Reason # 6: Childhood!

I'm a big proponent of  the idea behind Nick Jr.'s motto from back in the day when I watched Nick Jr. with kids I babysat:  Play to learn.  (Is that still their motto?  It's been so long!)  Little ones learn through play.  Whether they are playing pretend or playing with toys or both, what they are really doing is exploring their environment.  Play enables kids to develop fine and gross motor skills, social skills, and many skills that we consider academic (math, science, literacy) in ways that are fun and natural.  Playing is fundamental to the work that is done in school. 

The trouble is that most kids don't have much time to play any more.  They spend approximately 8 hours a day, 5 days a week in school (and early elementary classrooms seem to be allowing less and less time for play as academic standards advance).  They are doing homework at a younger and younger age.  I know kindergarteners that are bringing home homework, 2nd graders that are spending hours a night sitting at the table with their school books, and 4th graders who do school work from the time they come home until they are in bed.  On top of that there are sports practices and music lessons and other opportunities that are genuinely good for kids, but leave little time for free play when added to school and the stacks of homework.  Kids don't have time to play because they have so much work to do. 

And it's not just that they have to do the work that creates a problem.  There is so much stress!  All this work to do puts pressure on the kids and on the parents that can be incredibly straining on their relationship.  There is the pressure to do well and the understanding that if they don't do well it will negatively impact their future or  they can choose not to do the work and have the shadow of failure hanging over their heads.  Perhaps some of this pressure is justified as kids get older and become more responsible for their lives.  But is it healthy that kids as young as kindergarten are feeling forms of this pressure? 

Another aspect of the reason that childhood is a motivator for homeschooling for us has less to do with academics and more to do with the social environment at school.  Kids seem to be growing up faster and faster.  They are experiencing grown-up issues at a younger and younger age.  While I'm not interested in wrapping my kids in a cocoon that doesn't allow them to see the world,  I do want them to experience the world with the benefit of having plenty of adults around to help them understand what is happening.  Moreover, I know there will come a day when my kids don't want to snuggle with me on the couch and a time when they are too big for certain favorite movies or toys or playing dress up, but I want them to make that decision on their own.  I don't want them rushing to put off childhood because the things they want to do are "uncool." 

Childhood is important and I want to do everything in my power to make sure that my kids get to enjoy these formative years with plenty of play and exploration!