- Dr. Rebecca Mullican
- 08 Aug 2024
One clear memory I have from the first meeting I attended before my son started homeschooling was an activity we were given. There were paper, markers, and colored pencils. We were told to write down our “why” for homeschooling. Why were we choosing this journey? What motivated us to keep our children home? We were told we would need this paper along the way. “Get it out and look at it on the hard days and remember your why,” she said.
Well, here I was. Among others who were thinking and writing and proclaiming their “why.” What was my motivation? WHY did I want to homeschool?!? (The irony is not lost on me as I write this, late at night, after the kids had a late bedtime because we are still in summer mode while others are getting up and rushing off to school.)
The first thing I wrote was “travel.” That was easy. We wanted to travel and not be forced into small windows of opportunity to travel within. This is one of our biggest whys and has been a big driving force for our family. Among others were wanting more family time and knowing my son would not thrive in a large classroom. We didn’t want to be shoved into a box of time, effort, money, and space. We wanted to introduce a variety of activities for our children and watch them thrive through choice. We wanted picnic lunches, days at the park, and connection. WE wanted to develop our own rules for these things and watch our kids grow.
You may be reading this and you are a new homeschooler and are just finding your why. You may be a well established homeschooler who needs a reminder about your why. Whatever the reason, find your homeschooling why and watch your family soar to new heights!