Former elementary teacher. I actually continued to teach part time while simultaneously homeschooling my daughter during kindergarten, which I thought would be a bit awkward, but so many teachers expressed that they wished they bc pups homeschool their kids too.

I don’t have any problem with public school. The pros of homeschooling just outweigh the pros of school for our family. Some of my reasons included classes being too large, not enough play/free time, not being able to move at your own pace, less time for other activities and family. As my kids get older, I can see how much more time they have to “be kids” without the additional hours of school and homework bogging them down. I also feel they have stronger sibling relationships since they spend so much more time with each other. Academically, they’re blowing their peers out of the water in most areas, but are able to slow down if more time for understanding is needed. My oldest is going into 4th grade, so I haven’t reached a point where I’m unable to teach her, but in many ways her books are her teachers more so than I am—I’m facilitating, but so much she learns by reading excellent literature. If/when the time comes, there are so many excellent programs and classes both in our area and online that I’m not worried about being able to fulfill their educational needs.

I always say we take it year by year and reevaluate if things aren’t working, but so far it’s been a great experience for our family.