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Why Homeschool My Children?

By Harriet Yoder

Why do we teach our children at home? As a veteran home educator, former homeschool support group leader, and a homeschool store owner, I can name lots of convincing reasons. They are all good. However, if you ask me for the main reason, I will refer you to Matthew 6:33:

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

The primary reason to teach our children at home is to teach them to know the Lord. When we started on this journey over twenty years ago, my husband and I knew that this was our primary reason. It was the same reason for most of the other homeschoolers we knew. We didn't have any "proof"; we couldn't show you any statistics; and homeschool graduates were scarce. We believed God's promises about our children are true. We put our trust in Him.

Over the years the main reason to homeschool has gotten fuzzy. Perhaps because it is much easier to homeschool today, and there are more folks doing it. Or perhaps it's because there are so many different reasons. It seems the movement has lost that sense of urgency--that sense of a calling--about the training of our children in righteousness.

So it was a wake-up call when I visited the Considering Homeschooling website and read the grim statistics about the imparting of Christianity to children of Christian parents who are in public school versus those who are homeschooled.

To sum it up: over 90% of children of Christian parents who went to public school WILL NOT be saved when they graduate, while over 90% of the children of Christian parents who were home educated WILL BE saved by the time they graduate. Please check this for yourself at:

• Considering Homeschooling Christian Outreach Ministry

That certainly puts it all in the proper perspective. Our primary purpose as Christian parents is to pass on our Christian beliefs to our children and lead them to salvation. If there is only a 1 in 10 chance that a child will be saved when sent to public school, then is this an acceptable risk? Homeschooling works, There is proof that it does:

• Homeschoolers Grown Up

Why do we homeschool? My husband and I want to be sure that each one of our children is a Christian who loves the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that he loves his neighbor as himself. That's the reason--all the other reasons can't compare.

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Updated 03/20/2008