I recently posted this on a forum, when a lady asked why those that home educate had chose to, and “don’t you go crazy?” In addition, I posted several benefits.
We chose home education because I read too much. Really.
I read all that was happening in the public school system (and checked it out in the actual schools we were in) and I knew as Christians we couldn’t keep our children in that environment for their teaching and training. (Dh agreed.) And I read so much in the Word of God that confirmed for us that our children shouldn’t be trained by “fools” that say “there is no God.” And that there is no wisdom or knowledge apart from the Fear of the Lord. I wanted their education based on the Fear of the Lord. That first year we would have perhaps gone the Christian school route if we could have afforded it at all.
But then I read “too much” more in the Bible, that showed me it is our responsibility. It showed me that parents are to teach God’s Word when they rise up, lie down, walk along the way, sit in their homes. This sounded like pretty much all the time to me. Not after school, after sports, after homework, etc. For us, this was the only way to go in obedience to God’s Word. (For others, Christian schools have been their answer. That’s between them and God, not me.)
Some of the benefits we believe home education can offer, even over Christian schools, are:
Relationship of parent to child – truly teaching and training your own children in the ways of the Lord and the life He’s given us. No one knows your child as well as you, nor is as concerned about their growth as a whole, year after year, equipping them for the plan God has for their lives. Even in Christian schools, they will probably have different teachers each year. Not a consistent “mentor” like mom and dad. I know what they are learning in every subject, every year, and can build on that for them personally, and relate the subjects together. They have a very intertwined, cohesive course of learning.
Sibling relationships. Yes, it can create conflict being together all the time, they have more time and chances to fight. But they also are learning to work out relationships properly. (If mom and dad are training them.) They are learning to honor and serve one another – (not usually high on the institutional schools list of priorities, but very high on mine.)
Learn to relate/socialize (positively) with people of all ages. Home educated children normally interact with people of many differing ages, not primarily people their own exact age. I don’t like the age segregation in school settings. I think we learn more from a mixed age group.
More teacher time. More one on one tutoring can take place within the teaching hours in the home (no after school extra work). It is a far more efficient way of learning. (Far less teacher time is needed when it is one-on-one or small group.) Also the students can progress at their own individual pace – no class group to hold them back, or push them beyond their abilities and leave them behind.
Tailor made curriculum. Not only can the student move ahead at his own pace, but his entire curriculum can be tailored to what is best for him and the family.
Focus on life training. All education is not academic. And in a school setting that is what much of it is (and then there are sports and other after school activities, that most likely won’t be part of your “real” life) and then more academic homework at night. Because home ed is more efficient in the academic department, and because we highly value these other things, some even more than academic training, we are able to include those other very important things during the day. As mentioned above, relationship building and skills, life skills in a natural environment, spiritual training, etc. School may have had a class that taught me to cook, but it didn’t have a living room, library, bathroom, kitchen etc. that I had to clean and pick up baby toys, trash, clean cobwebs, sort through papers, etc. in. 
There were no real babies that needed attention, fed and changed. (And no fake ones when I went to school.) And the schools I attended didn’t have bookcases full of godly training; Bible study tools, Christian biographies, theology, apologetics, etc. that I could sit down and read whenever I wanted, that would help me to live the life God has called me to.
As for going crazy? It is like any other worthwhile thing. It can only be done through the grace of God in my life. I am nothing. He is all in all. He guides me, or I fail. We are completely committed to it, so there is no other option for us. I love it because I am called to it. I do it as unto my Lord. (Even when I don’t particularly “like” what’s happening at the moment.) There are plenty of other things I could be doing with my time. Many things I love to do, but don’t do as much (or maybe at all) because I am educating my children. (DH could no doubt do more and other things too, even though he doesn’t do the day to day teaching. He is sole support for the family, buys all the resources we use, etc.) BUT there is absolutely nothing that is as worthy as what I am doing with my time. All those other things are just “things” that will pass away. My children are eternal. I am training eternal beings – the ones God particularly gave to us to train. Whoa! How can anything have higher priority, or be more worthy than that?
My (and my children’s) outside social lives will be whatever we choose them to be. If we want to be active and involved outside the home, we will be. If not, we won’t be. We’ll make a way for what is important to us. I am a person that “needs” alone time. I usually get it after children are in bed and dh goes to work (night shift). I also like to go visit with a friend now and then. I have a good friend that I get together with, either we bring all the children to one house or the other and they play while we visit, or occasionally her and I leave the kids and go out for tea or something.
Oh, 3 other benefits.
1) your children have time to help you with household chores. It is part of their training for life skills. So YOU don’t particularly need more time for this, you just need to bring them alongside.
2) SUPER BENEFIT! Mom gets a 2nd chance at a great Christian education that she probably didn’t get when she was young.
3) BIGGEST BENEFIT of all!! no greater ground for God working in us, conforming us to the image of His own dear Son. Yes, I believe the primary reason for home education is for MOTHERS (and fathers) to grow in the Lord (not just our children). Our character will be challenged and found wanting over and over and over again. We will grow and learn so much more than our children.
2 of my favorite, more recent books (not around when we were forming our convictions on this) are Doug Wilson’s Excused Absence on why parents should provide good Christian education (hard hitting, but Biblical) and RC Sproul Jr’s When You Rise Up, on following God for our children’s training, not government schools ways – educating for God’s goals, not the world’s. There are several others I like too, but these are 2 of my faves. [Update: Voddie Baucham has a new 2 DVD set, The Children of Caesar, I haven't seen the DVD yet, but have listened to audios of both sessions. They are excellent also. (I don't have a link to order it from us (yet?). Order from americanvision.com)]
I also invite you to consider my Choose Ye This Day. audio workshop, an introduction to home education. (Scroll down on the page.)
Yes, home education – as parenting itself – keeps us humble and on our knees.
For Me and My House ~ At Jesus’ feet,
Lisa @ Me and My House ~ Discipleship for Life!
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