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Should You Homeschool Your Children? Seven Reasons Why You Should

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Pastor and author James Emery White doesn't just think homeschooling is important – he believes it's critical. 

"I believe, to the core of my being, that every parent who can (and not all can) should homeschool their children," White writes in a recent article in Christianity.com

He lays out his case for the following reasons why:

1. It Fosters Family Intimacy

White argues that homeschooling can play a big role in keeping a family together and points to an example of this in his own life. 

"For one year, we put our oldest daughter, Rebecca, into a private Christian school for first grade. She would come home tired, irritable, impatient with her younger siblings," he shares. "We went back to homeschooling after that, and the difference was immediate and palpable. Intimacy returned in ways that we were accustomed to."

2. It Allows for Controlled Socialization With Peers

White also challenges the common misconception that homeschooled children are socially underdeveloped and lonely. 

"The truth is that homeschooling fosters positive socializing by letting you control the friends your child has, as opposed to whoever or whatever is most popular. It lets you establish respect for authority and the appropriate way to interact with others," he argues. 

3. Home Schooling Ensures Congruency Between Your Values, Teaching, Beliefs, and Education 

White says homeschooling prevents your children from getting conflicting messages about morality and faith.

"Imagine what it must be like for a child to hear at home that there is a God who loves them, and then go to school and hear that there isn't a God at all. Or at home that God created everything there is, but at school that there is no God involved at all," he explains

4. It Removes the Tension Between the World Your Child Lives in at School and the World They Live in at Home

 "At school, everyone is seeing the movie, using that app and planning what to wear to that party. That creates enormous tension between you, the child, and their school-world. They live in two worlds – one that is home and church, the other that is school and peers," White argues. 

5. It Enables You To Tailor the Educational Approach You Take With Your Child

He explains that not all children learn the same, and homeschooling provides an educational experience unique to your child. 

"As the father of four, I can tell you that all four learned differently and at different rates. Most school settings are not able to individualize. They have to create a "one size fits all" approach out of necessity," White shares. 

6. Home Schooling Affords the Flexibility for Family Time, Excursions, Travel and Serving

White says his family was able to set their own schedule instead of being bound by the standard school year calendar. 

"Whenever there was an event, an activity, a concert, a play, a festival that we felt would be beneficial, we didn't have to worry about the school calendar," he explains. 

7. Home Schooling Gives You the Freedom to Let Your Child Chase Their Individual Gifts and Passions

Lastly, White believes homeschooling allows your child to delve deep into their interests. 

"Our youngest son, Zach, was inclined toward music and the arts from his earliest days. We were able to tailor his education to include an abundance of music, internships with art teams and more. 

Overall, there are millions of children who are homeschooled each year for a variety of different reasons.  According to the National Home Education Research Institute, that number is growing, especially among minority students. 

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, Emily served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization that seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle