Now you’ve heard the seedlings of why we started this journey. In case you missed the beginning, start HERE.

Aside from these altruistic-sounding muses we use to justify our nontraditional educational path, there is one stand alone reason for homeschooling that I love the most: It is freedom.

We have unintentionally fallen out of rat race training.

Even though the boys are supposed to be ready for school by 8:30am (meaning full belly, no jammies, and clean mouth), I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to hosting the occasional sleepwear session and having a flexible attitude toward our start time. Sometimes we need to take a rain walk, rescue baby birds that have fallen out of the apple tree, read something more interesting than fractions, walk the dog, go on a bike ride or -confession- sometimes Mom really needs to sleep in.

I am in awe of all these families that have to prepare to go somewhere for school each weekday morning. Up, fed, clean, out and WITH packed food at a specific time EVERY DAY. Are you kidding me? And they’re supposed to be dressed in actual daytime clothes, have shoes on and their teeth brushed within that tiny window of time, too, right? Have you seen my children brush? It takes about infinity minutes. It would take some kind of dark magic to get that kind of timely, forward movement to happen at my house. I’m just not cut out for that level of commitment. At least not with this crew.

God gave me chess players not cheetahs.

We do have things scheduled early here and there, but they are spread out and certainly not mandated by the state. On the mornings we have swim lessons or a dental appointment or church, it takes all of heaven and earth and maybe a wee bit of hellfire to get these neanderthals moving. They could lose a race to a three legged tortoise, no contest.

I know, I know. That part of traditional schooling has it’s place in the major life skills category, but we were designed for the downstairs commute. 

Case closed. Amen.

{Next up: Are homeschooled kids socialized?!! Find out HERE.}