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I haven't taken part in Postcrossing in a long while, but recently sent out 10 cards and received my first one in return today!

50 reasons why we love homeschooling

1. We have lots of quality time together.

2. We can arrange our schedule according to our own needs.

3. My son can work ahead when it suits him.

4. We have time to review concepts and skills as much as necessary if they are difficult.

5. We meet a much wider variety of people than we ever did before.

6. We have time to explore new places and new situations.

7. We can drop everything for once-in-a-lifetime events.

8. My son has mentors from many more areas of his life than he ever did in a traditional school.

9. We can learn in our pajamas if we feel like it.

10. I worry a lot less about his food allergies.

11. No one makes fun of him at lunchtime if he doesn’t have the current popular snack.

12. It’s ok that he isn’t the slightest bit athletic.

13. It’s ok that he loves music and art.

14. He has taught himself computer coding and scripting.

15. He has friends on three continents.

16. We were able to drive cross-country (twice) when other kids were either in school or getting ready to go back to school (he’s been to 25 states now).

17. None of his friends or mine find his large vocabulary disturbing.

18. Without the distractions and interruptions that are a normal part of a traditional school, a “school day” takes half the time it used to and without the commute.

19. My son has taught himself many concepts that most kids don’t learn until college, if ever.

20. We have a lot more fun thanks to a lot more free time.

21. My son’s writing has blossomed now that he isn’t stuck to a particular rubric or school mandated curriculum.

22. My son has a practical understanding of math that isn’t taught at school.

23. We can indulge both academic and non-academic interests without sacrificing one over the other.

24. We don’t have to wait for school breaks to go out of town.

25. We’ve found tons of free or low-cost educational resources that are often better quality than school curriculum – we obtained quality while saving money.

26. We spend time on quality socialization rather than learning to manage bullying, conforming to dress codes, and so on.

27. Without getting into trouble or dealing with negative peer pressure, my son can excuse himself from activities if they don’t feel right or if the atmosphere feels dangerous, oppressive, stifling, or just wrong in some way.

28. My son can get enough sleep — he’s a teenager and they need more sleep.

29. We can take advantage of my son’s natural rhythms — he is far more alert and able to retain information in the evening hours.

30. Engrossed in a good book? We aren’t limited to a brief “silent reading” period — there’s plenty of time to read, and read, and read.

31. My son’s vocabulary is huge in large part due to all the reading we do.

32. We have time to discuss news stories in depth in addition to discussing media influence.

33. My son has a better understanding of how government is meant to work and how it actually works than most adults I know.

34. In public school, my son was socially awkward; as a homeschooler, he has found his tribe and now fits in.

35. His self-esteem skyrocketed after we began homeschooling.

36. He has learned better coping skills at home than he did in school.

37. He has learned to manage his perfectionist tendencies much better.

38. Going to family or kid-friendly places during off-peak hours is much more enjoyable.

39. As introverts, we can nourish our energy needs as much as we want.

40. The people and experiences in our lives are now much more diverse than they ever were before.

41. We can focus on what’s important to us and not whether or not he has the right backpack or shoes.

42. My son is more of an independent thinker now than he ever was in traditional school.

43. My son surprises me every day with something new that he has learned without having an academic lesson.

44. Instead of learning vocabulary and spelling from lists, he learns them from reading and context.

45. He is more curious about the world than ever before.

46. He has gotten over some phobias and obsessive problems by learning to face them on his own terms, in his own way, and on his own schedule.

47. We both have significantly less stress and anxiety in our lives.

48. We have time to stop and talk to people rather than rushing from one activity to the next since six to seven hours of our day aren’t taken up by a traditional school schedule.

49. Instead of learning multiple subjects from one teacher, my son can go to experts in each individual subject he wants to learn about.

50. It may not work for you, but it does work for us.