Why homeschool?
Our goals are to give the best alternative possible to our children's education other than public school.
With rapidly changing expectations and agendas in the state of politics and education with regards to parental and religious rights, many of us are choosing to leave the public education system altogether.
As primary educators of our children, with a duty to also ensure their religious education,(https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a4.htm)
homeschool education fits the bill in the most ideal fashion. Of course it takes some work to fulfill all of your children's needs. This is something each family will take into consideration when finding the best style of home education for our children and for us.
There are some great benefits to homeschooling.
It encourages a closer relationship between parents and children and among siblings.
It allows the parent to control the child's influences.
It teaches a child to see social structure as a hierarchy of ages rather than a segregation of ages, thereby allowing a broader range of communication and comfort with a variety of ages. Homeschooled children, having a closer relationship with parents, their parent's adult friends and friends siblings, often find it easier to relate to others intergenerationally.
Home education provides greater focus and one on one assistance so it is less likely for children to be "left behind" when it comes to learning difficulties. It also allows parents to focus more on each individual child's strengths and tailor the education to their child.
Home education provides more opportunities for life skills learning.
Home education allows a greater amount of influence in a child's formation and upbringing, instilling values and forming their consciences and beliefs. This, without the confusion of other adults teaching your children ideas opposed to the value system you want to instill in your child.
Some shortcomings to home education would be:
1: Mainly social and cultural inexperience.This would include having few if any friends, feeling like a social outcast and a reject from mainstream society. There is also culture shock as they find out how corrupt our society is and how much they have "missed out on".
These can be overcome with intentionally providing opportunities that allow them to grow. Each family can choose how they will do this.
Arguably the most beneficial part in home education for the upbringing of children, is the protection from harm. Homeschool children often escape the scourge of trauma that many public educated children endure during their formative years. Drugs, sexual activity or even rape by adults that parents are oblivious to. Bullying and psychological trauma. Years of immoral activity and bad habits driven by peer pressure. Pornography. Gang introduction and petty crime. Heartbreak, bitterness and baggage that they carry with them into adult relationships.
They also escape the indoctrination of godless ideologies that form them into the kind of adults they will become.
By the time they have to deal with these issues, they are mature adults and better equipped to know how to handle them. Our primary goal is to raise children who are virtuous, wise, loving, self reliant, well-rounded, healthy and intelligent individuals.
With homeschooling, we play a much greater role in how our children are raised.