HOMESCHOOLING

Unexpected Benefits of Homeschooling

Little gifts we found along the way

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One of the happiest parts of my day is the hour that I am not rushing everyone out the door to school. Every weekday morning, no matter the weather, a large yellow bus with a flashing light on top comes to a stop on our block, dangerously close to 7:00 a.m. I am nearly gleeful as it drives away without any of us aboard. I remain at the dining room table in my pajama pants, drinking my coffee and gently planning our day and week.

When my children were small, they were early risers, and morning tended to be the time of day in which they played most cheerfully and cooperatively. After breakfast, I could count on a bit of time in which they happily constructed towers or steered matchbox cards up and over the contours of the couch. I could prepare the day’s activities, throw in a load of laundry or take a few minutes to nurse my tired mom brain into some form of order.

I did not start homeschooling explicitly because I wanted slower, less stressful mornings. I started homeschooling because, as a public school teacher of about ten years, I saw other potential benefits: less wasted time in a school day, more targeted learning, a safer learning environment, more opportunity for hands-on experiences and more time together. Gentler…