A few reasons why we are going to homeschool

Yep.  We are going to homeschool.  There, I said it.  No more speculation.

When Jason and I started talking about school for our kids homeschooling was never on our radar.  After all, aren't homeschooled kids totally weird?

However, when it came down to it, we don't feel like public school is an option for our kids, and we can't currently afford private.  After talking to some other homeschooling families, we decided to at least look into it as an option.  Here are some statistics I came across in my research.

Over 2.04 million students are currently homeschooled.  That is a 78% increase since 1999.
When it comes to test taking, homeschooled students consistently outperform public school students.  They did well whether or not their parents were certified teachers.
Homeschooled students graduated from college at a higher rate than their peers.

And while those numbers/stats are impressive, they aren't the reason we are going to try this whole homeschool thing.  Here are just some of the reasons we are homeschooling.

Our big reason is cost of private education.  Yep, we can't afford private school for three kids. (or four for that matter)  And frankly, we think that even if the time comes when we could, we would rather pay for their college, or family vacations, or both.  And like I mentioned before, we just don't feel like public school is the right choice for us.  I am not bashing public school or saying kids should not go to public schools, but after prayer, it just isn't for our kids.

Another reason, I like my kids.  Whaaaat?  I do, I like my kids.  I don't have any desire to only spend time with them when they are at their worst during the day.  Maybe your kids are different.  Mine are at their best during the day.  About 4pm each day I start to think they are a little crazy.  They get a little cranky, don't want to obey, start arguing and fighting more and are generally just out of sorts.  Then we have dinner and bath time and story time and it is off to bed between 7-8pm.  If school started at say, 2pm and went until 6pm and served dinner instead of lunch we might have a deal.

Next, we decided that the best time to give homeschooling a try was during the pre-k, k and 1st grade years.  Who knows, maybe I will try it and it will be horrible and we will change our minds.  But, if I only try through 1st grade I won't have done that much damage, right?

And one last reason (but certainly not the least important) is our desire to teach our kids from a biblical world view.

The things listed above don't even begin to scratch the surface of our list of reasons we are homeschooling, but they are some of the biggies.  Making the decision to homeschool/go to public or private school is not one that should be made lightly.  We have spent time praying, discussing, and researching our options.  We have talked to people who we respect who are in public schools and private schools and who homeschool to get their opinions.  And, just in case you are in the camp who wonders, "How will those poor Dickinson kids ever get socialization?"  Rest assured that they are around other kids at MOPS, church, play dates, and soon enough, sports.

Have you ever considered homeschooling?  What made you take the plunge?  Or, what changed your mind?