Why Do I Choose to Home Educate My Kids?

Top 13 Reasons, today. I find they change all the time. If you, yourself home educate your children, I highly recommend you do this at least once every 3 months to avoid 'burnout.'

1. I get to spend more time with my kids and they with me. Building more united relationships that are meaningful and lasting is important to me.

2. We get to pray right in the middle of 'class!!' What a foreign concept. This is so great when teaching kids that you can learn all things through the Holy Ghost.

3. We have great events too! Show and tell nights, Science Fair, Spelling Bee, Lolipop Project Day, Valentines Day Parties, Book Clubs galore, park days, swimming, roller skating, gymnastics, field trips, fun leadership classes, etc.

4. We get to cuddle up with a good book whenever we want! My kids and I love to read and have the freedom to pursue that! I never even knew that I loved to read up until a few years ago.

5. The kids are not worried about what brand of pants they are wearing. Enough said.

6. Daily devotional with song, memorization, family prayer, uplifting quote, thought, poem, etc. We read aloud as a family. This is a delightful way to start off any successful day!

7. My kids have a say in what they are learning. They tell me what they want to learn more about and I act as their guide and provide the resources. It is fantastic because they are so self motivated and develop a strong "love for learning" when doing "school" instead of growing that common "hate of learning" that you hear so much about.

8. We get to learn about things that are important to our core family values. We study from our "cannon" which is the standard works for us. (The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine and Covenants.) We learn actual truth about the Founding Fathers and how our great nation was born. (Faith and Freedom among others.)

9. My children are learning through hands on experience adult skills that many kids only read about. A good work ethic is created and it will be invaluable to them later in life.

10. Hands on hobbies become part of school too! Whatever their passion is, they are free to uncover hidden talents because they have more time to do so. Kylee has become quite the baker, seamstress, and crafty girl. She made a queen size denim quilt for her daddy for Christmas. She braided a rug for me for Christmas. She crocheted some handy gifts for her brothers and sisters and even made her brother a duct tape wallet for his birthday.

11. We have the best support community online ever! There are great yahoo email loops with hundreds, even thousands across the country who are right there to lend a helping hand when needed.

12. I get to see my kids grow up and I know them. When they were in public school, I really didn't know them like I thought I did.

13. They also have more time freedom to pursue entrepreneurial interests. All of my daughters have written their own books and my oldest is earning money right now so that she can have her first one self published. It is is really good too, if I might say.

I realize I may sound like I am bragging on my kids. Ya... basically one really proud and happy mama right here, ya'll! I love staying home with them and seeing God's tender mercies unfold right before me.