Unconventional Living

 "My Reasons For Homeschooling" post is below.

Talk about feeling like an alien on Planet Convention! :) I can't help but grow further from the modern conventions of our culture. Industrialization and civilization may have its benefits, but this girl does not fit the mold. There are many harmful aspects of the common lifestyle around me and I feel myself pushing away from it. The only thing that keeps me tethered (physically anyway) is the calling of God that keeps me from running away altogether. God says stay here or there, I stay. (Or I try to!)

SOME of the ways we live and think unconventionally:

-We homeschool/unschool
-As we grew in the LORD, we grew further from conventional "church" and closer to more natural gatherings of believers.
-Since September 2012, we have been living full-time in an RV (5 months at the writing of this post). I don't know how long we will do this. We have a desire to get settled and live in a small house on lots of land but until then...
-We drink raw, grass-fed milk and make butter and other milk products at home.
-We get most of our food locally from farmers' markets, farms, homegrown, or online ordering website like Azure Standard. We focus on grass-fed/pastured animals products and organic.
-We follow the general diet guidelines of traditional diets who are happy, healthy, and free from our COMMON diseases. Many of these foods go against modern "wisdom" such as consuming natural animal fats and raw egg yolks and milk.

So, basically, we are getting back to the basics of living a simple, nourishing, Christ-centered life. :)

My Reasons For Homeschooling

My main reasons for homeschooling, in no particular order:

High Moral Standards

Christ-centered Education

Safety

Healthy Socialization

Approach to Education

Flexibility

Kids are mean, so you should send your child to school with them.

Someone actually told me that children should go to public school because it’s not like it used to be. Kids today are a lot meaner, nastier, and disrespectful and our kids need to be around that a lot so they can get used to it.

What?! If schools were like they used to be, I’d be much more open to sending my child there. It’s because of how public school has evolved in the last 100 and even 50 years that I stand firm on my reasons for homeschooling.

Children can know enough about the negative aspects of life and people through more supervised introductions and interactions; rather than being thrown in to it to be mass-influenced.

I would rather my child be taught social skills and good manners from respected adults and children who have also been taught them. I can provide ample opportunities for my child to exercise those skills and manners.

It is important to me that my child is in the best possible environment to learn, develop, and set personal standards. I see homeschooling as an avenue for this.

I don't find it best to flood a child's life with peer pressure and a learning system that tends to go against our Christian family values and beliefs.

I look forward to her officially starting kindergarten next year. I'm excited about providing my daughter's educational experience.

It's not all clear to me exactly what it will look like each day, but that's okay. I have the passion, support, determination, and information I need to succeed. The only thing left to do is to trust the process.

Healthy Socialization

Socialization is one of my main reasons for homeschooling. If anyone should be pressed to prove themselves on the issue of quality socialization, it should be public schools, not home schools.

Public school didn't turn me into a social butterfly. But, there were many ways that it hampered me socially with peer pressure, superficial competition, and other negative influences.

A person may gain some positive socialization skills at public school. However, there is a lot of room for negative learning and impact as well.

Another specific reason I choose to teach my daughter at home is because of my own memories of unnecessary and shocking practices of the public school system.

I remember explicit videos were shown in high school of a woman giving birth and a cave man aggressively "having his way" with a cave woman.

First of all, that is inappropriate material. Second, I doubt my parents were informed. And, it doesn't end there.

But it will end here!

I find the flexibility of homeschooling very appealing. Everything we do and everywhere we go as a family can be made into a stimulating, learning experience.

Flexibility does not end at simply being able to go out and do things during normal, public school hours. Your approach to learning is also limitless. You can be as structured or relaxed as works best for your family.

Compare these pros and cons of homeschooling. Whatever constitutes your reasons for homeschooling, happy trails!