For as long as I can remember, I’ve been questioned, ridiculed, and even accused of being “too lenient” with my child. People raise eyebrows when they see him gaming, watching meaningful videos on YouTube, or diving into tech with a curiosity that’s rare for his age. They whisper about how I took him out of traditional school and chose to homeschool instead.
To many, it looks like a mistake. To me, it looks like freedom.
Do I doubt myself?
Yes, of course. There are nights when I lie awake wondering if I’m making the right choices. Parenting doesn’t come with guarantees, and homeschooling doesn’t either. But here’s what I refuse to do—I will never clip my child’s wings in the name of “playing it safe.”
Because freedom, in its truest sense, is what allows him to discover who he really is.
Freedom to Find His Calling
When people say I’ve given him too much freedom, they forget that it’s this very freedom that helps him discover his own passions. He learns to recognize his strengths, test his abilities, and see life through his own lens—not one that’s forced upon him.
Every child is unique. Every homeschooling journey is different. What works for my child may not work for yours, and that’s okay. There’s no universal recipe for learning.
My Role as a Parent
I don’t see my role as forcing him to follow a set system. My role is to guide. To help him weigh the pros and cons of his choices. To teach him how to tell the difference between content that enriches him and content that wastes his time. To support him in following what he loves, while also helping him understand responsibility and balance.
Does Homeschooling Guarantee Success?
No. But then again, does traditional schooling guarantee it either?
So many children spend years within four walls, memorizing information they never use, without learning a single thing about real life or essential life skills. They come out with grades but not with clarity, creativity, or resilience.
Homeschooling, on the other hand, is not about ticking boxes. It’s about shaping a child’s path based on their uniqueness, their pace, their passions. It’s about giving them space to grow into who they were meant to be.
Why I Took the Leap
Homeschooling is not an easy road. It’s a risk. But it’s a risk worth taking.
Because at the end of the day, I’d rather raise a child who knows himself deeply, who understands the world around him, and who has the courage to carve his own path—than one who merely survives in a system that was never designed to celebrate individuality.
For me, freedom is not negligence. It is responsibility.
It is faith.
It is love.
And it is the greatest gift I can give my child.
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