10 Reasons We Are Planning to Homeschool Our Children

In the name of Allah, the Knowing, the Wise

My baby boy is turning 2 in just over a month and I’m full of so many emotions. In some ways I can’t believe it’s been two whole years and in other ways, it feels like it’s been so much longer. He’s still so young but we are feeling very sure in our decision to be a homeschool family. In this post I’ll be sharing 10 reasons that lead us to feel so compelled.

I want to begin by encouraging you, if you have not already done so, to take some time to talk with your spouse and come up with some educational goals and plans for your family. Even if your child is only still a baby, even if you’ve only just got married…even better, have some discussions about this matter before getting married.

The education of your family is a lifestyle. It is a series of small but crucial decisions that you and your spouse and eventually your children as well, make over the course of your lives together. So many of us have been conditioned to relate education to schooling…and that reaches even those of us who are choosing to homeschool.

Education is far more than sitting down, reading textbooks and doing book work. So much learning comes from day-to-day experiences, being out in nature and playing – even for us as adults! The education of your family is crucial and it starts from the beginning. Therefore, we must be proactive in planning it.

Let me be very clear before going any further, I’m not advising you to agonize and stress over it. I’m not advising anyone to try and teach their 3 year old to read. Again, so much of our education comes through life’s journey but…it can be that way in such a more powerful way if we are taking that approach in an intentional way.

Also when we understand that education is a lifestyle and it’s not all about textbooks, we understand the importance of the atmosphere that we create and choose for ourselves and our family. We tend to be more mindful of the influences we allow into our homes – people, media, and the like. It gives us the power to utilize every aspect of our life as a teaching moment…because it really is that way anyways.

Okay, so without rambling on anymore, let’s jump into the 10 reasons why we are choosing to homeschool in our home:

1. We get to call the shots. I am learning a lot about delayed academics (aka, not starting any official academic work until age 7) these days and it makes a lot of sense for me. In all honesty, although I know there will be some struggles for me, I’m really leaning towards it. For me it seems to really fall in line with certain Islamic traditions and also it allows room to learn from play, learn from being in nature and just enjoy that brief period of time where you are simply able to be a carefree child.

Beyond that however, whenever we decide to start formal education with our children…we decide what we teach, what materials we’ll use, how in-depth to go, and all those other details. We don’t have to teach according to a certain system and we also get to leave out the lies and misinformation that is passed around in traditional schools.

2. We are able to keep Islam in the forefront as the guiding compass for our learning, our environment, our experiences and our overall home and family life. Within the lessons, within life, we get to make sure that our children know what it means to be a Muslim. We are able to weave Islamic studies into their curriculum. They don’t have to worry (as much) about how their peers might view them for tending to their religious obligations. They’ll not only be freed from worrying when and where they’ll be able to pray, they’ll be encouraged and reminded of prayer time and have their family praying alongside them. Not only through direct studying, they will have an opportunity to learn Islam within their home (if God wills).

On the flipside, we will be able to protect our children from constantly being submerged in things that go against our beliefs. We’ll be able to provide somewhat of a barrier between them and the temptations that seem to be introduced younger and younger by the year. We have more control over what influences our children will be exposed to and are therefore able to provide a more healthy and beneficial environment. It is not about coddling our children or causing them to look down on anyone else, it is about preserving their childhood and allowing them time to have developed a strong foundation for themselves so that when they are presented with some temptation or struggle, they have the necessary tools and frame of mind to go forward in a proper way.

3. We are able to help our children learn the skills necessary to make quality friends and be a good quality friend. A common worry of people who are considering homeschooling their children is that their child will not have any friends and have a social void. While this is an understandable concern, I think that perhaps we can turn it around and be grateful that we have a more active role in our children’s social life…and being homeschooled also provides space for your child to take a more active role in their social life.

Instead of trying to fit in where they fit in, you are able to facilitate opportunities for your child to be around peers of a similar mind and you are presented the opportunity to equip your child with the know-how of how to choose friends, how to make friends and how to keep friends. As well as how to evaluate friendships and how to let go of toxic relationships. Likewise, your child can be empowered in their role in actively choosing friends, actively keeping in touch with their friends and making sure that they are good friends themselves.

4. We are able to focus on the things that are left out at school. There are so many things we learn from life that are simply pushed to the side in a public school – there’s no time, many students, not a lot of resources, a curriculum to follow, etc.  Not only are these things pushed aside in the public school system, with the 8 hours spent in school and the hours of homework to follow it up, it’s hard to find time outside of school to learn these very important skills. What I’m talking about are things like good character, religious studies, life skills and other cool things that your child is interested in that don’t fit within the curriculum.

There are so many things we can name that are left out in school that home life provides rich  opportunities for learning. Not only for learning but also for exploring personal interests! The cool part is, depending on your lifestyle as parents, some of these things will simply come naturally. It’s still cool to put in some effort to learn some new skills and explore different things as a family as well though.

5. We are looking forward to engaging our child(ren)s curiosities! As a homeschooler, we have the flexibility to pause, go slow and deep dive into the things that our children are curious about and that they truly enjoy. Not only does it do no harm to spend some time diving into a topic that brings your kiddo joy, this also helps foster the joy of learning into your child. It can also be surprising how much you can expand from and flesh out one particular topic. 

I am not denying that there are certain subjects and topics that are crucial for a  person to learn. A lot of times these things come naturally so long as you create an environment that supports it. Regardless, it is vitally important to share the joy of learning. This has a lot to do with “teaching a man to fish versus giving a man a fish”. Taking the time to help your child explore the topics they are interested in can lead to a lifetime love of learning. It is in fact learning itself, as you are giving them the tools to research things they want to know.

6. You are able to share the joy of learning. Learning becomes a shared experience! It is a family experience. A joyful and fun experience of life that everyone is able to take part in. It is not something that is forced upon children. Not only does parallel learning take place, where learning is modeled through the parents and older siblings. Also, there will be times where you will literally be learning about things right there with your child.

7. There’s a lot more time for family time! We don’t have to try to fit time in small pockets for us to spend time as a family. This allows for us to focus more on growing a stronger bond and focus on instilling strong family values within our home. It also provides a lot of opportunities for character building, learning a wide variety of skills and personal growth. As a homeschooling family we get the opportunity to experience life, the good, bad and ugly of it, together. That in itself is a learning experience.

It’s not all rainbows and butterflies of course! Everyone, including you, will need to make sure to spend some personal time and this isn’t negated by being a homeschooling family. Also, you and your spouse will need to make time for couple-only time. Homeschooling and enjoying the aspect of having a lot of time together as a family doesn’t mean that you spend every waking minute with one another nor does it mean that you have to enjoy every moment either. Regardless, having the ability to have unconditional family time and foster strong relationships is priceless.

8. We are able to provide our children with a firm foundation for going out and exploring the world. I mean two things with this. First and foremost, we are able to make sure their faith is strong. We are able to help foster their relationship with Allah. That way, they are unwavering in their faith and also they can handle struggles and temptations with strength and courage. Homeschooling provides an opportunity to provide practical examples of what it means to be a Muslim. This comes about just from family life, as well as through community engagement. We also have the opportunity to make sure that teaching them Islam is a core part of their learning.

I also mean that we are able to ensure that they truly have a good grip on their academic foundation. That they actually have a good foundation of math, English, science, history and the like. When we’re homeschooling we study to learn not to earn high scores on exams and standardized tests. We don’t have to rush through any particular subjects. We don’t have to constantly move from one topic to another. We are able to build on each individual child’s strengths and gradually help them work through any weak areas.

9. We have a better ability to tend to the various areas of our children’s health that may not be accounted for in a school setting. What I mean with this point is that we get to take a holistic approach with our children. We can help make sure they are getting enough sleep and staying hydrated properly. We have the opportunity to prepare food as a family that is healthy and nutritious and eat together. Also, we are able to get plenty of time outside getting fresh air and sunshine.

On top of that, we are able to tend to our child’s mental and emotional health. We are able to provide our children a safe and comforting space. They don’t have to deal with bullies, peer pressure and the stress that comes with public school. It is not about sheltering our children per se’. It is about providing an environment where our children learn that it is crucial to take care of ourselves. It is important to take care of one another. Our bodies, minds, and souls are gifts from Allah. It is a show of ingratitude when we don’t make the time to prioritize and care for ourselves.

10. We are looking forward to doing a lot of exploring in the coming years and homeschooling allows us that flexibility. Homeschooling allows us to not only learn on the go but it also allows us the freedom to take days off when we have a need to, have shorter days as we want or longer days too. I think I’ve touched on this a couple times already in this post but it is worth noting again: homeschooling also allows flexibility in the way we teach. If we don’t want to use textbooks as the main tool for learning, we simply don’t have to. If we don’t want to do every subject ever day, we don’t have to. We can begin and end our day when we choose, for the most part. The list goes but basically, homeschooling can be a means to flexibility and freedom!

There are several more reasons we are choosing to homeschool but these are definitely the ones at the core. I think that these will be the reasons that remind us why we’re doing what we’re doing. It will be these things that help us stay encouraged when times might be tough or we begin to question our decision. My husband and I both had the experience of being homeschooled and we loved it for the most part. We saw a lot of good through it and as you can probably tell, we feel quite passionate about it being a part of our family journey. That said, I don’t believe homeschooling is for everyone…so if it’s not for you, that’s okay too!

Question for the comments: If you are homeschooling, what is your top reason for making this decision for your family?

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