Homeschooling Reflections

I attended traditional schooling as a child. It was mostly public schools, with some years spent in private institutions.

My mom often dropped me off early, sometimes before daybreak. I would sit at my desk, feeling bored for hours. Lunchtime was a bit of a struggle; I’d down cartons of milk and whatever crumpled up snack my mom packed that had likely been sitting in my locker for hours.

Yes, our lives would be simpler if our kids went to school. But we wouldn’t be doing what’s truly right. We must confront the challenges presented by today’s world.

After lunch, I had a brief 30 minutes outside for a break, followed by a long afternoon spent daydreaming about skateboarding, biking, or playing sports—anything other than sitting there.

Eventually, around 3:30, my mom would pick me up from school, and we’d have dinner as a family. Then, it was bedtime, only to start the same routine all over again. My schooling experience was pretty standard, similar to many others.

Breaking Away from Tradition

However, my kids don’t share those same experiences. We’ve chosen not to send them to school.

Instead, we’re homeschoolers. As they’ve grown old enough, inquiries about where they go for school have begun—especially when we’re out on typical school days.

“No, we homeschool,” I respond.

My wife and I always thought we’d send our kids to traditional schools, just as we did. Personally, I saw homeschooled kids as a bit different—maybe even a little odd. But I’ve started to wonder if perhaps we were just overly influenced by the system.

Looking Back

It wasn’t until the summer of 2020 that we even considered homeschooling. Our kids weren’t in school yet, and I didn’t have multiple kids then. But that summer sparked the idea of venturing into what we previously judged as being ‘weird’—homeschooling.

What prompted this shift from a “normal” education path? Well, 2020 stands out, but not solely because of the pandemic or the chaos surrounding it.

There were deeper issues within the public school system—years of indoctrination, reliance on educational devices like iPads, a generally weak curriculum, and an overall decline in student quality. It was more than just the teachers; it was about the students as well. One disruptive child with an unrestricted iPhone can lead many astray.

The Value of Education

We realized that when we send our children to schools that don’t align with our values, we’re left to instill beliefs during the limited time we have together in the evenings. It’s overwhelming, and it feels like we’re set up to lose this battle.

This realization hit us hard. We decided that homeschooling was essential for our kids, helping shield them from what feels like a deteriorating educational landscape.

Choosing to homeschool makes sense in today’s world. It’s not the same as when we were kids. The environment has grown harsher for children. Sure, it’s tempting to trust the school system to care for our kids while we work, but that’s not feasible anymore.

The Hard Choice

If we enrolled our children in school, life would be simpler. There would be quieter days, peace for work, and uninterrupted time—just like before we became parents. We could offload the responsibility of education to someone else.

But while this would definitely ease our lives, it wouldn’t be the right choice. We wouldn’t be facing the significant challenges the world puts before us. It’s easy to fall into a mindset that thinks things are still okay, but they’re not. We can’t afford to pretend; our kids’ futures depend on that clarity.

Sometimes we need to accept situations we hadn’t planned for. As my dad would say, “That’s just how things go.”

In a world that’s always changing, our best course of action is to adapt and make informed decisions. It’s futile to hope for a past that simply doesn’t reflect today’s reality. The world has evolved, so have our solutions—we’re now proud homeschoolers.