10 Great Freedoms of Homeschooling

Oh sakes. How to narrow down the benefits and freedoms of homeschooling to 10? Can’t do it but I’ve squished it into 10 areas. Here it goes…

Continuing education for me! An understanding of the history timeline that I never grasped in my years of school. The truth about the dinosaurs and more through Answers in Genesis resources.

An incredible expansion of time management skills. A constant tweaking of habits to adjust for ages and stages. 10 Parts of the Hodgepodge Homeschool Schedule.

Plenty of outside time! Cultivating Curiosity with Nature Study – “Mama, I need a towel because I did one of the nature prompts,” she calls through the cracked open back door. I look and her feet are covered in clay…

Time to get sidetracked now and then. When A Millipede Interrupts Math – When a millipede interrupts math you just might have to open the front door to put it back outside. Capturing the millipede, gently in a paper cup, of course prompts an Eldest Boy to share a comparison list of millipedes vs. centipedes he recently learned from his Apologia Biology text. Opening the door might cause two boys to notice a slug…

Freedoms to adjust the day towards relationships and visit with great-grandmother. The Many Benefits of Homeschooling (a fun post from a couple of years ago!) Reading about math just for fun. Math with the cat. Sisters playing…

Sleep comes easily at night – yes, yes it was hard when they were all little. It was survival mode. There was a season of just getting the 3 Rs done. And these days still give me the easy answer to how to sleep well at night. But I tend to marvel daily (some days briefly, some days longer than others) at how this homeschool thrives because of the different ages and learning styles. “Say yes often! Yes you can mop the floor. Yes you can wear a ‘thinking cap’ for school. Yes, pick out as many books as you like at the library and then pile up on the couch. Yes, enjoy Draw Write Now just for fun – tractors and sharks. Yes, build, build, build!”

A total turn about in decorating and organization – The Homeschool Makeover. Since our learning is all over the house we are always moving things around and improving. We of course haven’t ever had a dining room but we do have a music room for piano practice and more. We’ve also just recently added desks on each end of the very narrow closet in the girls’ bedroom. They each have their own space. I will quote Littlest Girl when Hodgepodgedad showed her the new desk, “we can do school up here!” They are still working on setting up their space but I hope to share some of our changes over the next weeks.

The freedom to tailor an education for each and every one of our children. Hitting directly the needs, the learning styles as well as the fun of chasing an answer when we want to! The ever changing and expanding Hodgepodge Curricula.

Why Should You Homeschool? Here’s 10 more reasons from us including “Getting the teddy grahams! {translation: more frequent snacks?}” and all the regular ones like going on vacation when everyone else is in school and more 🙂

But most importantly, that part of my tag line below: “At the end of the day – when the dishes are put away and the children are tucked in bed – truly what matters is each child’s relationship with the Lord. Raising children is a God-given privilege and, folks, the time is short.” This time is speeding by friends! And what is most important? The relationships with our children and all things of eternal value.

Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ‘ancient paths’. When you find them, walk that way and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16

It’s ten weeks of top ten lists with iHomeschool Network and Top Ten Tuesday with Angie at Many Little Blessings! Click over to see the 10 week schedule and visit all the other homeschool participants.

How ’bout you? What freedoms and benefits have you found in homeschooling?