Why I Homeschool… (Barb’s Turn!)

Hi, I’m Barb and I’m a homeschooling mom.

If you had told me 15 years ago that not only would I have kids, I would also be homeschooling them and *enjoying it* I would probably have looked at you like you have 3 heads. Me, a mom who homeschools? Never. Homeschooled kids were weird.

Well, life changes things. I got married and found myself pregnant a few years later. During the early stages of our marriage we spent a lot of time with the husband’s best friend and his family. His wife was very pro-homeschooling. When their oldest daughter was four, she was as comfortable talking to the adults around her as she was talking to other kids her age. She was very interested in Marine Life and would happily tell you anything and everything you wanted to know. I was fascinated. I wanted that for my future kids. I wanted that for *me*.

The husband and I talked about schooling and our options, but the baby was only a year old so we had plenty of time. I grilled my friend for information, even joined homeshool lists. I knew that I was going to be a homeschool mom.

When the oldest was 2, we got orders to transfer to Seattle, Washington. The husband was speaking to a co-worker who had been stationed there previously about places to live and things to do. The co-worker mentioned that the town we decided to move to had one of the best school districts in the state. The husband replied “Oh, we don’t need to worry about that, Barb’s going to homeschool”. He was on board! Fantastic!

The decision to homeschool was based on our nomad lifestyle. The husband is in the military and we move every 3 to 4 years. We uproot the boys and ask them to start over again. We feel that homeschooling allows us to keep one thing in their ever-changing lives constant… Dad and I will always be their teachers. The curriculum may change. The “school” location will change. The administrators and outside classes will change. But dad and I never will.

Today the oldest is 9 and the youngest is 6. Neither boy has set foot in a traditional school. We have decided to homeschool through a Charter School. We are provided with a budget to purchase curriculum, go on field trips, or take classes. We are also provided with a teacher who helps guide me on this journey. We have homeschooled in 2 states. We have been active in 4-H and Cub Scouts, as well as various Church activities.

I love the freedom that homeschooling affords us. I love watching the looks on their faces when they get a concept. I love being able to answer their questions, or sitting next to them as we do the research to find those answers. I’ll admit I have some days where I wish that I could enroll them in school and turn over the teaching to someone else, but I get over it and plug along.

How long will we homeschool? Forever, I hope. The husband and I agreed when we began our journey years ago that if at any point we find that we are no longer doing a service for the kids we will stop and explore our options. For now, we will keep doing what we’re doing.

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Barb can be found at Barb’s Life where she blogs about her new life in Alaska, shares pictures of things she’s created, and sometimes talks about her homeschool journey.

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