To Homeschool Or Not???

So, here we are... School is just around the corner!!! Do we enroll in a private school??? That would be nice, but where would we get the money for that??? Public school??? Ugh, do I have too??? I've done my research & experienced first hand the public schools in South Carolina. It doesn't look like things are going to get better any time soon. Are there any other options??? Hey, wait... I have a friend that's been homeschooling her kids!!! Could I homeschool my children??? Hmmm, I wonder what that would be like... I don't have a college degree, so could I even teach my kids??? How will they make friends??? Want they miss out on the field trips & school parties??? So much to consider...

After much thought, I came to the conclusion homeschooling was the right choice. The first step was making sure I did things legally. I joined a homeschool membership accountability association. They will make sure I'm doing what's required to homeschool my children in the state of South Carolina. Next, I had to find the curriculum. I researched the pros & cons for nearly a month before deciding which curriculum to go with. I also read my fair share of blogs & message boards to see what others had to say about curriculum that had used it firsthand. There are sooo many choices, and in the end I believe I choose the best one for my children. Finally, I joined a local homeschool support group. The group I joined plans field trips, school parties, a spelling bee & even a science fair. Hooray!!! My children will still have the opportunity to interact with other children their age, and hopefully make some friends too.

So why did I choose homeschooling??? Most importantly, I wanted to teach my children what I feel is important. I want to instill the morals and values that are becoming quite scarce & hard to come by these days. I want my children to be educated without being subjected to peer pressure on a daily basis. I don't want them to adopt the prejudices that can exist in private and public school settings. Homeschooling will give me the freedom to teach the things I want, while excluding the things I deem as inappropriate or unnecessary. I can even teach additional subjects that might not be taught in a traditional school setting. Of course, I do realize that I cannot always protect my children. When they get older, they are the ones that will be making the decisions. After all, the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands. All I can do is put them on the right path. In the end, I hope I will have taught them to recognize right from wrong, and to appreciate the diversities of others.