Contributor: Grade Power Learning

The thought of homeschooling my children never occurred to me. I went to a traditional school growing up and never had the opportunity to meet children who took a homeschool curriculum at that time. Merely the thought of homeschooling was odd. Why would you not want to send your kids to school for learning? Isn’t that what, we parents, look forward to?

The first day of school!

I see the pictures and smiles posted on Facebook. There, the moms are, smiling and jumping in the air while the children look less than happy. I get it. Some moms are looking forward to a little bit of quiet time, less mess to clean, and the ability to work on hobbies or projects.

Other parents like reducing the expense of daycare from the summer. There is no longer the pressure to get them in a million activities during the summer to prevent them from getting bored. There might even be a little less worrying about what they are doing at home while you are at work.

Got it, the benefits of school just keep getting better!

As a relatively new mom of a four-year-old, we are just beginning our journey to find the right school and the best homeschool curriculum for him. We live in a new growing community and have a new school built in our neighborhood. It is scheduled to open just in time for him to enter Kindergarten.

Excellent, that is perfect timing, and I don’t need to look any further, or so I thought. Something compelled me to keep researching. I started looking into private school vs. public school. I explored different programs and weighed out all the pros and cons. I found out there are many, many options.

Options are not what I needed…

I am amazed about how having young children forces me to pay attention to how they see and interact with the world. I find myself asking about what they are interested in and how they are developing. I’m concerned about how we can keep the curiosity alive? How do we focus on their questions?

Questioning is learning, and it provides insight into what they are interested in and how they think. To support that, I began reading books and researching the kind of homeschool curriculum to supplement my child’s learning environment.

Great, more options…

It was through that research I started learning more about homeschooling. It is a topic I would never have considered a few years ago. Now it is beginning to show some attractive benefits. To further that research, I start talking to parents, teachers, friends, and business colleagues about their experiences in homeschooling. I was surprised to get so much good and helpful feedback. One parent, in particular, said, “WOW, you are brave!”

Another parent of grown children said, “I wish I could have done that for my children.”Many parents who had been through homeschooling gave me insight into their experiences. I enjoyed hearing their stories good and bad. Alright, I’m starting to understand now…

Here are the top 3 reasons why I am considering homeschooling for my family:

1. It allows for customized, real-life learning opportunities. Children are allowed to learn from everyone around them regardless of age and background. They can talk about what they are genuinely interested in, and the homeschool curriculum can be tailored to build in reading, writing, and math with what they do every day.
2. Students are not limited to grade-level curriculum. As soon as a child understands and owns a skill, they can move them on to more challenging topics. They don’t get a chance to be bored or complacent.
3. I can see who they become as a person. I can help guide them into what inspires them and help them find a career that will give them purpose and contribution to the world.

There are several things I have learned by asking these questions. There is no perfect teacher, and that includes parents. Parents do, however, have a little more skin in the game. I’ve come to understand that everyone we meet has an opportunity to teach my child something.

Everything we do presents itself as an opportunity for learning. The last and most important thing I learned is that we are not in it alone. We can choose to be part of a community, and we can ask for help. I expect we will find many mentors who can positively guide and help us through our journey.

For everyone, I suggest building your tribe and surround yourself with positive people.

For 25 years Grade Power Learning has been helping students reach their academic potential with uniquely developed programs that make a real difference in the way that children approach their learning. With Grade Power Learning, better grades are just the beginning.

Check out the Grade Power Learning Elk Grove and their newest location in El Dorado Hills for details on parent seminars for this and other topics.

Sacramento4kids has huge homeschool resources. To find out more, visit the Homeschool Category. You can also read more of the Education Category blog post.

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