I thought it would be fun to have a series called homeschool benefits. I
think a lot of times after we have homeschooled for so long, we begin to
take for granted all of the benefits and all of the good things that come as
a result of our homeschooling.
After thirty-one years of homeschooling, I still see the benefits all the
time. Ray and I look at each other almost weekly and remind each other what
a blessing it has been to be able to homeschool all seven of our children
for all of these years. However, sometimes when we are in the thick of
homeschooling, it is easy to forget all of those benefits.
So here is homeschool benefit number one: parent and child get to spend
every day together. Obviously, this doesn’t always feel like a benefit. But
after spending every day for the last thirty-one years with my children, I
can tell you wholeheartedly that it truly is a benefit.
My husband likes to tell groups when we speak that you get to see your
child’s bad behavior all the time by spending every day with him or her. And
then he goes on to explain what a benefit that is because we would miss
those behaviors and those things that we want to help our children to grow
in. I’m not so sure about that aspect of it, LOL, but I am sure that it is a
blessing to be able to be with our children all the time rather than them
being away at school for seven, eight, or nine hours each day depending on
how much bus time they have, how long their school day is, and if they had
before or after school activities.
I look back at all of the memories that I have made with my children by
spending every day with them that I have for these past three decades, and I
truly cannot think of a better way to have spent a large chunk of my life.
When I get together with my grown children, we laugh and talk about all of
the fun times. We make jokes about the terrible crafts and science projects.
And we remember together with joy all of the read alouds, all of the
traditions, and all of the ways that we spent our days for all of those
years. Truly, I would say that homeschool benefit number one is spending
every day with your children.
