The Gift of Time Through Homeschooling

Written By: The Good and the Beautiful Published On:

Homeschooling gives children and families the valuable gift of time. Jenny Phillips discusses how homeschooling allows children to grow at their own pace, develop and explore interests, and strengthen family relationships. Discover ways to enjoy the journey of homeschooling with this encouraging blog post and video.

Looking Back

I now officially have three children who have moved on to adulthood and only two children left at home. I can truly say, looking back over the past 15 years or so, that the blessing of TIME homeschooling has given us has been absolutely life-changing for my children and for me.

Small seedlings sprouting | The Good and The Beautiful

Each of these flower and herb seeds germinates and grows at different rates. Just like seeds, children grow and develop at their own pace. No matter how skilled a gardener I am, I can’t convince my marigold seeds to germinate as quickly as my lavender. In public school, by necessity, children are all required to move at the same speed and often at the same level, even though they all have different needs in every subject. Homeschooling allows children to move at their exact right pace in every subject. Also, homeschooling allows for healthy schedules for our children with time to play, time for family, and time to pursue interests.

By choosing to homeschool, we are giving our children the incredibly valuable gift of time. Homeschooling allows us to move at a pace appropriate to the needs of each child. We can allow for time to think, plan, explore, ask questions, and seek out the answers to those questions, even if it isn’t penciled in a planner or targeted to a specific state standard. Homeschooling allows us the freedom in our families to choose, each day, the way we spend our time.

  • Two children playing on rocks by a lake with trees in the background
  • Two young girls working on a craft project in a workshop.

We can tailor our daily learning opportunities to meet the needs and desires of our unique families. Our children can move quickly through assignments that they understand without waiting for a classroom of 20 to 25 others. And when a topic is challenging there is time to slow down, dig in, and do hard things! There is time to take breaks or change the learning environment to meet your child’s specific needs.

  • Family Doing Space Science Unit Study
  • Children playing soccer | The Good and The Beautiful

By cutting out stressful commutes or bus rides, time-consuming classroom management, parent-teacher conferences, fundraisers, high-stakes testing, safety drills, and evenings spent agonizing over homework or unclear assignments, there are more hours each day to spend with each other and on other worthwhile endeavors.

For example, that time can be spent focusing on extracurricular activities such as music, dance, and sports. There’s time for project-based learning activities relevant to your family’s unique interests and location. After all, homeschooling families can take their learning on the road! Field trips and family vacations are excellent opportunities to connect learning to the real world and build positive relationships between a child and their parents, siblings, friends, and community. Learning doesn’t happen only when sitting in a chair tucked behind a desk with similar-aged peers. Multiage interactions encourage problem solving and develop stronger, positive social and leadership skills.

Family of four reading books from The Good and the Beautiful Bookshop in nature

Homeschooling families often spend time getting real-life experiences through travel or family adventures. Even from home, by having lots of time available for reading, children can experience far-off lands and people.

Illustration of a child reading a Bible under a tree

Homeschooling also provides the freedom to spend time feeding a child’s spiritual side, putting down deep, strong roots. Consider how Jesus taught His disciples. He walked with them and talked with them, shared meals with them, and He told them stories. He modeled for them how to pray, serve and have their own personal relationship with God. As a homeschooling family, faith is not compartmentalized and relegated exclusively to our weekly church attendance; rather, it becomes the basis for our entire lives.

Also, in our busy world, it can be hard to carve out time for children to just BE—to daydream, to explore outside, to play and pretend, and to follow those rabbit trails into whatever interests them. One of the blessings I appreciate the most about homeschooling is the chance for my kids to be kids.

For those considering homeschooling, families who have homeschooled for many years, and especially those who are struggling with it right now, it is so important to step back and consider the precious blessing of TIME through homeschooling. Have you ever heard someone complain, “I wish I knew LESS about what my child is learning” or “I wish I had spent LESS time with my children while they were growing up”? I haven’t!

By choosing to homeschool you are giving your child the valuable and precious gift of time. Time spent building strong roots, time spent growing in safety and security, with their specific needs being met, and time to bring forth their full potential and blossom into the fruitful beings they were created to be.

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