Not all of my reasons for homeschooling are actually all that noble. Some of them are just downright lazy and selfish, the sorts of things you don't necessarily want to admit to actually thinking of as advantages. But, I am going to admit to them anyway:
I never have to attend a single elementary school Christmas play or even a middle school band concert. Never.
I don't have to remember what day of 'Spirit Week' it is and dress my kid accordingly. (Most days at our school are pajama day anyhow... and when it is Noah's laundry day...it is swim shorts day for him.)
I don't need to keep track of the minutes my emergent reader is spending reading each evening or of piece of paper I am supposed to sign each night to verify said minutes.
I never have to chaperone a zoo field trip.
When the school year is beginning, I walk merrily right on past those long lists of school supplies the stores all have on display.
If my eight year old sleeps till 9:30, it isn't a tragedy that requires me notifying anyone about why she is late for anything. Or if I want to go to the zoo today... no one needs to know.
No 100 day of school projects.
No Valentines for the whole class.
I never have to pack a lunch (or several lunches) at 7 am in the morning.... we think about what's for lunch when it is lunch time.
Those long lines of mini vans waiting outside the schools every morning and afternoon have nothing whatsoever to do with me. I think Mr Mom instilled a fear of this very situation years ago...perhaps it influenced our decision to just not be a part of the system --"South to drop off, moron!"
No long talks with teachers, principals and probably counselors about why one or the other of my sometimes rather impulsive children did whatever weird thing they did today without a single thought of its consequences.... because, yeah, if my kids went to school, those sorts of talks would be pretty common place.
So I keep them home. I have the noble reasons too of course. But I am not unaware of the fact that some of what I consider the advantages of homeschooling are not all that glorious.
