Our Amazing Homeschooling Positives – After Ten Years.

Homeschooling is not a new thing in our world….

There was always homeschooling and community learning, before main school education came about during the Industrial Revolution, which was between 1750 and 1840.

In modern times homeschooling is often frowned upon, for various reasons…

I have learnt that you can’t tell people why they should homeschool their children. You have to encourage them to look at homeschoolers and the various program, in order to see the benefits.

It then takes considerable courage to make the choice to homeschool, to stand out from the crowd and to be different.

There are many homeschooling programs available and one does not have to be a teacher to homeschool, as the programs are mostly very facilitator and child friendly.

I have listed some of the positives I have experienced over the past ten years of homeschooling my 2 children. These points may make you think and perhaps challenge you into making new decisions, regarding your precious children’s education.

1.No Rush to Start Homeschooling too young.

Why does our society believe that we need to be in a rush to start formally educating our children? Through experience, I have learnt that the more mature the child is, the quicker they learn.

Research shows that some young children, within formal education environments, are more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), (which has been associated with symptoms of mild cognitive impairment in people over age 50.)

Perhaps some of these children were not mature enough, physically or mentally, to be placed in a competitive formal school environment, at a very young age?

In my view, children of 5 turning 6, are starting schooling a year too early.

You can read more here: What homeschooling program do I use and why?

2. Pre-schooling in One Year.

With my chosen program I managed to accomplish all preschool learning within one year. We schooled for a few hours a day, 4 days a week.

The rest of the time my young children spent their days free playing, mainly outside, as our Zimbabwe climate is ideal for outside play. There is nothing better than children playing and learning through their senses.

You can read more here: Our Homeschooling Structure the Whaley Academy.

3. Playball Program.

Playball was an excellent activity, which improved my children’s hand eye coordination. It was only for one hour a week, during their preschool year, yet I witnessed a huge improvement in their ball skills, confidence and hand eye coordination.

The children then went onto specialized gym work with a professional trainer.

4. Social Interaction with Family and a Variety of Friends.

When it comes to socializing I love the fact that my husband and I have the most influence over our children.

Our children have always been encouraged to interact with all age groups. They have also enjoyed a variety of friends during their different sporting activities. Both our children are now able to confidently interact with adults and all other age groups. They are not shy or anti social at all…

You can read more here:

How to Homeschool to Insure Great Socialization and Friendship Skills. 

10 Ways to Encourage Godly Friendships for Your Child. 

5. Good Preparation: Accountability at a Young Age.

From a very young age our children have learnt to be accountable for their possessions. We started training them with their stuffed toys and slowly moved onto the welfare of their pets, all their school books etc., clothes and other belongings.

Individual responsibility makes for a much easier family life!

You can read more here: Rounded Homeschoolers – Through Freedom and Responsibility.

6. No Rush – Keep Going Along Steadily.

Education should not be a race to try and keep up with others. I allow my children to go at their own pace and to conscientiously achieve their academic goals, without undue stress. Reminding you of what I said above, the more mature a child is, the easier it is for them to learn successfully.

7. Training in Self Discipline and Responsibility.

Self discipline is the major key to success. Try not to spoon feed your children, work alongside them, allowing them to take the initiative. Teach your children to take hold of their educational goals…

Senior school will not be a huge challenge, if your children have learnt self discipline and responsibility from preschool. These positive attributes should always be encouraged and learnt from a very young age.

You can read more here: Rounded Homeschoolers – Through Freedom and Responsibility.

8. Spend Money Wisely on Sports Coaches.

I enjoy the freedom of being able to choose the best sporting coaches, to suit my children’s individual needs and personalities. It’s money wisely spent, as the wrong coach can do emotional, mental and muscle memory damage to your child.

I love the freedom to change sports coaches, whenever I feel the need, as my children grow, mature and develop new interests.

You can read more here:

Homeschooling to achieve sporting success including girls cricket.

How Horse-shows Grow and Develop our Children’s Characters.

9. Constant Interaction: Mother, School Supervisor, Mentor and Coach.

As a mother I am constantly interacting with our children. I am the primary care giver, so it is up to me to spend my time nurturing and developing our children – not chasing worldly things. This priceless time can never be replaced and it is something that I cherish each and every day.

I am their mother, school supervisor, mentor and coach. In my opinion it is by far the most rewarding occupation a mother could have.

You can read more here: A Day in the Life of this Homeschooling Mom.

10. Freedom to Explore New Things.

I love the freedom we have to explore courses and life skills, in and around our education. We are not bound by anything, other than the yearly educational and sports goals we need to achieve.

These can still be achieved, whilst we experience all the other things life has to offer.

You can read more here: What is a Healthy Homeschooling Culture?

11. Variety…

Our children thrive on variety. Each day is different, presenting many new challenges. They are never stuck in a boring routine, as we have taught them to regard each day as a gift and an adventure.

They do not have to travel back and forth to school, so they do not feel time pressured. Subsequently, they both seem to be very enthusiastic about life!

12. Holiday Planning Around our Lives.

We love the freedom of being able to take time off for holidays, as and when it suits us. We can look for travel and holidays specials, outside of the mainstream school holidays.

This is a valuable bonus one gets with homeschooling.

You can read about some of our adventures here:

Trip to Chewore on Zambezi River Zimbabwe.

Nyanga, Zimbabwe – Our Highlands Getaway. 

Our Fun and Fantastic Cape Town Experience.

13. Strong Individuals.

My children know who they are and are growing up to be strong individuals, who are not led by the crowd. They are happy to be different and in charge of their own schooling, as they regard homeschooling as a blessing.

You can read more here:

Is Your Child Receiving a Solid Biblical Education or a Worldly Education?

Teach Your Child Creative Ways to Show Love and Respect to Others. 

Homeschooling to Create: Independent, Problem Solving and Critical Thinkers.

14. Learning Outside the Curriculum and Through the Internet.

With age, freedom and self disciple my children have been able to follow their interests, outside of their core educational subjects. With access to the internet they can pursue and learn all they need to about their particular passions.

I have taught them to question whatever they read, see and hear, – and to always seek for the truth, through research, discernment and prayer.

The freedom to use the internet needs my direction and supervision, as our children learn how to use the internet responsibly. They are also learning how to avoid the many traps set on the internet, which could entice them away from all that is good and healthy.

You can read more here: Creating Agricultural Entrepreneurs Whilst Homeschooling.

15. Self Motivation.

Self motivation comes with self discipline. By planning their time carefully, our children are motivated to achieve and reach their goals. They each have a long term goal, which they are now working towards. This is keeping them self motivated, as they look beyond their school days, considering real life and what that could look like?

You can read more here:

7 ways-to to-enhance-your-child’s-independence- and-self-discipline.

How to Create and Achieve Your Child’s Goals through Homeschooling.

16. Life Skills.

We believe that life skills are as important as education. Our children take time to explore life’s opportunities and have taken various courses, to enhance their life skills.

As we are based on a farm, our children have learnt to drive and service various vehicles. By helping Dad and the staff, with chores around the farm, they have also gained many other mechanical skills along the way,

They also both enjoy taking an active part in caring for, feeding and training their horses.

You can read more here: Developing Life Skills through a Houseboat Adventure. 

17. No Age Groups Sports and Education.

We have never put our children into age group categories. They do their education and sports, according to their individual abilities and physical maturity. They are sometimes more advanced than their age group, as they have never been restricted, or held back.

Plus, when they have a problem with a subject, they do not move forward, until the problem has been solved. This avoids those negative feelings of being left behind.

You can read more here:

Our, 12 year old’s, Zimbabwe Women’s U19 Cricket Team Journey.

Our First Polo Tournament Playing as ‘Team Whaley’.

18. The Great Gift is Time.

Time stands still for no one… I love the blessing of spending lots of time with my children. This is a truly awesome gift.

By the time our children reach the age of 18, -we, as parents, will have spent 80% of the total time we will ever spend with them. Knowing this is why my husband and I embrace and treasure every day.

19. Enjoy Each Step.

I look back and see how we, as a family, have grown and how quickly the children have matured and developed. Each step of their education has been a challenge and a treasure, as we have learned to press on, to achieve the rewards of meeting our goals.

The hours I spent, with each child, teaching them to read, write and learn are some of my fondest memories. These special memories are what makes homeschooling such an amazing journey.

You can read more here: 4 Intelligence Types that Boost Your Child’s Development.

20. Didn’t Have All the Answers.

When we started homeschooling we didn’t have all the answers… We were, however, determined to take the first step and to learn as we went along.

Like anything in life, the first steps are the hardest, but it gets easier as time goes along and very much so, as the children start taking more responsibility for their education.

You can read more here: Be Smart! Train Your Child to have an Attitude of Gratitude.

21. Keep it Simple.

I believe that simple is best! Find the homeschooling program that has been tried and tested and has good results. There is no point in choosing a complicated program, which is not user friendly, or one without good, reliable back up.

I chose an offline program, as we live remotely, with weak internet and an ongoing need to travel between our two homes. The system I chose suits our particular needs very well. I also chose a Christian based program, as that is very important to us as a family.

You can read more here: Individualized Christian Education through Homeschooling.

22. Nothing Beats a Parent Fighting for Their Children!

God has given me the strength I need to fight for my children. My husband supports me in my role as mother and school supervisor.

No one will fight for children like a parent! I have the constant position of making sure our children thrive in all areas of their lives, as I am able to keep a close eye on all those who have influence over them.

You can read more here: Take Control of Childs Destiny through Prayer.

23. Children Need to Live in Reality.

Our children are with us 24/7, so they get to see and hear, first hand, the reality of life in our particular part of the world. They see our struggles and all the stresses of trying to survive in an unpredictable economic environment.

We share our tears when animals die and things go wrong, – and we rejoice together when our everyday goals are achieved and when happy things happen in our lives, and in the lives of those around us.

You can read more here:

The Day God Worked His Miracles to Prevent a Family Tragedy.

How We Incorporated Buying Property into Our Homeschooling Journey.

24. Teach Godly Truths.

Having the freedom to teach our children Biblical truths has been a great joy. Being able to train them to recognize God’s path and plan for their lives has been a blessing for us all.

Also, helping them to recognize and discern that there are temptations and evil in our world. Encouraging them to stand strong in their faith, has been the most important life skill that I have had the privilege of being part of.

You can read more here: Good Parenting Requires Godly Leadership. 

25. Looking Back.

What an unbelievably fulfilling journey it has been so far, both for us as parents and for our children. I do not regret one day of our homeschooling experience, as I have loved virtually every minute of this challenging and rewarding journey.

I encourage you to just take the big step – and start homeschooling!

Like everything in life you just have to make a start, choose a good program -and let the Lord guide you along the path…

Enjoy!

Below are my first and latest homeschooling monthly dairy. On this blog there are also the months in between, where you can see how, as a family, we have grown to thrive through homeschooling.

Our Homeschooling Adventures and Activities for October 2018.

Our Homeschooling Adventures and Activities for Jan-Feb 2025.

“Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for placing homeschooling on my heart. May I always draw my discernment and wisdom from You, as you continue to guide my family on this journey through life. Thank you for your love and blessings, in Jesus’s name I pray. – Amen”

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