This post is part of the Homeschooling Voices series.
I am a life long programmer and support my family with the skills I have been developing since I was a child working with a Commodore VIC-20. (It is probably still in my parents attic somewhere.) In recent years I have worked towards including a new arrow in my quiver of skills – “Business Owner”. There is nothing special about being a business owner and frankly it is a lot of hard work, so I ask myself, “Why?” Why would I want to own a business? Why did I bring it up on a homeschool blog and how does owning a business relate to homeschooling?
So let me talk through the business part of this first.. I want to teach my children how to run a business because I think it is an important life skill for them to know. I cannot do that unless I have run one myself. I also want the freedom to move to the mountains near where I grew up so that my children can experience the same culture and freedom that I had. Unfortunately, there are not many programming jobs in western North Carolina so I will need to bring my own opportunities and hopefully opportunities for other like minded individuals. Visit Big Green Chair to find out more.
So how does running a business relate to homeschooling?
Public Speaking
Interpersonal Communication
Accounting
Time Management
Project Management
Programming
Graphic Design
Business Communications
The list goes on and on
I also feel that education is the responsibility of the parents. Even if I had decided to send my children to public schools, I would not be free from the obligation of educating my children.
Both of these endeavors (homeschooling and starting a business) are hard – really hard, but Amber and I see everyday the results of why we homeschool . We see why we homeschool in the behavior of our children when they are in public and interacting with others (adults and other children). We see why we homeschool when our children read for the first time or learn basic math and then before we know it they are reading Beowulf by choice and teaching themselves Algebra. We see why we homeschool when our children show us a skill that they learned on their own through observation, reading and experimenting. That may be the best WHY – a love of learning that cannot be taken away.
So why do you home school ? If you would like to be a guest blogger or be a part of Homeschooling Voices send us your idea or blog entry to social@biggreenchair.com.