Why Did We Choose To Homeschool Our Children?

Why did we choose to Homeschool our children? Over the years, as I have been asked this question, I've usually spouted off reasons such as: "We want the freedom to select teaching materials that reinforce our religious beliefs and moral standards. We want to provide the academic superiority of a one-on-one teaching situation. We want the ability to monitor our children's socialization experiences. We want to tailor the course of study to the individual. We want the flexibility to create more family time. We would give the academic statistics on Homeschooling vs Public school" These are the reasons I clung to as I tried to convince our family, friends and even curious strangers that we were not really crazy for keeping our children out of that traditional and highly revered American institution-the public school.

But, when I'm perfectly honest with myself, those are just secondary reasons why I chose to teach our children at home. The real reasons are the matter of the heart. Home schooling was and still is attractive to me in part because of the images it evokes: children snuggling on the couch as I teach them to read; little boy's faces alight with excitement as they assemble model rockets; my son absorded in a book while lying on the back of his pony; cross-country trips in the car learning about the Oregon Trail; acting out the battle of Yorktown with boys who have muskets slung over their shoulders; twlight adventures collecting lightning bugs; the pride in a child's voice as he says, "Look how well I wrote these letters!"

To me, home schooling speaks of close family relationships, highly valued home and family life; happy children who love learning; restoration of excellence; freedom to pursue individual interests; entrepreneurship; recapturing meaning and purpose to life; and discovering one's destiny.


In the end, no matter what the generation, teaching our children at home has little to do with academics or with shielding them from secular influences....it has always been a matter of the heart.

-By Chris & Ellyn Davis