Why Homeschool?

What do Denver Bronco’s quarterback Tim Tebow, poet Robert Frost, composer John Phillip Sousa, actress Whoopi Goldberg and photographer Ansel Adams have in common? All were homeschooled for at least a portion of their education.

According to the National Home Education Research Institute, there are over two million children homeschooling in the United States. You may have a neighbor, co-worker or friend who homeschools. Perhaps you are considering homeschooling. With this blog, I hope give you some insight about this educational choice and answer your questions.

There are many reasons to homeschool but I’ll mention just a few of the most common. For many families who practice attachment parenting with their babies and toddlers, homeschooling seems like a natural next step. For families with strong religious convictions, keeping their children home enables them to imbue their everyday life with their values. For families who have an ill family member or who travel a lot, homeschooling offers great flexibility. Some parents have children who were not thriving in school and brought them home. Some parents remembered their own school experiences and wanted an opportunity to provide a more personal and relevant education for their children. Some parents, like me, simply wanted to continue to share in their child’s life and learning. I didn’t miss out on my daughter’s first steps or words; I didn’t want to miss the first sentence she read either.

My daughter is now nearly 14. Her name is Davis and she will also be blogging about her experience as a teen homeschooler. Although Davis attended a co-operative preschool, she has never been to public school. I am also the proud mom of two other children: my daughter Isa is 10 and my son Rafael is 6. I am happily married to my college sweetheart, Selso, who is employed as a mechanical engineer. We’ve lived in Woodinville for over 10 years.

In the beginning, we planned to homeschool for a year or two, and see how it went. We saw our children thriving and enjoyed the freedom to set our own course, so much so that we’re now in our ninth year of homeschooling. I feel fortunate to be homeschooling in Woodinville and the Eastside because there is a thriving community and lots of resources and support. I look forward to sharing more of these with you in the coming months.