Why I Homeschool (Or So I Thought!)

I have been interested in homeschooling for as long as I can remember. As a child, I loved learning but hated school. I was both shy and sensitive, an easy target for bullies. It wasn't an awful childhood, but I was sad and alone a lot.

After I started working as a legal secretary, I met a young woman who was a secretary in another law office, and she was only 16yo! At that age, I was working for KFC at night and on weekends, for long hours for minimum wage, and it did nothing to prepare me for anything. That was the clincher for me as far as deciding to homeschool. No one in public high school could have such a job, and I wanted my children to have those sorts of opportunities, too.

However, for some time, I thought of my homeschool as being nothing more than a miniature public school. We would have similar curricula, routines, requirements, etc. I knew that there were other philosophies out there, but I felt that a traditional primary/secondary education could best prepare a child for a traditional college. I wanted my children to be able to go to college and read texts and outline lectures to prepare for exams. I thought that teaching to a particular learning style would handicap a child in the college atmosphere. Likewise, I believed that my children should learn what other children were learning in order to succeed in their post-secondary endeavors.

Well, I have discovered that there are so many more considerations. In future posts, I hope to detail my journey of discovery and what has become my vision for my family.