[Larissa.]

We've got awhile to go, but I'm pretty set on homeschooling.

I'm really curious though as to what led you all to homeschool. It's not something I was really exposed to growing up so people in my family do thing I'm a little nuts. It can seem isolating.

[Frackel]

My main reason, is the schools here are terrible. They weren't before, but they certainly are now.
I don't want my children being taught to just get by, based on state minimums, that's so limiting. Which is exactly what most public and even private schools do. They teach to the letter of the law, and rarely beyond.
The few schools that offer gifted and talented(because let's face it, not all schools do, or can), even have limits as to what they can do. It's really not fair for the kids who NEED to be above "grade level", on some things, but maybe not all. Or even vice versa, the kids who need to be on a lower level on some things, but not all, fall through the cracks too.
It's a crappy system all around.

It works out "fine", "good" even for a lot of kids, because a lot of kids fall middle of the road, right on the path the schools follow. So they don't get lost, they don't fall through the cracks, and they aren't hindered at all.

But children aren't cookies made with the same cutter. They're all different, they're all unique, and if you can't cater the learning to them, how on earth will you ever know if they're even aiming for their highest potential, rather than settling for what's put before them?

Most people who don't know there is a world out there beyond what they're familiar with, will never go out looking for it. I feel, quite often, that's one of the downsides of most schools. Not necessarily their fault. I'm not saying they're all terrible, good for nothing, etc... But they don't have the resources, because this country doesn't provide them. We're a stingy bunch, that's for sure. Those who could benefit most from our tax dollars, our financial assistance, rarely ever actually get it.

But that's a much longer rant than I should probably put here.

Suffice it to say, I want to HELP my children learn, not force them. I want to provide them with ALL of the tools they will need to not only realize their potential, but shoot beyond it, too. I want to be able to see where they might have a weakness, or strength, and assist them with it. Rather than toss them in with a bunch of other kids and hope for the best. I want to give them a basic, solid foundation for later in life, teach them how to use their skills to improve(or gain) others, and allow them the room to grow and learn at their own pace. This way, when the time comes for them to leave my nest, I'm not just shoving them out and saying "love you, hope you remembered to learn how to fly", then giving them a great big push.
My children are as unique as any other, they don't fit in the mold people seem to assume children should fit into. I kinda like that. Parents are forever telling their children that they're special, unique, one of a kind. But they rarely ever actually treat their children that way. I'm somewhat bothered by that. I did it too, which is part of the reason why it bothers me. My kids used to attend public school, as did I, and things really have not changed much. This is how I KNOW schools these days, are failing our children. Even the ones that do okay. They're being robbed every single day of their own potential, and we(not to mention they) don't even realize it. We're as brainwashed as they are. .....
Because it's "right", and "normal"...

But, my kids aren't normal, and neither am I, so here we stand. They're doing far better now, than ever. On many subjects we are anywhere from 3-5 grade levels ahead of where they would be, in any other situation. Not because I forced, pushed, or poked them into some mold, but because that's where their minds lead us. The areas they struggle, aren't a big deal, because we know, eventually, we'll get it. We just have to work harder, or find a different way. In the end, it all works out.

It's not easy, it can be hard, and yeah for some folks is is isolating. There are many ways to remedy all of that though. You just have to find what works for you.

People always think things are odd, when they don't understand them. It just shows how ignorant they are(in the true definition of the word) and how very little their education brought them
They wouldn't find it odd at all if someone gave them all the tools and opportunities they needed to really reach their potential.
People sometimes put down things out of jealousy too. I say that with the utmost respect, of course. Some parents want to homeschool, but don't know how, don't want to give cause for others to think them weird, don't want to...(fill in the blank). But really in most cases, it's the ignorance preventing them, and nothing more.
I could find a million and one reasons NOT to homeschool my kids. But as time goes on, I've found those reasons are pretty petty. I can find a million more to prove exactly why homeschooling them is best-for THEM. Because that ought to be a main goal, not what's best for the parent, but the child(ren).

[BensMom]

I have a lot of reasons, and the longer I homeschool, the longer that list of reasons becomes!

My first reason was that I wanted a Christ-centered curriculum, not a wordly-centered one.

Second, my kids are advanced learners, and when I talked to the school, they were not willing to challenge them until at LEAST 3rd grade.

Third, my older one has motor delays, so it would be very difficult for him to keep up with all the repetitive homework assignments for things he learned years ago anyway.

Fourth, my older has SPD, and we recently learned he also has Asperger's. I want to carefully monitor his social situations and friends so that he can be taught social skills. He's not able to pick those up on his own. The school in my district where he would attend is the best academically, but the worst in number of reported cases of bullying. He can't handle bullying at all. He had a taste of it in summer camp last year.

I love watching my kids learn. I love getting to know them on a much deeper level. I love the extended period of innocence they're allowed to experience. I love having a flexible schedule to deal with life. Life is more important than school.

If I keep sitting here, the list will get longer... but I have to run. We have a multi-age playdate this morning... another perk of homeschooling: your friends weren't all born within 12 months of you!

[luv2bemommy]

There are lots of reasons. I'll name just a few...

The school system here is not very good.

I want to remain the primary influence in my children's lives.

I wanted my children to be taught at their speed. Whatever speed that is, I want them to be challenged when learning.

[hiskid1324]

I was homeschooled and loved it, and always planned to.

We want Christian curriculum and learning to be a part of daily life.

We want our kids to get the education that fits them best.

The schools here SUCK (seriously... the kids in the school we're zoned for can barely read by 3rd grade).

I love my time with my kids (even if they drive me insane, lol), and I can't imagine sending them off for 6+ hours every weekday! How much time do I really want to miss with them??? They'll grow up and leave soon enough.

We want to know what our kids are doing and who they are with as much as possible.

I want them to be able to be involved in the church and the community, as well as sports and such, which is often difficult to balance along with school and homework when it comes to a traditional school setting.

And I'm sure that there are other reasons, those are just off the top of my head.

[Hippy Witchy Chicky]

I don't like how school systems work. I don't want my child to be in the care of someone else for a large part of their life. I want to focus on their needs and learning talents/desires.

School systems to me seem so much like a little robot assembly line, I'm just not into that.

Also, we're working towards going off-grid.

[2Corinthians10:4]

I have always wanted to homeschool my daughter for many reasons including intertwining our faith in with her schoolwork, my dislike for standardized testing, and the fact that I just truly think I can teach her more at home.

I never had my Dh's support until we found out we were getting stationed in Hawaii though, the school systems there are terrible and he finally agreed we could homeschool until we leave there (then we will evaluate it).

[Countrymom4]

LOVE LOVE your reasons ladys !! I am planning on HS DD#2 next year. Don't know how to get DD#1 onboard.

[Trinity82]

My reasons for starting this whole adventure came down to two main things.

1. I just became a stay at home mom and can manage it.

and

2. The school system here is not equipped to deal with anyone above the spectrum, or below it for that matter. So they really do not even try to accommodate for any needs the child may have. After 5 years of fighting the system I am just taking him out and taking it into my own hands. That way I am SURE he is getting the challenge he needs

I am new to this too and my oldest is only 4 so I will be starting Kindergarten with her this fall.

Our reasons are that thinking about sending my daughter to school always just stressed me out. She is advanced for her age and I was so worried about her being bored and then getting into trouble because of that. I didn't want her to be labeled a trouble maker from the beginning and I want her to get the best possible education. Starting in 1st grade she would have been able to be tested and placed in advanced programs but I was still so stressed over it. She has such a love for learning and we didn't want her to lose that. We didn't want the social stigma of "being smart is uncool" to effect her and make her lose her love for learning.

[Larissa.]

I'm late to replying, but thank you all for sharing your reasons with me! It definitely makes me feel not so alone. DH and I are on the same page, it's more extended family that won't shut up. We're along ways off, but I'm such a type a need to plan kind of person .

My mom was an elementary principal and even before I had kids or ever thought about homeschooling, just seeing the behind the scenes stuff really made me want no parts in it. And time will tell, but it already seems like ds1 may be gifted (70 plus words at 15 months, starting to string them together,etc.). I am so afraid of him being bored like I was and just goofing off instead.

[Lynn87]

1. Our school system in the US is horrible.
2. DS is an accelerated learner. I think he would be bored to death in a class.
3. DH and I want to be the primary influence in our children's lives.

[*Crystal*]

I mostly lurk but I wanted to weigh in... I am a public school teacher... actually I am leaving the teaching profession now that I am expecting my second and my first is getting close to the preschool age. We are homeschooling because we have a good school system here and it is STILL not good enough for my kids. Classes are huge, kids who have NO business being in the general population... are, budgets are horrible, students are strictly taught to a test and nothing beyond... I could go on and on. I want my children to be challenged and to love learning.

I have many teacher friends who are leaving the profession to homeschool their own children... that should tell you something.

[2pinks&ablue]

I have always been interested in homeschooling but have been back and forth, until our preschool teacher told me one day that my son is too hyper and needs to be medicated (he's three) and that he is completely uncontrollable and out of order all the time. I know that this is just a taste of what we would have gone through if I had sent them to public school.

Our school system is terrible, at least in my opinion, and the teachers don't actually care about the children, they're just there for the paycheck. Which isn't right. Bullying is terrible here and it isn't just by the students, the teachers and other parents are just as bad.

Also, I want to be able to teach my children our faith as well, and if they develop an interest in something I want them to be able to explore it further, not have to move on because 30 other students want/need to. Most of all, I just want my children in an environment where they can truly develop a love for learning.

[MountainMomma]

We started homeschooling in January. My kids are 13 and 10. I always wanted to homeschool, just because I didn't feel right about sending my kids off to basically be raised by someone else for 7+ hours a day. I had some resistance from my husband and from my kids bio father too, so they went to public school.

In December we had some major issues with bullying and it became clear that our pathetic excuse for a school system was not going to do anything about the issue. When it became extremely clear that our school system was no longer safe for my children, and that the administrators really didn't care about the safety of the kids, I decided to withdraw my kids.

[abkjw01]

Originally Posted by Larissa.

We've got awhile to go, but I'm pretty set on homeschooling.

I'm really curious though as to what led you all to homeschool. It's not something I was really exposed to growing up so people in my family do thing I'm a little nuts. It can seem isolating.

My initial reason was having a gifted kid bored to death in a gifted academy. She lost all interest in anything academic and became completely indifferent to school in general. She had a lot of friends and that's what kept her going. Several of her teacher told me she had ADHD (she doesn't) and to put her on medication. She was bored and was fidgety and chatty, so of course that means she needs to be medicated. Sigh.

We started our homeschool journey in the winter of 2005 when dd was 8 in 3rd grade. It was the best thing. She kept her old friends, made tons of new friends, and stayed above grade level the whole time. She continued homeschooling til 8th grade, then went on to the performing arts high school of her dreams here in NYC (she's a dancer). She is now a sophomore there and is doing very well. She loved her time homeschooling and wouldn't have had it any other way.

It worked so well, that by the time ds was in Kindergarten, he chose to homeschool as well. He's now newly 11 years old, in 5th grade, and still at home. Oldest dd (now 18 and in college) chose to homeschool for her 8th grade year only. She went on to a fantastic high school for journalism and graduated last year.

Now I homeschool because it's wonderful. It's effective, efficient, fun, and full of adventures. We use all of NYC as our field trip playground and do academics tailored to his pace and interests.

[Jill0924]

I am a teacher and have seen the system from the inside for the last 10 years ... I don't want to put my kids through that. I know they will get so much more from being free to learn at home.

[meamommy]

I just love love reading all this reasons!
Miles was in public school which is horrible here, until halfway through 2nd. I had them telling me he was not paying attention and needed meds. (come to find out he knew basically all of what they were doing and was bored!)
I like to know who he's around and what's going on more than I did then. I hated him being away from me for that long every day and not learning for a big majority of that time. I LOVE teaching him at home. Even on the days I am so frustrated and think we are getting nothing done he is probably learning more than he would be at public school. I love that we get more time together as a family and all the kids will be able to learn together. Also I love that we can teach him bible and religion as well.