I homeschooled through the entirety of my school years, and it was the best choice I ever upheld. In this post, I’ll explain what my experience with homeschooling looked like, and why it provided a well-rounded learning experience.
The title to this post is a common response I heard growing up. The stigma attached to being homeschooled was not a good one. It meant that I was uneducated, or sheltered, or any other number of harmful stereotypes.
I was self-conscious at first, but eventually, I would look them straight in the eye and say, “Yes. I am homeschooled, and I love it.”
People raised their eyebrows and scoffed at how a child could possibly love any form of schooling. Or, they patronized me with well wishes.
But it was true; I enjoyed my education.
Here are 4 reasons why.
1. Control and choices
Having the freedom of being at home led to a strong sense of control over my time and how I spent it. If I decided to skip a subject one day in favor of something else, I knew I would be catching up the following day. If I wanted to go through more of a textbook in a session then was outlined, I could do so. I was maintaining a schedule by the time I was 9.
Being able to prioritize my interests and create the structure of my school days relieved stress and provided opportunities for discovering new passions.
2. Flexibility
I was able to shift my curriculum around to fit my learning style. There was no “correct” way to learn. Whatever helped me retain the information was fair game.
By doing so, I exercised my creative thinking and opened doors for myself that would have otherwise remained locked.
3. Encouraged curiosity
I’ve come to realize I was free to follow my curiosities as a kid more than most were. Whether that meant going on a nature adventure or researching a new topic for the day, there was exploration and lots of learning organically.
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4. Social skills
I was as awkward as any kid, sure.
Do I think that was capitalized by being homeschooled? Absolutely not.
If anything, being homeschooled helped me overcome my awkwardness by conversing with people of all ages. Elders, adults, teens, other kids, toddlers. I was around them constantly either at co-op or church and in return, I was able to hone my conversation skills and overcome any bad social habits that may have otherwise formed.
In conclusion
The benefits of homeschooling have been fruitful for me. I’m equipped with the above experiences and they will be drawn from as I move forward into the next phase of my career and education.
I’m grateful for my upbringing and that I was given the chance to forge my own path from a young age.