As I write this, Bene, our 9-year-old, will be Grade 4 this school year.
Let me share to you something shocking: To this day, he has yet to step into a regular classroom. He’s a deprived kid! Check out this list:
· He’s never ridden a school bus.
· He’s never lined-up for a flag ceremony.
· He’s never eaten lunch in a school canteen.
· He’s never had to raise his hand for recitation.
· He’s never had to do assignments at night.
· He’s never had to go to the principal’s office.
· He’s never played basketball with his classmates.
· Because, technically, he’s never had a classmate!
Poor kid. Some of the experiences above are really good stuff.
But life is a choice. We chose that he experience OTHER things by homeschooling him. And my son loves homeschooling. He won’t exchange it for the world. Here’s why…
· He’s able to spend more time with his Daddy and Mommy each day. His relationship with us is tight–and for this alone–I thank God for homeschooling.
· He loves his younger brother and cares for him a lot.
· He can read any book he chooses, he reads five books a day.
· This 9-year old speaks fantastic English.
· He’s able to follow his passions with more freedom. It’s his 4th year now joining a gym class. He also joined a painting course–and has produced 12 lovely paintings so far. (So yes, he does have classmates after all.)
· Together with other homeschooled kids in Catholic Filipino Academy, he’s rappelled from a 30-foot hanging bridge and swam in an underground river! With them, he’s also visited zoos, parks, and factories.
· He has lots of other friends. He meets his playmates each Sunday at the FEAST. They play the whole day! In the middle of the week, he gets to play during our Care Group meetings. And believe me, his friends are the coolest bunch of kids you can get on the planet.
· When he was 5 years old, he started a business selling Bangus and earned enough money to buy his own toys.
· He plays the guitar and composes his own songs.
· He hosts a kids’ TV show each week. He’s having so much fun. (Catch him on MustardTV, every 7am, Saturdays, on TV5.)
· He also writes for a kids’ magazine, Mustard.
· Because he’s not tied down in school, he travels with me a lot in my mission trips. He’s been to ten countries so far. Again, it’s not so much the places we go to, but the fact that we’re together–that’s the incredible gift.
· He’s great with computers and the internet.
· He’s writing his own book now.
· He has another project he’s busy with: Creating his own “godly” videogame that will teach values to kids. I’m excited to see that one.
· He loves God. He wants to follow Jesus. (To be continued below…)
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Hey, I’m not putting down regular schools. There are great schools out there!
But what I’m doing, perhaps for the first time, is making parents consider homeschooling as a valid alternative. That it can be a great option for your kids.
Because for the longest time, homeschooling wasn’t even in the radar of most parents’ thinking. It was unthinkable. “Give the education of your kids to the experts,” we were told.
I repeat: There are great schools out there. So do your research.
With your research, why not study this option–Teach your kids at home.
I’m not going to kid you. It’s not easy. The sacrifices are huge.
But I think it’s a wonderful option to consider.
To find out more about homeschooling, check out my other website: www.CatholicFilipinoAcademy.com You’ll find articles that will help you decide if homeschooling is for you or not. Or call Rita at Tel. (632) 5336097 (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mondays to Fridays).
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
PS. I started the Catholic Filipino Academy to help parents homeschool their kids. For more information, log on at www.CatholicFilipinoAcademy.com or call Rita at Tel. (632) 5336097 (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mondays to Fridays).
