Two Reasons NOT to Homeschool

If you’ve been following along with me for very long, you know that our family has a passion for faith-based education. In this season of life, we are homeschooling and maybe you’re in a place where you are considering the same thing. There are so many amazing things about learning at home with your children – Ask just about any homeschooling family and they will quickly rattle off all kinds of reasons why homeschooling has proven to be an amazing option for them!

For us, we love the flexibility that it provides! We love that we are able to tailor teaching and learning to address the specific strengths and weaknesses of our kiddos! We love that we are able to design learning routines to revolve around family life rather than attempting to fit family life in around a schooling schedule! We love that it gifts our children with MORE: more exposure, more interaction, more hands-on learning, more extra curricular activities, more real-life experiences…yes, more…not less. 

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These are all great reasons to choose homeschooling, but there are a couple of reasons NOT to homeschool. Yes, you heard me correctly. There are a couple of reasons that some choose homeschooling, and if one of these reasons is the driving force behind your family’s choice, I would encourage you to revisit your why.

Two Reasons Not to Homeschool

Reason #1 not to homeschool: Fear: Do you find yourself wanting to isolate your children? Are you fearful of exposing your children to people, places, and things outside the home? Were you homeschooled as a child…and it wasn’t a positive experience? Are you worried what your family and friends will think? Does a concern for your child’s safety overwhelm you? Do you have a phobia of germs? (You may laugh at that last one, but I’ve heard all of these reasons more than once!) If you answer yes to any or all of these questions…if fear is driving your desire to homeschool, I would urge you to shift focus.

This type of fear can paralyze us and negatively impact our children – if we allow it.

This post was written in 2017 – prior to any concerns regarding Covid-19.

Please choose homeschooling because you want to provide your children with opportunities, experiences, exposure, etc. that they would not get in a traditional school setting. Please choose homeschooling because you want to be the one to guide them through how to tackle tough issues. Please choose homeschooling because you want to use Scripture to shine a light on world religions, various schools of thoughts, controversial topics…yes, even the scary stuff. Please choose homeschooling because you want to cultivate in your children a desire for excellence and independence. Please choose homeschooling because you want to invest in your children in a way that will make it possible for them to step out and change the world for good. Release your fears and trust in the One who may or may not be calling your family to an exciting new adventure that will gift you with all of these things and more.

2 Timothy 1:7 “God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and calmness of spirit.”

Reason #2 not to homeschool: Finances: Yes, homeschooling has the potential to be much less expensive than many private, faith-based schools – especially in the area where we live (How about where you are?) – but please do not let your finances be the driving force behind this type of decision. Homeschooling requires a calling to educate your children, and following a calling is about heart and passion and commitment…not what’s in the wallet.

When it comes to choosing an educational setting for your children, pray about it, pray about it, pray about it, and as you respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life, choose faith over your finances. When we fail to consult the One who designed our family, we begin to make decisions solely based on our own thoughts…and experiences…and emotions…and bank accounts…and this will always lead us off course.

Should we make wise decisions as we steward the money that God has provided our family? Absolutely! But with that in mind, we must also consider our priorities…and our self-discipline…and the fact that He has promised to be our provider when we consult Him regarding every area of our finances.

Closing Thoughts:

Maybe you’re like us and you find yourself concerned with the driving philosophy behind much of what is being taught in government schools, but we can not allow fear or our finances to rule our decisions regarding what to do about it. When we see that today’s children are being confronted with teaching that is diametrically opposed to truth, we must decide how we will effectively teach our children to combat society’s norms. This requires worldview training grounds that hold Christ at the center, and I love all of the fantastic options that are available for family’s today!

A Few Options to Consider:

Is there a quality faith-based school in your area that offers assistance to families who desire to join their school family but struggle to afford it?

Over at Living Well Spending Less, Ruth gives some great ideas for How to Afford Private School on a Budget.

Could homeschooling be what God has for your family?

Have you considered looking in to many of the on-line homeschooling options that are available to families now?

Does your area offer quality faith-based schools that provide families with a part-time classroom/part-time homeschool model? These are growing more and more popular! What a great idea!

Read Our Family’s Philosophy of Education

If you desire a faith-centered education for your children, there are loads of great options out there and God will bless your desire to consult Him in this specific area of your life. As you step out in faith and walk the path He has designed for your family’s specific situation, He will provide everything you need along the way! There is no one-size fits all package for families who seek to train their children in truth, but I can promise you this – You can Trust your Guide…no matter what. He never fails. I’ve witnessed it time and time again.

As with all of my educational posts, this post was not designed to spark a debate regarding government schools vs. privatized education. This post has been put together for consideration by families who are interested in faith-based private schools or homeschooling.

If you’ve visited me in this space before, you may have seen me share about homeschooling for preschool and elementary, too! I have put together age-specific posts to assist homeschooling families in their journey, and my hope is that as I share what is working well for us that you will be inspired to find what works best for your family.

• Two-Year Old Homeschool Preschool
• Three-Year Old Homeschool Preschool
• Four-Year Old Homeschool Preschool
• Homeschooling Kindergarten
• Homeschooling First-Grade
• Homeschooling Second-Grade
• Homeschooling Third-Grade

Want to read more about our family’s Lifestyle of Homeschooling? Our daily schedule? A look at our week? I would be honored to share with you how we have adopted a lifestyle of living and learning together and how you can do the same with your own family: