.
386. We homeschool because we don’t think strangers teaching our children have the same vested interest in their educations as we do.
387. So our children can find out who they are before the world tries to tell them who they have to be.
388. We homeschool to support a strong family unit and life long stability.
389. Because labels on children in public schools often do more harm than good for their educations.
390. Some teachers see Parents as an enemy for some reason rather than a team to help children learn and thrive.
391. Science experiments happen all the time.
392. Kids and Teachers are allowed to have “moody days” without being sent to the principles office.
393. Grief time is respected.
394. Our safety drills help our children feel confident, not terrified. This Washington Post article scares even me.
395. Because homeschooling doesn’t make them cry, unlike this teacher who quit over crying kids.
396. Because seeing other homeschool kids in their Halloween costumes 3 days after Halloween is adorable! (Freedom to wear what they want!)
397. Because when asked if they want to go to public school they keep saying no.
398. Love getting new homeschool curriculum mail.
399. Meeting other homeschool geeks is fantastic.
400. The Walking Dead and the human condition and how people react when government is absent is an acceptable assignment topic for our teen.
401. Family member with cancer can come first as they should!
402. There are some fantastic homeschoolers that inspire us like this kids who got a perfect ACT score.
403. We homeschool to protect our children from Bully Georgia teachers like this one Greene County.
404. Homeschooling helps give us the flexibility to homeschool around seeing dying family members. Family matters. Grades will be forgotten but family never will be.
405. Because we don’t believe schools should be allowed to paddle helpless 5 year olds….
406. Kids shouldn’t get beaten to death in high schools…
407. Public school officials apparently don”t know $2 bills are real, called police on student just trying to buy lunch!
408. My children will not miss lunch because they forgot their lunch money.
410. No one is safe from violence in schools.
411. My children can feel safe in their learning environment.
412. We do not tolerate hate in our home.
413. Individuality is celebrated.
414. The principle of our homeschool and the teacher really get along and are on the same page!
415. Kids can use pancakes to learn all sorts of things!
416. Public schooled kids can’t bounce ideas off their Gerbil in the middle of class.
417. I have yet to see a homeschooler take the dangerous Tide Pod Challenge.
418. Life is short, why not spend more of it with our loved ones?
419. Kids who are in tune with the growing season.
420. Kids who know their worth is not in a grade.
421. We homeschool so our children are not crushed under the public school cog created to churn out factory workers our country no longer needs.
422. It is ok for our children to question all religions without being bullied for even asking questions.
423. Siblings working as a team specially when they have a plan that parents don’t see coming. Oh the adventures!
424. Oh so many hugs each day for a child who connects with hugs, something teachers can give these days.
425. Not shamed at home for showing emotion.
426. Public schools don’t tend to know or teach NVC.
427. Most schools are not very environmental. How much pollution are car drop off lines causing? How about disposable lunches?
428. It is encouraged in homeschooling for students to teach their teachers things too!
429. Homeschool Moms who end up having to deal with children who have always been homeschooled and have a lot of sarcasm have no one to blame but themselves! LOL
430. Glad we don’t have to pay teacher Alexa in our homeschool as she teaches us so much! (and she can open a box of cats!)
431. The pure joy of learning together when ever someone has a new interest and pulls the rest of us along!
432. Being a family unit and knowing the strengths of others and knowing who to turn to for different things.
433. A fantastic excuse to buy all the books!
434. The kids know Mom knows what the best documentaries are!
435. We have met so many amazing homeschoolers over the years.
437. Some public schools don’t even want to teach about climate change…
438. We paid for gun rights with the blood of Children here in America. School shoots are now some how “normal” It is heart breaking.
439. I have public school friends buying bullet proof back packs for their kids today.
440. We Support Lizzy in the destigmitization of natural bodies!
441. We survived “end of the world” together we can have deep talks about crazy things people believe!
442. Thankful for the ability to learn of an educational opportunity last minute and drop what we are doing and go!
443. Some public schools have 25 year old falling apart text books they have to use some how.
444. Love going to the movies for a movie that was first a beloved book!
445. Some places still asking students to think of the “positives” of slavery. This is horrible!
446. Because some teachers let superstitions get in the way of education.
447. Mr. Pooperintendent
448. Kids can spend time on learning and practicing the lost art of the written letter.
449. Schools giving students less than 10 minutes to actually eat can cause health issues!
450. My son eagerly and bravely seeks out experts doing what ever it is he wants to learn to do!
451. My son noticing the flood warnings on his phone then looks at a flood map and informs me we should be fine but getting out of our neighborhood might be a nightmare if a 100 year flood should actually hit. He lets me know that he would for sure miss school if that would be the case if he wasn’t homeschooled. I think he is trying to tell me we need to plan for flood days…. like snow days! He talked about going fishing. LOL I think more research on this needed!
452. No IEP battles!
453. HOMESCHOOL GRADUATION WAS AMAZING!
454. Another American Day – Another American School Shooting. Just so heart breaking.
455. School systems that rather take parents to court rather than test and support special needs students. My heart hurts for this military family and military child that deserves better.
456. One of the reasons we homeschool is to let the kids help design their learning spaces.
457. While we personally have known some amazing bus drivers some schools clearly don’t care who they hire…. this man who had his license pulled 14 times was driving a bus and got 2 people killed.
458. For the love of homeschooling when it actually fun and games!
459. — I JUST CAN’T — In FL, State-Funded Private Schools Use Books Claiming Noah Saved Baby Dinosaurs
460. Parents seem to like to hire homeschoolers for babysitting!
461. Police and Doctors say child was assaulted given a child’s injuries she said she got at school. School says there was no bullying and refused to do anything at all.
462. Cultivating Grit without bullies! (Schools used to tell parents that bullies made kids stronger…. science tells us that isn’t true!)
463. 350k Teachers getting anti-science textbooks!
464. A child having the freedom to schedule themselves by discovering what works and what doesn’t!
465. A child’s joy and confidence about picking their own curriculum!
466. I love homeschooling because of the amazing young adult it helped to build in our oldest. Hopefully all the youngers will have her success and strength of character. So proud of you Crystal! You are positive attitude and ability to adult things is fantastic. When in doubt, your sarcasm and humor save the day!
467. Some schools still blaming girls for boys bad behavior!
468. Helping other families love educating their kids too!
469. We homeschool because we don’t trust this village that keeps killing children!
472. Met a remarkable university professor of education that not only homeschooled her 3 kids, but unschooled them!
473. On a beach day at the visitor center my kids over heard telling a friend “Mom makes everything a field trip!” LOL
474. ANY excuse for a field trip!
475. I want my children to understand white privilege and not deal with racist teachers!
476. Painting a picture instead of taking a test is a valid way to express reading comprehension!
477. Forced patriotism is not patriotism!
479. People learn best when it is their idea, when they are self motivated. This can be hard to trust because most of us were raised in a forced education system that harmed our love of learning. Husband is self taught in programming ever since he was young. No formal education at all. He took a month long test for the army in hopes of bypassing their programming class. When the board brought him to defend his program they had nothing but fantastic things to say and then noted that his code wasn’t like any they have seen, it was correct in every way it needed to be but it wasn’t standard. This isn’t a bad thing! Husband indeed is skipping the school and should be in the job he has always dreamed of soon! We homeschool because we want to help protect our children’s love of learning.
480. It is so much fun when the kids come up with their own homeschool lessons!
481. Rape culture is still alive in too many schools.
482. GOP Pennsylvania lawmaker introduces bill to ban teachers from discussing politics, government in classrooms. — I don’t think children should be ignorant of how the world works and how their government is being run.
483. We homeschool because good teachers are getting fired for basic good teacher things!
484. A school tried charging this family 34k for their child’s full records….. this apparently isn’t uncommon.
485. School shootings now so common that schools resume class on the same day!
486. Learning about self care and being given the chance to take time when they need time.
487. Letting kids push their boundaries now so they know their own limits now. Example: Staying up all night and figuring out how they function the next day! Many kids don’t try this till they are out of the house and it can have harsh consequences. At home, Mom is just grumpy with them being grumpy. LOL
488. How is it none of these teachers had better judgement? Racists costumes…
489. We homeschool because our children get the most say when it comes to their field trips! I will never get sick of hearing “We need to go to that museum Mom!”
490. Even when the oldest has graduated, she still joins in learning things with the littles. -happy family-
492. Sadly some teachers over step and some just can’t let kids be the creative little beings that they are.
493. Schools still seem to be punishing kids with invisible disabilities!
494. We love to homeschool so we can help kids build a growth mindset.
495. Kids are growing up to be so kind and considerate of other people in the house. Homeschooling helps our team building.
496. Wrapping gifts for other kids in the family counts as skill building right? -giggle-
497. Schools spending a great deal on sports but not on Band, Orchestra, Choir, Theater, Robotics, Math League, History Club, Debate, Knowledge Bowl, Science Club.
498. We are reminded during holiday break when many parents complain about having their kids home from school for days and days that we love our time with the kids. We complain during school breaks because public places like zoos and museums are packed!
499. School making struggling students targets for bullies.
500. Life is short, why not spend as much of it together as we can learning and loving together?
Of course just when I think this list is done, when I think I need to go back and edit this list, more things are sent my way. So the list keeps going I guess!
502. An 11 year old arrested for standing up to authority who demanded they say the Pledge of Allegiance. Now this child has a record. Shouldn’t teachers stand up for students 1st Amendment Rights? This is truly sad.
503. Some states trying to prevent teachers from teaching about climate change science!
504. Forest School is a thing and it is Amazing!
505. So not every state drug tests bus drivers…. and sometimes they are high and crash.
506. Our public education system is set up to be classist!
507. A principle and possible community who thinks parents should be able to opt their high school students out of a black history month program….. as if kids can’t handle learning about history or maybe equality issues?
508. 8-year-old boy forced to urinate in trash can in front of class.
509. There are so many important life lessons around significant death and loss. Grief and space is easier to give children when we homeschool and can spend time exploring feelings and helping shape meaningful lives.
510. ‘The production line’ from school to work
511. When I asked a public school teen after her father died when she was going back to school and if she felt ready, she said she didn’t feel at all ready but she couldn’t afford to get behind. This is heart breaking on top of a tragic situation.
512. THE ANXIETY EPIDEMIC: WHY KIDS NEED LESS SCHOOL AND MORE FREEDOM
514. Giving children time to enjoy their childhood and make it last as long as they need.
515. I have heard far too many teachers complain about making even small accommodations for students.
516. No teach should be shot and terrorized for active shooter drills…. this is insanity!
517. School continues to employ teacher who was once a priest who impregnated a 14 year old girl.
518. Making sure our teens learn about the war on women, the past, and the current one spreading across the country against women’s body autonomy.
519. Getting to test new curriculum is so much fun!
520. Our own personal homeschool STEM room.
521. Seeing kids succeed and problem solve real-world issues. So proud of them!
522. This teacher, because of school policy, punished a child for basic human kindness.
523. Homeschooled children are far more socially engaged than you might think
524. Baltimore schools changing grades… the truth comes out!
525. Always exciting finding new curriculum! Looking forward to doing Blossom & Root Pre-K this fall.
526. One of our little ones did 40 math lessons in one night… because she just wanted to. Zoey you are amazing and so so smart! So proud of you! Let no one and nothing get in your way when you have a goal!
527. Public schools causing vestibular system damage in kids…. kids falling out of chairs!
528. A public school district in Pennsylvania that faced a national outcry after threatening to place children in foster care over unpaid cafeteria debt has received several offers to pay off the entire tab, but school officials do not seem interested.
529. We don’t want our kids to have to deal with the negative issues behavior clip charts create in the classroom.
530. I was given the privilege of accidentally burning myself during a chemistry experiment demonstrating just what NOT to do in my safety example. LOL Toby I adore doing science with you, you have such a sharp mind!
531. So reason 531 why we choose to homeschool is because it seems ANYONE can run a school no matter how firmly they are attached to reality. Case: One school removed Harry Potter books from the school library saying they contain actual curses and spells that risk conjuring evil spirits into the reading the book. I kid you not. “Reverend Dan Reehill, pastor of St Edward Catholic School in Nashville, Tennessee, says he consulted with Vatican exorcists before making unpopular decision.”
532. I will never stop being shocked and angry that children go through this over lunch…. Childs lunch taken on his birthday over $9 school lunch debt.
533. Not even parents are safe from school bullies!
534. I love that our homeschool kids can follow their interests without the pressure of having to turn them into careers or scolerships.
535. Homeschooling proved to be such a blessing in the pandemic!
536. This is just a trash assignment…. Rules For Chivalry
There will be 500… someday!
When I have time to add them all and as they come to mind!
From time to time readers message me reasons they homeschool and I love the conversations we have and how that changes my own list. Today though I got a list that was organized and thoughtful in a way my own is not. She offered it to me to use as I wanted but asked me not to share her name. It is truly sad that homeschoolers still have fear, in this case though, she fears ALT-Right and her opinions on that. You can see how that fits into her list yourself. I want to thank her for the time and care she put into the list and wish her ever success in homeschooling.
- Clothing:
- More individuality.
- No need to buy designer threads.
- If you have somebody that likes to make clothes, they can do it at home and have a more forgiving audience. (This can also count for textile/sewing and/or home economics as an elective or core course.)
- Can clearly adjust based on your budget.
- Can buy clothing that is definitely sweatshop-free.
- Socialist political slogans permitted, especially if the parents lean that way.
- Ethnic clothing permitted, especially if you’re of that ethnicity.
- Can dress according to weather and comfort.
- No fingertip rule which can affect differently-proportioned females.
- Hats permitted indoors, if parents are OK with it. (Definitely for medical or religious reasons — “But I’m atheist.” I know but there are some Muslim or Sikh homeschoolers out there.)
- Definitely no school uniforms — again, at parents’ discretion, unless they’re on a field trip with a large family and need to be more readily identified, then yes, I can see a need to dress everybody similarly.
- No need to fund Dennis Uniform, Lands’ End, and French Toast.
- No getting mistaken for white supremacist/alt-right, especially if you’re a white European and your local schools’ uniform is a polo shirt and khaki pants. (Source: http://www.cleveland.com/
nation/index.ssf/2017/08/the_ alt-right_co-opted_polo_sh. html) - Public schools with uniforms don’t notify parents of any potential opt-out provisions in district codes. (This can vary based on the school district.)
- More individuality.
- Supplies:
- No funding specific brands if you have your issues with them, such as not wanting to fund mega-corporations or sweatshop labor.
- You can save the trees indeed, especially if your curriculum enables you to go paperless.
- Even if you do financially support public school, shouldn’t those cleaning supplies come out of tax dollars instead? (“But we’re low on tax dollars.” Check the tax codes and exemptions.)
- You can get supplies based on your budget, not the local schools’ lack of one.
- If you have more arts in your homeschool, you definitely can go ahead and buy all of those arts supplies needed.
- Basically, you have alternatives to specific brands.
- Medical and dietary:
- Suitable for kids who cannot be out during daylight due to any sort of medical reason, such as some sort of allergy to sunlight.
- Less taunting from mean girls if you’re a girl balding from chemo.
- Protective helmets for special needs children are definitely permitted. (Shouldn’t be any dispute with parents on this one.)
- Easier to eat a more eco-friendly diet.
- No teachers digging into lunchboxes and questioning the contents.
- No mandates to take everything on the menu, especially if your kid eats organic and the food’s from Aramark or Sodexo.
- More time to eat lunch properly.
- Can eat at irregular times for medical reasons.
- The NSLP has never been funded properly to meet HHFK Act mandates.
- Your food is normally better than what prisoners get (based on your home budget.)
- Some of the reasons above for lunches came from http://www.cracked.com/
article_24854_5-ridiculous- reasons-why-school-lunch-in- america-sucks.html - (Unless you’re in New Mexico as of August 2017) No mandates to clean the lunchroom for not being able to buy lunch. (Parents can make their kids clean the kitchen but at least the kids can help make lunch and taste-test some of the food prepared.)
- No collection agency breathing down your neck because you couldn’t pay for lunch.
- No shaming through ink stamps on skin (can have toxins based on the ink).
- No circulation-cutting wrist bands if you can’t pay for lunch.
- No getting your food chucked into the trash if you can’t pay for lunch.
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