Are you thinking about transitioning from public school to homeschool? This post shares the reasons why we chose to pull our son out of public school and go back to homeschool instead.
Last summer I shared on my YouTube channel that we were sending my son to public school for his first grade year. Then right after the Christmas holidays I shared that we were transitioning back to homeschool for the rest of the year.
Since sharing these videos, and talking about it a little more in depth with my email subscribers, there have been a lot of questions and requests for me to expand on our reasons for taking my son out of public school.
Therefore, today’s post is about why we decided to pull our son out of public school and go back to homeschooling for the rest of his first grade year.
Click the video below to learn our reasons for making the change from public school to homeschool. Can’t see the video? Click here to watch directly on YouTube.
5 Reasons Why We Pulled Our Son Out of Public School
Note: I expand on these reasons further in the video above. These are just the highlights, but the video shares more of our heart behind this decision. 🙂
1. Foster family togetherness.
We love being together as a family, and we want to love being together as a family. We desire for our children to have close sibling relationships, and being together is one of the primary ways we can cultivate deep relationships within our home.
Related: Why Our Family Prepares, Eats, and Cleans Up Meals Together
2. Create margin in our days.
There was a constant scurry of activity that came with the public school schedule. We wanted to create more space for our son to be a kid, to be a part of our family unit, and to process all that he takes in everyday.
3. Maintain access to my son’s heart.
Being apart for so many hours each day decreased the unhurried opportunities I had to guide his heart. We had fewer conversations, and the conversations we did have were squeezed in between homework, dinner, and chores. Plus he no longer had access to inter-generational conversations, and in the end I felt like he wasn’t being socialized properly because of it.
This point is likely a bit confusing. I talk about socialization at the 8:52 mark, if you just want to watch that part of the conversation.
4. Be outside more.
I want my kids to spend as much time outside as possible. I want them playing, eating, and just enjoying life outside frequently and regularly. In these early years, we believe this is as important, if not more important, than reading with our children.
Taking into consideration our climate, my son was in school when it was pretty outside, and he was going to be released for summer vacation when it was too hot to do anything.
We don’t have access to pools and other water-related activities, so I had a hard time stomaching the sheer number of hours he was forced to sit at a desk while the rest of us enjoyed being outside all day.
5. Enjoy more read-alouds as a family.
We believe reading aloud to our children is one of the best thing we can do with them. Sharing books together as a family has been a gift to us over the last several years. As a matter of fact, reading books together as a family is one of the primary ways we disciple our children.
With the public school schedule, the time we had together decreased which also decreased the amount of time we had to read-aloud, share devotions, and memorize scripture together. This was not okay with us based on our established family values.
Plus we wanted our son to have more time to read, and more freedom to choose the books he wanted to read. I also wanted more say in the actual books he chose from the library.
All in all it has been a smooth transition back to homeschool.
He misses his friends at school, and as an extrovert the lack of people in our day-to-day lives is hard for him. But it’s hard for me as well. It’s challenge we face together as a family of mostly extroverts.
However, we work hard to fill our weeks with friends and relationships, experiences and activities that foster relationships in a healthy way. We even joined a co-op which I’m really looking forward to taking a bigger part in next school year.
This has definitely been a year of transitions for us, but I’m thankful for all of it. And I’m really glad to be back homeschooling my children. It’s a gift I do not take for granted.
At the bottom of it all is our desire for more unhurried time together. Through the years we’ve learned that relationship is a choice, and you have to make space for relationships to just BE together instead of always DOING together.
So, making this transition home has been a time of re-discovering a rhythm of rest, tucking into our relationships a little deeper, and expanding our relationships with others as we are no longer tied to the school scheduled activities.
What about you? Have you ever made the transition from one school setting to the next? What were some of your reasons for your decision? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
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Leigh Ann, I am surprised you did not mention anything about the content and worldview of the curriculum found in public schools nowadays. My daughter’s friends, new Christians serious about their faith and rearing their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord had sent their child to public school kindergarten in a ex-urban/rural community in Georgia about 60 miles outside Atlanta. That lasted one week, they were so alarmed at the content of the instruction and the conduct of the other children in the class, and the content of the conversations that their daughter was overhearing from classmates.
My daughter also homeschools and is doing so just because of those reasons — to protect her children from the content of the instruction and the behaviour and conversations that the children in public school engage in. But you even have to worry about content in private, Christian school settings. For example, she began homeschooling her son after he was in a Baptist church run half-day kindergarten program. After beginning homeschooling in earnest with him due to a move that would disrupt an intended enrollment at another Christian school (the Baptist church program included Pre-K and K only). When she began researching the curriculum and books to buy and use for my grandson and grandaughter (18 months younger than her brother, and has never attended a traditional school) she discovered that the Baptist church program used a public school reading curriculum and she believes it has hampered her son’s reading interest and learning curve, because it used the failed “whole word” methodology, rather than phonics, and she had to start him all over with reading, which has slowed his progress in other subjects (he’s now caught up and has surpassed many others in his age group especially since he’s very interested in history which requires much reading!).
So I think you’ve failed to address why MOST parents choose to homeschool — and that’s not all the reasons you gave (which I’m sure they tacitly understand) but it’s due to the content of the instruction.
I didn’t address it because I was sharing why we have chosen to homeschool our children. Everyone has their own reasons, and sometimes they align and sometimes they don’t. I simply don’t share the same experience you or your daughter have had, and I was quite pleased with the majority of the curriculum and approach the teachers in our particular school system took. I didn’t agree with the Christmas-time agenda, but I also expected it and prepared for it. On the whole, my kiddo thrived in the public school setting, and we shared a wonderful relationship with the staff and teachers. He grew leaps and bounds intellectually and emotionally, and I am grateful for the time we had there. Of course, I am equally grateful to be back home sharing life and learning together; hence why we switched back.
I think every school system is different, and what is a high agenda in one will not be the same in another. I found the approach of the teachers within our school system to hold a mostly Christian worldview, and I honestly experienced nothing alarming, or nothing we could not address at home (i.e., Christmas).
So, no your family’s reasons for homeschooling are not shared reasons between us. I don’t even think the majority of the homeschoolers I personally know choose to homeschool on the sheer fact that they don’t like the public school system and its agenda. It’s just not my experience or theirs.
That’s not to say these reasons aren’t valid, or even ones we would have to consider if we lived somewhere else, like in your case. But I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding that I left something out of my reasons for homeschooling. I shared our reasons, and perhaps it doens’t align with some others’ reasons for homeschooling, but that is okay.
I am sorry, however, for your experience. It makes me sad that this is the experience of others. I’m so glad your daughter and her friend have a heart to educate their children according to their convictions. Homeschooling is a blessing to the mother when she is walking with the Lord and honoring Him with her time and choices. It’s a sacrifice, one that is often overlooked, but it’s such a gift to be there with the children as they learn and grow and discover new things.
My daughter (my oldest child) did PreK and Kindergarten in public school. She loved PreK and really wanted to go back for kindergarten, so we let her. Kinder was a bad experience, but she made it through. We were already contemplating homeschool but what clenched it was her saying to me, “Mommy, it makes my heart hurt to think about going back to that school!” We’ve been homeschooling ever since. They are now finishing 10th and 8th grade. I can’t imagine doing anything else! I love having them home and knowing what they’re learning. I love being able to use life to teach them and not just books. I love that our togetherness leads to open lines of communication all hours of the day. I love that I’ve been able to tailor their studies and experiences according to their God given abilities and talents. I love that they both already have a pretty clear picture of what they want to pursue for their future (vet and filmmaking) because we have had the freedom to explore them. I think they would agree since both say they will homeschool their kids when they have them.?
Love how it has turned out for you. Such an encouragement! This part is what I’m walking in faith for: “I love that I’ve been able to tailor their studies and experiences according to their God given abilities and talents.” I’m probably most excited about this!
And they are so different; each child. My daughter’s bent toward animals presented itself extremely early (like 3 years old), so we’ve been nurturing it with shadowing a vet, teen volunteer at the zoo, every vet camp we can find, tons of books, and emphasizing the sciences. My son’s interest and gifting in filmmaking just presented itself the last year or so beginning with his “obsession” with all things Lord of the Rings. He’s now done camp, workshops, and had a movie chosen as a finalist in the AZ Student Film Festival. Be patient, and pray and their God given gifts will rise to the surface.
That’s interesting. My middle son is convinced he’s going to be “a cooker.” I’ve yet to tell him they are actually called “chefs.” 😛 But we’ve been able to really foster that love more and more. It will be interesting to see if that sticks!
I think your reasons are extremely convincing for any parent who may be considering homeschooling. I am a retired Language arts teacher and I chose to send my son to a Christian school. I knew that more and more the curriculum was robbing our youngsters of their innocence and could be presented in such a way that would not support our family’s values. His Christian school, however, supported our core beliefs. Honestly, I think homeschooling is the best way to go! Good for you!
Hi Leigh Ann – thanks so much for sharing this list! You were able to verbalize (much more eloquently, I may add) so many of the reasons we have decided to homeschool. We chose to let my daughter finish out this school year so she could have a little closure and so that I could do a little research and prep. She is going into 4th grade and this is our first experience with homeschooling in any way, but we are optimistic an super excited to get started!
We are transitioning into homeschool. I have a 4 yr old son who is and extrovert. 1yr old boy/girl twins. It’s been challenging to watch my son look out the window every morning and see the other children going to school. I’ve gone back and forth with the idea of sending him to a Christian School. However I can’t fully wrap my head around him being gone all day and then the evening routine just to do it all over again the following day. That is a lot of time being away from home. It has been challenging with the twins and juggling my time with my oldest, but I honestly can’t see it any other way. I love the freedom of being able to go and do what we want and not be restricted due to a school schedule. I just need the wisdom of God on managing my time and maybe getting some outside help to come in for a few hours during the week. How do you manage getting things done?
We had the same experience with my son looking out the window at the school bus each morning, or when we’d drive by the school during the day, the kids would inevitably be at recess. He felt like he was missing out on something fun. He’s learned since that it’s not all play and fun at school. 😛 I think it’s natural to have that curiosity and even a sadness that you might be missing out on something. I just keep reminding everyone of what we are gaining by homeschooling while not being insensitive to the desire to be around so many kids regularly. Community is definitely way more fun! We NEED community, and we’re MADE for community (both with God and others). So, my mom heart can relate to that tug you feel when your son seems sad at “missing out.” This is where walking in faith comes in, and walking it together WITH your boy. Keep talking about it with him, and don’t feel bad that he desires to go with them. He doesn’t understand and that’s okay.
With that said, I do have a mother’s helper come in twice a week, and my husband helps out in the mornings before work. This was a big change for us. I need to do a video on this because this is something that was a big, “AHA!” for us this year. My husband leaves for work at 7:30am, so I have to get up early to get anything done before then. But if the kids wake up, he manages them for me so I can start the day in silence and get some work done. He also takes them on Saturday mornings, and I work until noon. My mother’s helper comes twice a week for 3.5 hours in the afternoons. She oversees the boys silent reading time, keeps them outside, and they do light chores together. This has been a HUGE blessing, and has definitely helped me save sanity. My husband and I have talked and agreed that even if I didn’t have work that I had to do during that time (I use that time to work on Intentional By Grace), I would invest in this as a mom of little kids. I wish I had taken advantage of a mother’s helper sooner. I know it’s not financially possible all the time and for everyone, but if it’s possible, it’s worth squeezing it out of the budget. I still get a little sick, guilty feeling when I write that check twice a month (even though it’s not that much!). It’s HARD to let go of those feelings of guilt, but I’m learning that this is something I need to do in order to be the mom God has called me to be to my kids. I’m still a person, an individual person who needs to honestly take care of myself. Sometimes when the mother’s helper is here, I don’t work, I just take a nap. Sometimes I catch up on some cleaning. Whatever I need to do to feel rested I do while she’s here. Most of the time my work here at IBG is what energizes me, but not always.
Anyway, that’s a long answer, and I need to just do a video. 🙂
Thank you so much for your transparent response. A mother’s helper is needed and I thought 2 half days would be sufficient. I will look into it soon. We went to a homeschool support/co-op once before and he loved it. I think we may go back or find another one. Thanks again?.
Thank you so much Leigh for this very authentic video!!!! I remember when you announced you were putting him in public school and honestly I was surprised!!! 🙂 No, judgement here! We homeschooled my first for Kindergarten, first grade, and then we put him in a private christian school for 2 years…….and now we are homeschooling again and he will be in the 7th grade this fall. So I get it!!! My reasons were different for putting him and our daughter in private school. We were getting ready to have our 3rd baby and my husband felt like it was TOO much so I listened and obeyed, even though it broke me to pieces…..I felt too, that I needed to spend time with the baby and recover from the c-section. Anyways, I would love another video on “the burnout” you felt prior to sending him…..I can feel like that at times with 4 kiddos. I would also love to hear your advice on how to not get to that point of burnout. Also, I think the mommy’s helper is a great idea!!!! I have never even thought of that. 🙂 My husband works from home and if I mentioned a “mommy’s helper” to him, he will probably laugh and say you read 1-2 books at your leisure a week, I think you are fine!! HAHA
I really do carve out time for me everyday, some days are hard but I need it. I used to feel “guilty” for sitting on the couch for 1 hour reading a good book, but I’ve learned if my kids want a happy mom I have to have healthy “me” time throughout the day. Somedays I don’t get an hour, sometimes its just sitting with a cup of coffee and having Jesus time, and thats ok…..I just pray harder that day for patience and joy, lol 😉
Thank you for sharing your journey, encouragement, wise words, and joy to the internet. Looking forward to the other videos.
You go, girl! Your family is blessed.