Why I Homeschool
By Nikki Tafoya
Homeschooling is a subject that is ever so dear to my heart. My parents homeschooled my sister and myself when homeschooling was virtually unheard of. In fact, my mom didn’t even know it existed! She just knew that she wanted us to learn the things we were ready to learn when the public school said we weren’t. So she took it upon herself to teach us to read and write, and it went from there. My dad gave her a sound piece of advice that I will pass on to you. He said, “If you teach them nothing else, teach them to learn.”
When I am asked why we homeschool our daughters, I’m often stumped for an answer. It’s not that I can’t think of an answer, it’s that my first thought is “Why wouldn’t you?” and I’m sure that’s not the answer most skeptics are looking for. Is it because I am worried about safety in our schools? Honestly, no. Safety is always a concern, but a fear of a lack of safety is not why we choose to keep our children home. Poor education then? No, not even that. If my children were only receiving a “public school” level of education then they would be no worse off than the other 98% of American children who are not homeschooled, educationally speaking of course. What’s more important than either of those things to me is my childrens’ character.
When I am asked why we homeschool our daughters, I’m often stumped for an answer. It’s not that I can’t think of an answer, it’s that my first thought is “Why wouldn’t you?” and I’m sure that’s not the answer most skeptics are looking for. Is it because I am worried about safety in our schools? Honestly, no. Safety is always a concern, but a fear of a lack of safety is not why we choose to keep our children home. Poor education then? No, not even that. If my children were only receiving a “public school” level of education then they would be no worse off than the other 98% of American children who are not homeschooled, educationally speaking of course. What’s more important than either of those things to me is my childrens’ character.
I want to raise polite, capable, intelligent, godly ladies! In Luke 6:43 the NIV reads “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.” The phrase “stored up” means that we have to take something and put it somewhere. I want to see to it that that they have “good things” surrounding them to be stored up in their hearts.
I enjoy spending the time with them. I know that these times are fleeting and never again will I have the chance to shape and mold them. Does this mean that I enjoy every minute of homeschooling? No, it can be hard and it’s defiantly demanding. But it’s the investment of a lifetime!
I believe that I will better be able to help them deal with the issues they will face as teenagers because I know them better than if they were away at school most of the day. I know their strengths, I know their weaknesses, I know how they learn and thus I know how to speak to them in a way that speaks to their hearts.
I can instill standards in them that the “world” frankly does not have. The public school system does not care if my children have foul language, wear provocative clothing, have boyfriends at age 11. The public school system does not care that my children know the God of the entire universe and their personal Savior and Friend, if they know how to find answers to their life problems in the Holy Bible, if they are deepening their relationship with God through their prayer life. But I do care!
Oh, there are so many more reasons to homeschool. I would challenge any family who has considered homeschooling to take the plunge! You may have to make a financial sacrifice for mom to quite her job. And you will certainly have to make the sacrifice of time, but….
If you don’t allow yourself to dwell on those things, they will fade away into nothing before the joy of finding your children!
If you don’t allow yourself to dwell on those things, they will fade away into nothing before the joy of finding your children!
A few homeschooling recources:
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