I have to say that I really enjoy summer break. I can focus undivided attention on my work and hobbies without any guilt over Emma’s schooling. It is a real challenge to both work full-time at home, keep a house, and homeschool my daughter. Removing that one aspect gives me a bit more breathing room that I appreciate greatly.
It’s times like these when the thought goes through my mind.
What if I didn’t homeschool these last four years? What if I sent Emma to public high school and had all day home alone to myself?
And then I even start to rationalize it.
She has friends at church in public school. She would learn to adapt, probably even enjoy it. This would help her transition to college.
Insert sound of screeching brakes. No. Way. I am not going to hang it all up this close to the end.
Reasons Why I Am Going to Keep Homeschooling Through High School
I have only four more years with this child, this young woman. I have invested so many years already. Why would I hang up homeschooling now that I’m so close to the finish line?
Independent Learning
To be honest, these years are the easier ones for homeschooling. Sure, the stakes are a bit higher. I have to invest more in record keeping and keep abreast of requirements, but as far as the teaching, this only gets easier and easier.
Emma is already a very independent learner. She can do the majority of her work on her own. We meet to discuss and do some joint work each day. But that never takes more than 90 minutes, often less than an hour. What makes me think I can’t invest 90 minutes a day and another 15-30 minutes a week on planning and record keeping? When I weigh the time investment, it’s not that huge.
I worked so hard to teach Emma to be an independent learner. I should reap the rewards for this stage of homeschooling, not give up.
Freedom and Time
If Emma went to school, I would have to give up a lot of flexibility in our lifestyle. We would be bound by the school calendar and schedule. I don’t think it would end up a fair trade at all. I would probably spend more time driving to and from school, pestering Emma to wake up, and helping her with silly busy work than I currently spend on homeschool planning and joint learning.
Boundaries and Safety
I have provided Emma with an environment where she can develop at her own rate and hone her special gifts. Why at such pivotal years would I turn all of that over to an institution that does not have her best interests at heart?
Making friends is great. I want her to have a vibrant social life. But the halls of high school do not provide the boundaries and safety net that she needs for learning how to interact with peers. To be honest, I have concerns about our church youth group. Let’s just say that Emma and I have a great line of communication. I am often horrified by the stories I hear. I can only imagine that school is exponentially worse in terms of petting, sexual activity, vulgar language, and drug talk.
High school is not like real life. (Thank goodness.) It’s a myth that high school prepares our teens for adulthood. It does not. It destroys their sensitivity and innocence. It violates their creative freedom and sucks their natural zest for learning.
Academic Specialization
Things can change, of course, but right now Emma is considering college majors such as Islamic studies, Arabic, or Biblical counseling. There is no way a public school (in our area, anyway) can provide her with even a smidgen of exposure to those topics.
But at home, we can tailor her curriculum choices so she gets credits for classes such as psychology, Arabic, and Middle Eastern history and culture. Imagine how great that is going to look on a transcript when she applies for college!
Resolved to Continue the Course
I have just four more years of this journey. And then I will not be homeschooling any more, ever again.
I can do anything for four years when I have a clear end point. I write this post to encourage myself and to encourage you. Don’t hangup homeschooling when you reach high school. We can do this!
Want To Learn About High School Transcripts?
Lee Binz, The Home Scholar, gave a free webinar for my readers on June 25, 2013. This webinar was recorded, and you can watch it free, on Lee’s site.
If you are anywhere close to high school years or if you are even remotely concerned about high school, I urge you to watch it. Lee’s seminars have gone a long way to reassure me that I can keep homeschooling through high school. I promise you will end her session feeling empowered not defeated or anxious.
LOVE.LOVE. LOVE. Inspiring and so true. In every way. thank you for this!
Good for you! 🙂 I homeschooled our son all the way until college, and have zero regrets. He just completed his Freshman year at the college he choose to attend, and loved it! I really value the time we had during his growing-up years, and as you mentioned, being able to choose his courses and develop them to meet HIS special interests–not merely having to conform to some set standard. He had no problems being accepted anywhere he was interested in attending, and was even awarded several different scholarships from competely different avenues. Now we are almost at the beginning again, with homeschooling little sister–third grade this next school year, and have no plans of stopping until she reaches college! 🙂
Amen to all points…especially the Freedom and Time aspect! The next four years will fly by for you and Emma and you will realize more and more the truth to what you are writing about today in theory.
My computer whiz, airplane pilot, and artist/musician/writer/Bible scholar are all living proof that it can work and even better than you think.
Hang on Jimmie…it is so worth the effort!
Jimmie,
The high school years have been the most fun for us (my kids are currently a junior and sophomore). They’ve been able to explore new topics and really sink their teeth into favorite ones. And you’re right–the parent’s job during high school changes from teacher to more of guidance counselor and mentor.
I am unable to attend the webinar, but love Lee’s books!
You and I are at the same point in the journey. I am excited about homeschooling high school and began gathering info and planning at the beginning of 8th grade! Thanks for laying out your reasons for continuing to homeschool so clearly, they help me to keep my own focus on what’s important.
Seems like Emma and my 9th grade girl have similar interests! You’re right, the years will fly by…imagine graduation and how awesome it will feel!
Jimmie, this is so right on! My oldest will be in 8th grade and we are this summer reading together “The Teenage Liberation Handbook”. I am encouraging him to follow his passions, take his education in hand, and be responsible for his time. I’m excited about this new phase and I don’t want to “hang it up”. Thanks for the encouragement!! xoxo
Love this! You wrote it beautifully, and very spot-on.
We are not quite there yet but you have been encouraging me so much with your posts.
Great post. My girls were in school through 2nd and 4th grades respectively, when we began homeschooling I felt I spent less time homeschooling and homeschool planning than I spent pestering them about school stuff. I am sure a lot of that was perception because I was so frustrated when they were in school by what they were learning, the teacher’s expectations and the politics of it all.
My oldest will be in 8th grade next year. I am glad to have found your blog!
Great post! And thanks for the info on the Webinar.
I have 2 kids in the high school years and I’m still feeling nervous that I’ll miss something. I’m especially nervous about putting a transcript together. I think I’ll be looking for some help with that. I’ve found LetsHomeschoolHighSchool.com has some great tools and resources.
My oldest is beginning 9th grade this year. I have been paying careful attention to her ambitions, college wish list, and state requirements. She wants to focus heavily on foreign languages. She will be learning Spanish this year. After Spanish, she wants to do German. She has also been learning Hebrew on her own. A few times in the last couple of years, I doubted whether I could home school her in high school (I also home school her 6 younger siblings). However, like you, I came to the conclusion that I have come too far now not to.
I couldn’t agree more with this article! I have so many homeschool moms come to me, telling me that they don’t think they can continue through high school, that they could not teach all the advanced subject. We as homeschoolers have SO MANY options available to us to get us through our weaknesses. I have thoroughly enjoyed the high school years with my children. I could not imaging giving them to the public school for those precious last few years! Thank you for your words of wisdom and encouragement!
I find it interesting that you have concerns about your church youth group. I thought I was the only one who felt this way. But I am truly concerned about my daughters’ exposure to things coming from the public school kids – some of it is downright shocking, even at a very young age! I’ve really grappled with how to handle this, but have no solid direction yet. I appreciate your honesty on this point.
Oh, I have huge concerns. It bothers me greatly and no other parents seem to share my concern. But I can’t totally shield her from all outside influences. However, it is disturbing to hear accounts of kids making out in the stairwell during Sunday school among other things! (Yes!)
You have reason to be concerned with youth groups. My oldest (now 25) was home schooled 2nd – 8th grade and then went to public high school. (Not getting into our reason here.) MISTAKE! When I blamed some of his new “worldliness” on the public school he told me he learned it at church in youth group! All the garbage those kids are exposed to at school doesn’t magically leave their minds when they hit the church door. Also, many parents don’t think twice about turning their kids over to the youth minister to be educated spiritually without any accountability. (Just like shipping them off to school.) Some are even offended if you want to hang around or know what is going on. I think this is one of the major reasons so many of our young people leave the church once they hit 18. They are being entertained instead of genuinely discipled. “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” How wise is a room full of teens? Not very. Yet somehow we expect our kids to grow wise while surrounded by their peers? (I’ll get off my soap box now.) 🙂
I am a public school teacher, and just wanted to stir the pot with a divergent point of view. While I understand the desire to homeschool through middle school, it seems to me that teenagers really need to learn to cope with “real world” school situations. You all sound as if you have laid terrific groundwork for your children to know right from wrong, to withstand peer pressure and, probably most important, to communicate with you, all skills which equip them for a positive public school experience. The one thing public school would not be able to do, admittedly, is specialize courses as some of you want to do. I think a lot also depends on the nature of the high school that your child would potentially go to. I know you have all thought this through very thoroughly but, as I said, I just wanted to insert this divergent point of view.
Marjorie, I have to respectfully disagree on the need for teenagers to cope with “real world” school-specific situations. I was also a public school teacher, both middle and high school levels, for over ten years. My homeschooled teens exoerience far more real world situations than most of their public schooled teen peers. They have internships, volunteer, and interact with people of all ages. This is our goal, for our children to successfully live and interact in the real world, not the school world.
“and helping her with silly busy work”
This comment offends me. As a middle school teacher for 15 years I can assure you no work, no assignment, nothing I ever ask my students to do is silly busy work. Every.single.thing. we do has academic value.
I respect your decision to home school. And I confess I have not read enough of your blog to know for sure, but I do hope you don’t think classroom teachers are any less dedicated to our beloved students than you to your daughter.
Of course classroom teachers are less dedicated to their students than I am to my daughter! A mother’s interest in her own child is far greater. I am surprised that you would even question such a thing.
I taught in public schools for about 7 years. There is busy work. That’s a fact. I was a good teacher then, and I did my work with integrity. But it in no way can compare to the sense of responsibility that I have to teaching my own child.
Sadie, as a mother I am actually offended by YOUR comment. The fact that you think teachers can possibly have the same amount of dedication to their students as parents have to their children leads me to believe that you are not a mother to children of your own.
If what you are saying about the busy work is true, you must be blessed to work in an amazing school district that gives the teachers a ton of leeway in what they do.
Maybe in your class you feel you never give out busy work. I have many friends that complain to me at the amount of busy work that goes on in their children’s classes.
I have to agree with Jimmie, while there are some amazing teachers out there who adore their students and take great pride in being connected and invested in their students I don’t believe teachers are as devoted to their students. There are rare cases where a teacher goes above and beyond, or a parent is lacking. I understand that. No teacher in any school system is going to be as personally invested in my child as I am.
Sadie,
I wish what you said in your comment WERE true, “but I do hope you don’t think classroom teachers are any less dedicated to our beloved students than you to your daughter.” But unfortunately, when you are speaking to someone who has chosen to educate their child at home – it simply is not. While I am sure you have run into many sad situations with your students over the years (parents who are abusive or simply don’t care), when you are speaking to homeschool parents, there is a DISTINCT difference in the choices we make for our children. Why? Because we know FOR SURE that we have their best interest in mind. Even the best teacher in the world could NEVER love my children more than I do. It is a simple fact and there is no one in the world can could disprove this. I love my children more than any teacher ever would. Period. While I am not discrediting what it is you do in the public school system (I come from a line of public school teachers two generations strong and am a product of the public school system), but it could NEVER replace the education my children are receiving at home. Not only do both my husband and I hold advanced degrees (which really doesn’t matter as I don’t believe this makes us better teachers than anyone else), we love each other and hold the same values of integrity and conviction that no school situation could ever emulate. At the end of the day, no teacher can replace a loving, dedicated parent. Ever.
I completely agree Carrie! Great comment.
I’m surprised by your comment, Sadie. How could any person on the earth love my children more than I do? Not my siblings, cousins or even my own parents, could love my children the way that I do. How could a stranger?
I’ve taught in public schools. Teachers may care for the children, but do they feel a personal sense of accountability for what that child is when he’s 30 years old? I worry about that every day of my life. I worry, not only about their physical and academic well-being but their spiritual well-being. I am personally responsible for what my child is like once he/she is an adult.
I must teach math and history but I also must ensure that my children have morals, ethics, a sense of responsibility to society, the earth and God. I have to re-train their thinking if I’ve seen it’s going off track. I have to worry about whether they are growing up to be a selfish or haughty person, whether they have a proper perspective on any given situation and who they are in the heart.
As a teacher, can you say you must worry about all those things? Can you say that once the school year ends, you lose sleep over those children’s character traits or “hearts” that need correcting? Because I certainly do that with my own. Mother’s have so much more to teach than math and history and we do it because they are OUR children. We bear full responsibility for who they are.
“I do hope you don’t think classroom teachers are any less dedicated to our beloved students than you to your daughter.”
This comment interests me greatly. You mean to tell me that you spend one on one attention with each student in your classroom to make certain they are learning well and in a way that works best for them? This is new to me.
I do not see how a teacher can have the same dedication as a parent would. The relationship is completely different and that is a huge determining factor in educating.
Our 2nd child just graduated from home school this year with 2 more to go. Hmmm another 6 years. In the end we will have been learning at home for 22 years total. What an adventure it has been.
Hey Jimmie,
I think you are wise to continue to homeschool your daughter through high school – especially if she is open and willing to do so. Going back into the school environment (even the Christian school environment) can be tough! The hours and demands are crazy and the peer pressure is enormous!
Kudos to you as you continue on this path.
Thanks for sharing a very thoughtful post!
Blessings,
Melanie
“But at home, we can tailor her curriculum choices so she gets credits for classes such as psychology, Arabic, and Middle Eastern history and culture.”
Yes! That is one of the BIG reasons we are going all the way with homeschooling!
Thanks for having this blog. It is so frustrating in Germany where almost everyone (Americans here with the military) sends their kids to the public school.
Sue, we are a military family and just left Germany last month after a 3 year assignment and of course I continued to homeschool the entire time. Where are you stationed? We had a VERY small community of military and some American civilian children – but the majority of children were definitely sent to DoD schools. I wrote about our experiences often as it was certainly a very unique and enriching opportunity for our homeschool! Enjoy the blessing to homeschool in Germany!!
Jimmie, my youngest loves social interaction, and although she gets plenty of it, longs for more and thought a lot about going to school next year. She will be in 8th grade. You pretty much outlined my reasons for not wanting her too. She has now decided she doesn’t want to any more (I am relieved).
I have 3 who have graduated and got into top schools. The older two have coped extremely well socially and academically and emotionally and I am hoping the same for my son who starts in the fall. Mine all are very involved in 4-H, and that gives them enough exposure to the world around them without being bombarded by it at school. They do lots of other activities too – many with non-homeschoolers – so they are well prepared to cope with reality when they leave home.
Hi Jimmie, I wish you and Emma the very best as you begin your high school years in your homeschool. We still have some time before Super Hero gets to high school, so learning about your plans and insights is very reassuring as I look to our years ahead. Blessings to you and Emma!
Yes!! High School is so much fun. I’m finishing up my very last high school homeschooler over the next two years, and while I, like you, struggle with the balancing act of working from home and homeschooling, it’s well worth it! Great post, Jimmie!
I have found the same that it is in fact easier to homeschool my older teenagers now than when they were younger. They are extremely self-motivated, fascinating to talk to, and now, even though everyone else would like a piece of them to help out, I jealously guard their time so they make it to adulthood on terms that make the most sense for them. My wife has a great illustrated version of the fable “The Little Red Hen” that we often refer to as an inside joke. When others were not very supportive in the early years of our homeschooling and our advice about avoiding youth groups wasn’t taken, no one wanted to be our friends. But now they all want a piece my older kids’ time for their projects – because their own teenagers are still wandering around in circles and useless for doing anything productive. So, I think we are going to keep enjoying the homeschooling years on our own terms and get the benefits of their “coolness” for ourselves.