You’d think, having been homeschooled myself, I would’ve had this in mind for my own children. Well, you’d be wrong!

I had it all figured out. I’d finish school with a nice degree, get a nice job, and move into a nicer house. You know, the American Dream. I had one girl and one boy. Perfect. The kids would do preschool until they were old enough for public school. I would work alongside my husband, and our nice two-income household would thrive. Because that’s the way it worked.

God had other plans. I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant again. Through friends and family, God planted the seed of homeschooling, and I would fight that conviction through my pregnancy. That is, until I laid eyes on my newborn son. I suddenly felt a new conviction: to hold tight, to cherish these little ones given to me. Our son’s birth brought me back home with my three little ones. This was my new job.

When God decides to redirect your life, you only have two options: Follow His leading, or don’t. I submitted in that moment.

Although I was now certain; my husband wasn’t convinced. After all, our plan had been so good. How could a different plan be better?

When your spouse isn’t on board with a huge decision, there’s no point in taking steps alone. A divided house cannot stand. And so, I waited and I prayed. I enrolled our daughter in kindergarten. It wasn’t what my heart wanted, or what I felt we were led to do, but my husband was sticking to “the plan.” I volunteered at the school, while my conversation with God continued.

Within 3 months, my husband asked me to bring her home.

Why? I still don’t know exactly. Nothing had happened at school. Our daughter had a wonderful teacher, in an excellent school district. The why was between him and God. I hadn’t continued to plead my case (which is out of character for me!). My husband simply felt an assurance that it was time….

…immediately.

Smack dab in the middle of the school year. It was so sudden that I actually argued with him. How the tables had turned! I felt unprepared. I didn’t have a school room set up, or curriculum purchased, or a schedule laid out. How could I possibly start right away? He was insistent, and so I brought her home. Our journey began that day, and we’ve never looked back.

When God decides to redirect your life, you only have two options: Follow His leading, or don't. Click To Tweet

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” Prov. 16:9

As we’ve walked this path for the past 12 years, my reasons have solidified. This has become a way of life, not just an educational decision.

I’m aware that homeschooling is not for everyone. I believe that we should all do what is in the best interest of our children, and that may be different for each family. I have nothing but admiration for school teachers. It’s an amazingly difficult job.

That said, this is why we homeschool. (Originally, this post contained about 50 Top Reasons, but for brevity it’s been shortened to my top ten!)

1. God has led us to do this. Try arguing with Him, and see how far you get.
2. God is all about relationship. Being together gives us the opportunity to forge these strong bonds with Him and each other. This may seem paradoxical to those who think spending several hours each day in the near vicinity of their children would put them in the loony house. Yet the time and the shared activities of homeschooling even help to bridge the generation gap, binding grandparents, parents, and children tightly together.
3. We’re able to spend a lot of time outside, studying and enjoying nature. My happiness level peaks with warmth and sunshine, and I enjoy soaking up all of those rays…while teaching! “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1  Everything in nature points back to His glory.
4. We hope to instill a life-long love of learning that doesn’t stop when the bell rings at the end of the day, or when they throw that graduation cap at their high school graduation.
5. Children learn at different speeds and by different methods. With only 4 students, even after one more came along, I have time to identify their various learning styles and adapt my teaching techniques to their individual needs.
6. We have the flexibility to schedule our day to fit outside obligations, daytrips, and the children’s learning attention span. This freedom also makes vacation planning much easier; being able to go mid-week, or on off-seasons, saves us a lot of money and time fighting crowds.
7. Our children are not limited by age or grade to advance or explore academic subjects in which they are interested or gifted.
8. We spend time developing life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and organizing that are easily learned with the additional time spent at home. We try to make money management as natural as breathing by allowing even the younger kids to do tasks, earn money, save it, and spend it in an appropriate manner.
9. Our children are out of the care, custody, and control of people we don’t know and who naturally teach their philosophy of life whether they realize it or not. We want to be their primary teachers, developing and strengthening their character.
10. We’re always around when our children need to talk. I can’t overstate this. Being a presence in my children’s lives is vitally important to me.

Homeschooling is challenging, but fulfilling. It is, by far, the hardest job I’ve ever had in my life, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.