And the list goes on...and on...and on...OKAY, so I have alot more than 10 reasons why I homeschool...that's a GOOD thing, right???

Going through some old pictures yesterday, I found this...

I LOVE that my kids can "do school" like this!!  I'm fairly certain she had on PJ's under that blanket!

Last week I posted The Top 10 Reasons Why I Homeschool, but my list is growing!  A few days ago I added Reason #11 and now I've stumbled on yet another reason why I won't send my daughters to public school!

I was "blog-surfing" the other day and happened upon Reason #12 HERE in a blog by HSB Senior Editor, Tia Linschied.

The #12 Reason Why I Homeschool:

At school in my home, my girls "won't have to face an onslaught of feminine product mayhem."

I just have to add another reason to my "Top 10 Reasons Why I Homeschool" list. 

I was reading a wonderful post (you go, Dippy!) the other day on JenIG's GREAT blog about her son finally starting to read.  It reminded me of yet another reason why I homeschool.

Reason #11:  Homeschooled kids don't get put into the "dumb" reading group or get "labeled" just because they aren't ready to read by the age of 6. 

My firstborn was a natural learner...the kind that could learn in a room with no windows or doors.  The kind that makes you think you're a REALLY great teacher...heck, they'll probably be calling you to speak at a homeschool convention soon!

My second born reduced my lofty view of myself to something akin to dirt.

#2 has a late birthday, so she was almost 6 when she started kindergarten.  I expected her to be reading Shakespeare by Christmas.  By Christmas, she wasn't reading Hop on Pop....or anything!  But I wasn't too concerned...after all, she was only in Kindergarten. 

By the end of Kindergarten I began to get a teensy bit concerned.  By the end of 1st grade, panic set in!  Back then (it was the early 90's) I felt like I was homeschooling in a fishbowl surrounded by hungry cats!  I had something to prove and this child was not helping me prove it!

How silly I was back in those early years.  When she was ready, she started to read...WELL!  By the age of 10, she could read a Nancy Drew book in 2 hours and 36 minutes, give or take a few minutes. 

Which brings me back to Reason #11.  Before becoming a homeschool mom, I was a PS teacher...a special ed teacher.  I KNOW what would have happened to my daughter if she had been in school.  She would probably still be wearing the label.

"Why did you decide to homeschool?"

It's not an unusual question, in fact if I've answered it once in my 17 years of homeschooling, I've answered it a hundred times!  Well, from now on instead of trying to come up with an intelligent-sounding answer every time someone asks, I think I'll just hand them a copy of my recently created Top 10 Reasons Why I Homeschool.  Enjoy!

The Top 10 Reasons Why I Homeschool

10.  Pajamas are less expensive than school clothes.

  9.  Not all kids can color in the lines for 3 hours at the age of 5 1/2

  8.  The lines are shorter at Disney World in early October.

  7.  What could possibly be more fulfilling than actually being the one that gets to teach your child to read?

  6.  Kids NEED socialization that doesn't involve giving away their milk money to avoid being pushed down on the playground! 

  5.  Kids are allowed to sing "Away in a Manger" and "Joy to the World" in MY school.

  4. There's something seriously wrong with a system which thinks that it can place 30 children (half of whom are either ADD or ADHD) with 17 different learning styles into one classroom with one teacher and expect them all to learn something.

  3. School isn't supposed to be entertaining, it's supposed to be about learning.

  2.  I LIKE my kids and I WANT to be with them all day!

And the #1 Reason that I homeschool my kids is......

  1.  Homeschooling WORKS!!