9 Benefits of Homeschooling (for students)

So a while back I wrote about the common misconceptions of homeschooling, and I mentioned that a post on the benefits of homeschooling was coming. Here it is! Homeschooling is AWESOME. Like, actually really amazing. There are so many reasons to homeschool, and so many benefits. So I chose 9 to share with you guys, because 10 is too generic of a number. 🙂

So without further ado: 9 benefits of being a homeschooled student.

1. You literally have an instant community. If you’re just starting to homeschool, you might be a little apprehensive about the prospect of “losing your social life”. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that that won’t happen. You’ve just entered a community of amazing, somewhat colorful people who generally will be able to hang out at 11 in the morning, as long as their mother can come and have tea with your mother and talk about school.

2. You don’t have to primp. You will never have to worry about looking cute for school, because the only people who will see you are your parents, siblings and the mailman, and let’s face it, they’ve all already seen you at your worst already.

3. You have way more options. If you dislike your online pre-calculus course, or can’t stand the Rosetta Stone method for learning languages, you can always switch over to an individualized program and choose your own curriculum!

4. You get midday field trips. The library, the mall, literally anywhere your mother is going… Running errands actually proves to be the perfect study break, and you could even get math credit for observing how the cashier uses the decimal system in her job.

5. You don’t need a bathroom pass. If you need to go, go. Just get up and walk out of the room. HOW AMAZING DOES THAT SOUND?!

6. You don’t technically have to use a desk. This of course depends on your parent/teacher. Mine currently lets me do work on the couch… begrudgingly. I don’t recommend doing your work on your bed (too many distractions) but if that works for you and your parent, go for it! Nobody’s keeping you at your desk!

7. You don’t have to deal with bullies/cliques. The only other students in your school are your siblings, if you have any. And when dealing with other homeschoolers, you’re all in the same boat and there generally isn’t judgement or maltreatment. Homeschoolers are pretty dang nice, man.

8. Your snow days, pro-d days and holidays aren’t determined by the school district. If it snows: “MOM? CAN WE GO PLAY IN THE SNOW?!” If mom’s not feeling well: “DAY OFF!!!” If your family is planning a vacation: “BRING THE G.A. HENTY AUDIOBOOKS!!!”

9. You get one-on-one help from your teacher. “MOOOOOM?! I DON’T GET IIIIIITTT!!” If I had a nickel for every time my mother heard those words… well, I’d be rich. But that one-on-one teaching really enriches the learning experience. I guarantee you will understand topics so much better than you would in a classroom.

These nine don’t even scratch the surface of everything amazing about homeschooling. It’s actually the best thing ever! If you’re just starting homeschooling, or you’ve been homeschooling for any amount of time, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the best things about homeschooling! Leave a comment down below!

 

 

The Grand Weaver

“How differently would we live if we believed that every event of our lives – from the happy to the tragic to the mundane – was part of a meticulous and purposeful design in which all the elements intertwined with breathtaking precision?”

So I started reading this book. It’s called The Grand Weaver, by Ravi Zacharias, and it’s really making me think. Zacharias writes so eloquently and he understands life and pain so well that you get the sense that he really knows what he’s talking about. I haven’t finished the book yet, but I had to write about what I’ve read so far, because it affected me so deeply.

Ravi Zacharias insists that every single moment of our lives is part of a much bigger, beautiful design. Every detail of us is in it’s perfect place, from the piece of toast you burned this morning to the birth of your baby cousin. Every event, every thought, no matter how big or small, has a part to play in the bigger picture. He uses the analogy of a tapestry, crafted after hours and hours of labor by a loving craftsman who keeps the pattern in mind and painstakingly weaves thread after thread.

The subtitle of the book reads: “How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives”. Zacharias really brings home the point that you, as an individual, are important, and God cares so much about you that He crafts your life, your story, just as painstakingly as a grand weaver crafts a tapestry. He uses the events in your life to mold you into the person He needs you to be. He uses you to affect other people, and He uses other people to affect you.

To be honest, I just find this incredibly comforting. I have a tendency to feel insignificant,  I mean, who wouldn’t with 7 billion people on the planet and not exactly anything special to offer? This book proved to me that I do have something to offer. I might not know exactly what that is, but that’s okay. God knows, and He is ultimately in control of, let’s face it, basically everything.

All in all, I DEFINITELY recommend this book. It’s a necessary read. Trust me. You can pick it up here.