I never expected to homeschool, but now 3 years in, I can’t believe I ever imagined doing anything else.
I’ll go ahead and make the caveat that I’m not judging or criticizing anyone’s choices in regards to schooling their kids, but I do want to share reasons I believe homeschool is the way it’s meant to be.
Here I go…
My kids are my responsibility, regardless of my “ability”. When did it become normal to only to have our kids home for a brief period of time? It gets younger and younger each year too. Sure, all parents have a large impact on their kids’ lives, but I believe we can have more impact with more time. This is the original reason I chose to homeschool. The idea of sending my 4 yr old to school for even 4.5 hours 4 days a week was just TOO much. Our time with our little kids is short. Soon enough, they won’t choose their parents as their playmates and confidantes. Let’s soak it up.
Also, I read in a book once that children need a steady relationship with an adult in order to thrive. When we send them to school, we are outsourcing that responsibility to someone else. We are also splitting that time between home and school. And then what happens? Each year, we send them to a different grade with a different teacher and they learn that the only “steady” is their classmates. Which means that now the largest influence (time-wise) on our children is other children. They begin to learn more about life from the kids around them than trusted, educated, like-minded adults. No thank you.
Let’s talk about like-minded. I believe the Bible is the Word of God and that it is true and that as professing believers we should obey the commands of God. I believe in a full Biblical worldview, and yes, that means I believe in a young Earth. What the world teaches is contradictory to what the Bible says. It’s my job as a parent to teach my children the Truth, answer questions, show them how to defend their faith, and prepare them for the world. I’m not talking about sheltering them and pretending that other viewpoints don’t exist. I’m saying that I need to build a foundation of biblical truth and help them understand how we view the world in light of Scripture. Then, as they get older they can be in the world, but not of the world.
Another thing, we’ve been made to believe that we have to have a teaching degree to school our kids and that’s just not true. (Also, no offense to teachers. They are amazing.) There are so many resources and incredible curriculums that we can choose from. There’s an abundance of assistance too. If you have the ability to learn and a willingness to grow, you can homeschool your kids. When I started, I was terrified and felt sooooo ill-equipped. The program I started PK-4 with is not one I use today, but it prepared me. I took what I liked and didn’t like and found other curriculums. It takes time and it definitely helps to have a community of other homeschoolers around you to share experiences. But, YOU CAN DO IT!
When I was growing up homeschooling was viewed as weird. Yep, I said it. I didn’t understand it and the families I knew that homeschooled were a little ”different”. But I have a new perspective now. As Christians, we are called to be weird… ok, maybe weird isn’t in the Bible, but looking different is. Being set apart is. The world isn’t meant to understand us. In fact, part of our witness is to look different than the world. But also, there are so many more resources and communities and groups and co-ops, and hello the internet, that make homeschool families less isolated. In fact, I believe my kids are better socialized than many their age and older. When children spend time with a trusted adult, they also experience mature conversations and social cues. Then, you add in the variety of activities and experiences that are a part of homeschool life and you get a very aware, social child.
I could go on and on, and if you would like to chat more about it, I’m here. But I want to end with this…
I hear from people all the time that they could never homeschool. They want a break from their kids. They would go insane. They don’t have the capacity. They just can’t.
Well, I’m here to tell you, that you and I are NOT different. Being with my kids 24/7 is exhausting, just as it is wonderful. I need breaks and our family is continually working to find time where I can be alone. In blissful silence. I’m an introvert after all. It’s hard. This is a sacrifice. I’m going to say that again.
Choosing to homeschool is a sacrifice. A sacrifice of time, freedom, comfort, income, selfish desires and dreams… But… my children are my responsibility. They are mine, given to me by God, to steward well. Homeschooling is a way that I do that, and honestly, all the sacrifices are worth it.
To watch my 6 yr old jump from basic phonics readers to chapter books in a week’s time period... To see my 4 yr old count money like a 10 yr old.…
To snuggle on the couch and read our Bible, pray, learn about anything and everything they are interested in…
To feed them nutritious meals…
To play outside and explore…
To linger and love and go slower…
To rearrange our days for rest and renewal…
To talk about real life and our fears and anger and sin…
To do life together as a family.
What a blessing.
Sure, you may not be called to homeschool. But if you are, and you are letting fears hold you back, I hope this encourages you to have courage.
There’s more I could say, so maybe I’ll do a part two.
What would you like me to weigh in on?