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Today in our Why Homeschool? series we are hearing from Tiffany. She blogs at From a Country Road. These posts are truly the highlight of my week. I LOVE reading what you have to share about your beautiful families. You are all so amazing and inspiring. School has been extra hard for me this month and reading these little bits of beauty help me each week to keep going. They help me remember why I am doing this. Thank you, Tiffany for a beautiful heart-felt post.
567,648,000 seconds.
That is how many seconds are in 18 years.
567,648,000.
It may sound like a lot, but it’s not. They say the days are slow & the years are fast.
It’s true.
567,648,000 seconds. That is why I homeschool.
It’s not why I started homeschooling.
I started homeschooling when my oldest was in Kindergarten & my husband went into his classroom to help. He came home the same day & asked my opinion about homeschooling. Something we both said we would never do.
Now we were talking about it.
My husband taught public high school for a couple of years. He hated it. He was frustrated with what he saw, in both teachers & students.
We saw our six year old, not getting the attention, encouragement he needed. His enthusiasm for learning was waning, something we knew he wasn’t normal.. We needed something different.
Weeks & months later, after much contemplation & thought we made the choice we pulled our kids out of public school & started homeschooling. It was a rollercoaster.
It was hard, it was rewarding & each day was a learning experience.
But it was wonderful. I loved the excitement in my kids faces as we learn something new.
My husband quit teaching school & we started ranching full time.
We spend our days making the world our classroom. We explore, we hike & climb & chase after baby lambs. My boys pick up plants & we try to discover what they are. We learn about the world & our surroundings, not from some textbook, but from living in it.
We homeschool because I want my kids with me, not some stranger for 8 hours a day. I want them close by, I want to know exactly what they are learning (or not learning).
We homeschool because I want my kids to know how to work hard & serve others. Something not taught in public school. We spend many a days visiting my grandma & doing service projects for her.
We homeschool because we can spend all day together, working, learning & playing together as a family. Creating a special bond with each other & memories to outlast a lifetime.
We homeschool because no one sees what I see in my children. No teachers sees the unlimited potential that my kids have deep within them. Potential to be come anyone, anything they desire if they put the work into it. We homeschool so my kids are encouraged to become the men that they have the potential of becoming.
At the end of the day it comes down to this number.
567,648,000
567,648,000 seconds.
It is all I have with them, before they leave, & head into the world.
and I want to make the most of every second.
For all of us.
– Tiffany
I am the mother to 4 boys ages 8 ,6, 5 & 1. The wife to one handsome man. I am a homeschooler & rancher. A quilter & a photographer. I am pretty sure, life just doesn’t get much better than this. You can catch me over at my blog; www.fromacountryroad.com.
Cari says
April 28, 2013 at 5:12 pmLove this so much! Thanks for sharing!
Kendra says
April 29, 2013 at 1:12 pmWow, I love that you did the seconds. I loved this post….I to have 4 boys (but also one girl) Thanks for the great post!
Ellis Family says
April 29, 2013 at 7:33 pmMe too. That’s why I am homeschool. Because I can. Because I WANT to spend that time with my children. Because no teacher, no matter how great they are, can teach and see their needs and potential like I can.
Ticia says
April 30, 2013 at 9:34 pmWhat a great reason why to homeschool.
~~~jennifer~~~ says
May 1, 2013 at 2:18 amI love this post! My kids love to visit my grandparents & I’m so lucky we have the time & make it a priority to do so. Thanks for sharing.