Home Schooling is a Community

There is a growing contingency of parents who have chosen to either not enroll their children in or have removed their children from our public schools. Those who chosen to home school their children do not make their decisions lightly. This decision will impact the children, the parents, and their family life the entire time that homeschooling is underway. Because it is an important decision, and not the standard educational choice for our society, it tends to draws people together who have come to this same educational option, no matter what path they have trodden to arrive there.

The homeschooling community has grown by leaps and bounds within our state, but it is still considered outside the norm. At best, it is a curiosity to those who haven’t made that leap themselves or who may not personally know a home schooling family. There are home school support groups within even our smallest communities and most home school families make good use of these. Home school families rely on the support and encouragement of other families who have made this same decision. Support groups are also a great way to share teaching ideas, information, curriculum and just to get together with those going through some of the same victories and valleys. Homeschoolers, through either friendships or support groups, have forged a strong sense of community within their ranks. This sense of community has come about in part to offset the negative social pressure that results in crossing any social norm.

Though the majority of Homeschoolers do share a strong Christian faith, there are also a good number of people that homeschool their children and practice any number of different religions or no religion at all. The common thread seems to be a high value placed on children and a strong belief in a parent’s singular responsibility to thier child. These parents have a strong desire to bring the best education, in a healthy and supportive atmosphere, and in a way which does not diminish the child or the family’s belief system or life style. Within a very diverse home school community and due to the intensity of beliefs, it is almost inevitable that there will be a certain amount of conflict and this probably explains why there are so many home school support groups. People tend to gather in groups that share their basic beliefs and the sheer numbers of groups give testimony to the variety of people that choose to home school.

The reasons that I chose to home school our children were varied. I disliked the large class room size of our local public school and yet we didn’t feel that we could afford to send our children to a private school. My husband worked nights and we wanted to have a more flexible schedule which would allow more family time for us all to be together. Both of my sisters’ homeschooled their children and it was working amazingly well for them from both an educational and family point of view. We went from being skeptics to seeing it as a practical, positive option.

I have enjoyed these last 20 years of homeschooling my children and in being part of a community that gives educational options to those who are seeking them. It is encouraging to be with people who feel that their children deserve to be a top priority in their lives. Homeschooling isn’t for everyone and I realize that there are many wonderful parents who would not chose to home school but, if it does suit your family situation, or your child’s individual needs, then I am glad that we have the freedom to choose home schooling and a strong and supportive community to walk along side us.