Education begins at birth. We are presented with this helpless infant that we have just delivered and this is the beginning of education.
As children grow they begin to learn. They learn to make sounds, speak, crawl and eventually walk. A bond is formed between parent and child and education continues.
When we home school we continue this bonding process.
I have found many advantages to home schooling my children. The first of course is continuing this bonding process. While public school children are looking up to their peers and other figures of authority, my children are looking up to me.
My children are developing the values that I have and learning also what my religious beliefs are. They are not subject to the values of society and the constraints of being able to practice our religion in a public arena.
Appointments for doctors and such can be conveniently scheduled during the school day eliminating the need for a longer wait or missed classes. We can incorporate the doctor visit into a field trip and a fantastic learning opportunity.
Every trip away from home whether it be the grocery store or the mall can become a field trip. How you may ask? Well let me explain. In the grocery store you can have your child add things up or compare prices. Both teach life skills, math skills and economics. Wow, 3 classes at once. For the mall you can again comparison shop or if your children are older they can practice job interviewing or even take in an educational movie during matinée times and prices.
We can openly discuss religion and incorporate a religious class into our family curriculum. The only place I know of right now that allows that in public schools is in the state of Utah.
My kids do not have as much peer pressure as kids in public schools have. Just because all the girls are wearing short short skirts does not make my daughter envy them or want one. In fact, she has developed her own sense of style and I assure you, it does not include a short skirt.
My son loves to cook. At the age of 13 he is able to prepare a complete meal for our family of 5. He receives cooking credit, math credit and again economics credit. A valuable life skill for his future. He loves to watch cooking on television. In order for it to count he is required to prepare a meal per week for the family. He is responsible for the shopping if we don't have all of the ingredients and preparation for the entire meal from start to finish. He is allowed to have a helper but he has to direct the helper in all that the helper does.
We eat healthier too. By home schooling we are not rushing out the door with a quick sack lunch full of fats or foods that have empty calories. We can take the time to eat properly and be much healthier.
My children get more rest than the typical public school student does. Many public school students get up way too early and then come home laden with homework. In our home school environment my kids are not up all night scrambling for a test or trying to complete homework for 6 different classes.
My kids have the opportunity to have a part time job or create one of their own choosing without having to work it around their school hours. My son gets up early to shovel snow in the winter and earns money for that. He also get Physical education credit from me for it thus he is out of school earlier than most kids.
Some kids also set up websites or home businesses in their middle school to high school years. Getting a jump start on the job market and channeling their energies into positive activities rather than just hanging out with their friends.
Don't get me wrong here. My kids do have a lot of friends. At a birthday party a year or so ago my now 14 year old son had 17 friends over. He is definitely not deprived in the friendship department. He has friends that are home schooled as well as friends that go to public school.
Arranging our day in a relaxed atmosphere creates a more positive learning environment and my children are able to learn at their own pace. Some like one subject over another and excel in that subject while another may need more one on one time to master a subject.
Working with my children in home schooling has been an educational experience for me as well. I maintain a lot of my skills and have creative bursts of ideas that cleverly weave education into life without my kids even knowing they are learning.
