Why I Home School?

Happy blogday to me, happy blogday to me, happy blogday to Cheryl, happy blogday to me! Pass out the cigars....I have now been born into the world of blogging!

This blog is to record our wonderful homeschooling adventures as *WE* learn "out of the box." Emphasizing the fact that *I*, the mom, am included in the learning process. Learning along with the kids and loving every minute of it! The kids are bursting with creativity and I thought this would be a great place for them to express themselves and a place for me to record thoughts about my eagerness to seek out new knowledge and truths for myself.

I will give you a little background about why we decided to home school. It seems like I have wanted to home school my children forever. Ever since I heard of the concept of homeschooling it just seemed like I was meant to do it. I spent 5 years working in a public elementary school and 4 years in a private school (as a speech therapist) and the whole time planning to home school. It's not that I felt like the schools were bad. They were actually good schools, when it came to "book learning." Something inside of me just told me that was not for my family. I never talked about the fact that I wanted to home school with my colleagues at the public school because I felt like it was looked at unfavorably.

The main reason I feel the need to home school is because I feel like God has given *ME* the responsibility to teach and train my children. Why should I turn them over to state run institutions to school them just because that is what most people do? Our children are with us for such a short little while. Those crucial years while they are here should be a time not only for teaching the 3Rs, but also a time in which their most critical world view is shaped. A world view that knows what the true meaning of life is. That is, to have a personal relationship with Christ and to love their fellow man. To truly learn these important things it must be "caught and not taught." Modeled by a loving family on a consistent day to day basis. This is my hope and prayer. I know God was the perfect parent and Adam & Eve still rebelled! So we just have to do the BEST we can with whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.

I want to teach them so much more than what they would get from public or even private school. I want to give them a thirst for knowledge that I never had growing up. I want to teach them to think for themselves and not to just blindly follow what I or anyone else teaches them but to test everything against the standard of God's word. I want to build strong family bonds that will last a lifetime. I want to be there not only for the first word and first step, but also for the first time the word "butterfly" is read and for all the times I hear, "Mommy, mommy teach me how to......." This is music to my soul!

I also want to give them a broader education than what is given in traditional school. We use a curriculum called Ambleside Online which follows the philosophy of Charlotte Mason. In addition to our daily bible reading and 3RS, *WE* are also learning about the martyrs of the early church, the history of Great Britain, great literature, poetry, art and music study; as well as studying nature. Not bad for 1st grade? :)

We are a family of 5 with 3 little sponges constantly wanting to soak up everything that life has to offer! Daddy Justin, Momma Cheryl, "Sissy" Callie 6 1/2, James 4, and Joshey 17 mo.
************************************************************************************
I would just like to add to this post that I know homeschooling is not for everyone. I don't want anyone to think that this is the only way to raise wonderful children. Every family is different and unique... this is just what is right for us!