One of the benefits of homeschooling is that our kids get to learn about animals in the morning, go to the zoo in the afternoon to see them in person, and then practice critical thinking skills when people ask why they aren’t in school.
In all transparency, Danny Craig actually said something like that at a conference, and I am just repeating it. To be completely honest, we really don’t go that many places—especially since we practically have our own zoo right outside our house!
Because we get a lot of questions about our homeschool, I thought I’d take a little time to answer a few of the most common ones:
Do you homeschool in your pajamas?
While that sounds pretty cozy, the answer is no. Almost always, everybody is up early, dressed, and ready for the day before we ever crack open a book.
You must homeschool so you don’t have to do all the subjects, right?
While our daily rhythm looks a lot different than a traditional classroom, we definitely still study all the core subjects. We aren’t skipping subjects; we’re just approaching it differently.
What about socialization?
If anyone has concerns about this, I’d encourage them to strike up a conversation with our kids (excluding the youngest two, who are still working on their “socialization”)—or just ask our delivery drivers, who get plenty of face time with them. Knowing how to converse well is a skill that has to be taught and practiced. It doesn’t just automatically happen by putting kids in a room with peers their own age.
What’s one of the biggest advantages?
Flexibility. Some of our kids start their schoolwork as early as 6:00 AM, and they aren’t stuck staring at a wall or a screen waiting for the rest of a class to finish before moving on to the next subject. Once they finish their schoolwork and daily chores, they get to go run around and play outside.
That also gives them time to learn practical homesteading and homemaking skills—things that can either save money for their future households or even grow into a business. It gives us the freedom to help them launch those little businesses and get out to serve our community. Plus, we don’t do video games or television (aside from the occasional educational video). Pairing very little screen time with a good, nutrient-dense diet truly makes teaching them so much easier.
So, why do we homeschool?
At the end of the day, it isn’t because we think we have it all figured out—we definitely have plenty of messy days and moments where we are learning right alongside them. Above all else, the most important reason we homeschool is so our kids will have a biblical worldview. We want the opportunity to teach, train, and encourage them in God’s Word as we go throughout our day.
Beyond that foundation, we want them to have rich, varied experiences and learn how to talk with all kinds of people. We want them to truly know history, understand their subjects well, and—most importantly—learn how to learn. It’s a big responsibility, and we are simply grateful for the privilege of doing life and school together.
| Our children’s education is not our primary goal. Our primary goal for our children is that they walk with the Lord. — Voddie Baucham Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. — C.S. Lewis Children are not a distraction from the more important work. They are the most important work. — C.S. Lewis Sharing quotes that I like doesn’t mean I agree with everything this person says. 🙂 |