Children wake up at 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning, rush through breakfast, and hurry out the door to meet the bus or wait in the drop-off line by 7:00 or 7:30. School lasts all day. Children are home anywhere from 4:00 to bedtime, depending on their transportation, day care, or extracurriculars. They just have enough time for homework, dinner, and baths before a super-early bedtime because they are exhausted and must do it all again tomorrow.

Scenario 2:

Children sleep til 7:00 or 8:00 or 9:00 (or later) in the morning, slowly wake up snuggled on the couch, eat an unhurried breakfast, shower, help with household chores, and begin school work. They finish their lessons in 2-4 hours, and then amble off to do whatever they like to do in the afternoons: play with pets, practice guitar, play Minecraft, ride bikes, climb trees, go to extracurricular activities, or chat with friends. They eat supper, hang out with Dad, and stay up until 9:00, 10:00 or later. Bedtime is flexible because they will do this all again tomorrow.

Parents, if you are still sitting on the fence about home education, and you're worried about your kids getting enough sleep, and your kids don't have actual family time, or down time, or any time; if their behavior is affected by this schedule that kids were never designed to have; if elementary aged kids are going to bed before the sun goes down...you can change this.

Scenario 1 is what I read from parents every week once school begins. Scenario 2 is what it's like for kids to grow up at home. Which scenario are your kids in? Who spends the most time with them? How much influence do you have? When do you disciple them?

As a homeschool kid, I got to experience Scenario 2. My kids have always had the same. The school bus passes our house every morning while my kids are still sleeping, and it comes back by 2 or 3 hours after they've finished their lessons, and are already playing outside to wave when it goes by.

Homeschooling is more than just curriculum. It's truly giving kids a childhood.