Homeschool

History of Whitley Academy (our homeschool name):

We have been homeschooling since 2009.  When I first started thinking about homeschooling, I didn’t know much about it; and only knew of one person that homeschooled their children.  People would ask me why I wanted to do it and at first, I felt like I was grasping trying to come up with a good reason.  I couldn’t explain it, but I FELT it was the right thing to do.

A few of my easy-to-explain reasons are: our youngest son wasn’t being challenged; our oldest son was being overlooked; our youngest son has Type I diabetes and there was not a nurse permanently on staff; we had moved around a little bit with my husband’s job and weren’t sure when we would move again.  All very valid reasons.

However, the reasons I still homeschool go much deeper now.  I have learned so much in the last three years spending day in and day out with my boys (and now Baby A).

It is an adventure everyday.  I love that I get to learn along with them.  I always loved history and literature.  Sure, I could read Charlotte’s Web and My Side of the Mountain and books about Thomas Jefferson on my own, but getting to talk to them about it and hearing a fresh perspective on it is amazing.  Kids really do see things from a different, untainted-by-the-world view.  As long as we give them the opportunity.

I love that I am my children’s biggest influence.  I’m not ready for them to have iPhones and Facebook accounts and be on YouTube looking at Lord-knows-what (I’m not knocking you if that’s your thing though).  I’m just not ready to have them grow up fast.  Time passes so quickly without me rushing it.  And because I don’t expose them to these things I’ve been accused of sheltering them; my response…”You’re damn right.”

I get to be a big kid with them sometimes.  We do art projects and read silly books.  Go to the park for P.E.  Play tag.  Go to the zoo or the museum or the aquarium and call it a “Field Trip”.

I worked when they were very young and I regret time lost.  I tried a number of different jobs trying to find the one that suited me best.  It was right under my nose all along…being a mama.  Even though there are plenty of days filled with guilt – of things I didn’t do or should have done better or words I should have said – I know I’m good at this job.

So, why do I still homeschool?  Because I don’t want to miss one, little, precious minute with these beautiful human beings.