Why I Don’t Regret Homeschooling

Why I Don’t Regret Homeschooling

A question was posed to me the other day while at my six-month dental cleaning that caused me to consider why I don’t regret homeschooling. The hygienist mentioned to my dentist that, with my youngest entering his senior year, I was about to complete my final year of homeschooling. He looked at me.

“Would you do it over again?”

“Yes, I would.”

It’s natural to have regrets in life, but I don’t regret homeschooling. It has not been easy. Homeschooling is hard work, and there are areas I did poorly. However, if I could go back in time and choose again, I would choose to homeschool. Here are five reasons why I don’t regret homeschooling.

You Can Spend Time with Your Kids

Moms sometimes joke that they can’t wait to get away from their kids. Going back to school is promoted as a cause for celebration. I completely agree parents need breaks, but the reality is childhood is short.

Homeschooling is a precious blessing that allows us to spend time with our children as they learn and grow. You can train them up in the way they should go because you are there to do the training. As a homeschool mom, I will not look back someday and wonder if I spent enough time with my kids. I may not have been a perfect teacher, but I was there for my children when they needed me.

You Can Individualize Instruction

Every child has strengths and weaknesses. They also have learning preferences. Homeschooling allows you to tailor instruction to meet the specific needs of your children. If your child is struggling with a topic, you can keep working on it until it is understood. If your child grasps a topic quickly with little practice, you can move ahead. If you want to spend more time on math today and more time on reading tomorrow, you can do that. If your child wants to explore a topic more deeply than you planned, you can do that too.

You Can Teach Anytime

We learn all the time. Learning does not take place in one setting during particular hours. You are not limited by the time of day. Homeschooling allows for a flexible schedule. You can teach anytime and all the time.

Learning opportunities are everywhere. A simple trip to the store can present a multitude of challenges for curious minds. A homeschool mindset helps to create inquisitive children and promotes lifelong learners.

You Can Get Creative

Homeschooling is not limited to books, paper, or computer screens. You are free to teach in whatever creative ways you desire. Since you control your schedule, you can allow time for things like projects, experiments, and field trips. You can spend time on art and music activities. You can read and write stories together. You are only limited by your own imagination.

You Can Spend Time with Others

Contrary to what some believe, homeschooling provides ample opportunities for socialization. As well as sports and other local group meetings for kids, there are homeschool field trips, co-ops, and meet-ups. Since homeschool activities typically involve multiple ages, kids learn how to socialize with people of all ages instead of just their peers. Additionally, a flexible homeschool schedule means that kids can spend meaningful time with family members that they might not otherwise see.

These are just five of the reasons that I don’t regret homeschooling. I could go on and on. Homeschooling has been a blessing to my family. So, yes, I would do it all over again. In a heartbeat.

Heidi Kinney is a freelance writer from Massachusetts. She has been homeschooling her children since 2007. You can learn more about Heidi and her recently published book, Looking Back and Running Forward: Discovering what it means to be broken, at heidikinney.com.