Why We Homeschool in the Foreign Service

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Because we didn't have enough change in our lives with our new baby, job change for Erik and a new city away from all of our family and friends, we decided to homeschool this year.  There were several reasons we chose this route.
1. Part of Erik's job involves TDY (temporary duty) which takes him out of the country for extended periods of time. We decided during this TDYs it would be great to have the flexibility to be with family and not be locked into the traditional school schedule.
2. Once at an overseas post, we want to be able to decide how best to educate our children.  If we have homeschooling experience, we know with confidence that is an option. (side note: The Foreign Service has tons of resources for homeschooling families)
3. It is truly a gift to know the learning styles of your children and be able to teach to those styles at the pace they are comfortable with.  It has been a blessing for us...once I was able to let go of my mental time line.
4. You get to introduce activities they wouldn't learn in school! We cook, we sew, and we get to take as many field trips as we want ( we are in DC - it's full of learning experiences!)
5. This final reason is possibly the most important one - Erik and I get to determine what information our children are exposed to and when.  Now, hear me loud and clear -  one of my biggest struggles is wanting to keep them in a bubble while knowing they need to experience the world; both good and bad.  This is not what I am talking about. I am talking about the freedom to have a Bible lesson worked into the school day, freedom to educate my children about today's issues as I see they are mature enough to handle them and, most importantly, a little more time to build their confidence and build the foundation of their faith.

Drawbacks of Homeschooling
1. I would have to say the biggest thing our girls have missed out on is the social aspect school brings.  We have them in extra-curricular activities, and involved in our church, but school was another facet of that socialization that they miss. I have researched some groups, and co-ops and I truly feel this will be alleviated once we enroll in a group.
2. It is a lot of work! At least it is for me.  I feel like I am always preparing;  not to mention the time spent doing school.  However, as Erik so kindly reminded me, if the girls were in school I would figure out a way to be up there :)
3. You have to have a plan! And you have to plan ahead. If you know me, you know that is not my way - BUT it has become my way really fast! Some of these blogs are my favorite resources to help with my homeschooling woes:
1. Hip Homeschool Moms
2. Confessions of a Homeschooler
3. Simple Homeschool
You can also follow my Homeschool Pinterest board and My Early Education Board.  They really need to be combined and or cleaned up, however there is some great information and links to other blogs that I have found to be great resources for our family.

For now, homeschooling works for our family. I plan to post some of the logistics at another time and share some amazing websites that I have found for tools. But for now, gotta go make a lesson plan ;)