why homeschool Archives

Why Homeschooling Rocks

By: Samantha Anne Moss

I’ve been homeschooled all my life and for me and my siblings sitting at a desk the whole day is not a necessity. Right now, I’m writing this article on our computer in the den, my little brother Mike is standing outside the sliding glass door giving me puppy-dog eyes that say “come play with me”. My sister is literally three feet away from me playing the piano. To other people, this kind of thing might seem distracting, but if you homeschool or are currently homeschooling you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

My family goes to daily Mass every day we can. Most kids that go to school, (even the students at Catholic Schools) don’t always have the chance to go to Mass every day. At lunchtime, we often listen to a podcast and eat leftovers, sandwiches and whatever we aren’t going to have for diner. My younger brothers and sister finish their school usually before lunch. My older sister, Emma, get done around 2 to 3 PM. I can’t imagine having to do the same thing every day, wake up early, go to school, come home just to do homework. Sure there are some perks to going to school, you get to see your friends every day and get away from all your siblings unless you’re a twin then you’re sunk. But seriously, it must be nice to have a quiet place to work…then again sitting in a classroom full of kids is probably noisier and less fun than my house! When I want a quiet place to study I go to my room.

I love being homeschooled because I can watch and play with my little siblings and have more time to read as my mom says “My fun books”. I also like having the opportunity to see my friends, and finish subjects early, it’s March and I have already finished my history textbook. I feel like I have a big advantage when it comes to the specific curriculum that my mom uses. My mom is able to choose math, science, history, writing, and all the other subjects I do. I love not having to worry about whether my science and history fit with our beliefs. One of my favorite things to do is go to co-op. I get to hang out with my friends, and this year learn about art and composers.

So where am I going with all this? Am I trying to brag about how much better I am than kids that go to school? Of course not, I just think it’s important that I try to explain how amazing it is to be part of a big family and be homeschooled. When I meet someone for the first time they usually ask me what school I go to, I answer with “I’m homeschooled”. I typically get one of two reactions, either they give me a “what-the-heck-look” or a bright smile and a “That’s so cool I wish I was homeschooled too”. I can’t lie and say that I don’t sometimes get bored and wonder what it would be like to go to school, but at the end of the day, I love homeschooling!

To see another article by Samantha Moss visit here.

About the author:

Samantha Anne Moss is a twelve-year-old homeschooler who lives in southwest Florida with her family. She enjoys reading, photography, and playing the piano. Samantha is the second oldest in a family of eight children.

Would you like your children to homeschool your grandchildren one day?

Renée Gotcher is most homeschooling parents’ dream — a homeschool graduate now homeschooling her own children.

I wanted to know:

Why her mother chose to homeschool when it wasn’t as popular as it is today.
How Renée reacted to beginning homeschooling as a high school student
How she met her husband and decided to homeschool their own children
If her parents shared their desire that she would homeschool too
If she had anxiety about what homeschooling would mean for her career
If her mother gave her advice on curriculum
If she feels extra pressure because she’s a next generation homeschooler
If she has homeschooled friends who’ve chosen not to homeschool themselves
If she hopes her own children will homeschool and how she encourages that

Listen in for this inspiring interview, then visit NextGenHomeschool to read How We Manage Working While Homeschooling, the top homeschool encouragement posts of 2013, or Defending My Homeschool Rights in Oklahoma. Renée regularly pins can’t-miss content to the What’s Hot in Homeschooling Pinterest board. Follow it to stay inspired.

Renée Gotcher is a wife, writer, entrepreneur & home-educating mother of three daughters: Audrey, Claire and Elise. A former journalist, Renée was homeschooled during her last two years of high school and started homeschooling in 2010. She is editor of NextGen Homeschool and blogs on personal topics at A New Chapter. Her family lives in Castle Rock, Colorado.