I'm always happy to talk about homeschooling.... unless I'm being scrutinized for it. I stand by my decision. Jeff and I are not opposed to putting the kids into school if God leads us to it, but that is not the path He's laid out for us. So when people can't wrap their heads around the idea, it's nearly impossible to share my heart with them. I can't share with someone who doesn't have an open mind. Because I am so passionate about this blessing, it definitely hurts when my lifestyle is cut down. I don't really have the right method of answering to people that don't want to hear me out, so I just nod my head, let them speak, and move from the topic as quickly as possible.
I find incredible joy in talking to those who are supportive, curious in a kind way, or are looking into going down a similar path. This is a passion of mine. Teaching my children. Raising them. Being there. Putting my stamp on their hearts. I don't take this lightly. Homeschooling to me is so much more than reading, writing, and math. I'm teaching the kids about life. The kids get to see first hand how Jeff and I handle things. Unfortunately, they see when we mess up, but they also see when we repent, make it right, or fix the various situations we're in.
I am thrilled that we have so many choices pertaining to our children's education here in America. Public school, private school, home school, co-ops, distance learning, the list goes on. There isn't a one size fits all and I love the diversity. I love that each family can pick and choose what methods and avenues they want to take and mold them to fit their family's needs. You will never hear me say that homeschooling is the only way. I would never tell a parent that they should do it my way. I'm happy when they do, but only because it gives me one more reason to connect with them, not because I'm right and my way is the best for everyone.
When God calls me to do something and I obey, I feel complete peace about my decision, no matter what the world tries to tell me. Besides my heart for Jesus, there are three things I've never been more sure of: my decision to marry Jeff, staying home as a full time mom, and schooling the kids at home. Complete peace. No question. I've looked into and even tried work from home opportunities. I'd consider those again. But I will gladly sacrifice the finer materialistic things in life in order to follow my calling as a stay at home mom. If God were to lead me in a different direction; if He were to have me put the kids in school and work outside of the home, I'd do it. As hard as that seems to me now, I'd follow His lead.
The thing that really saddens me is that this world has come to a place where working moms are pitted against stay at home moms. Homeschool moms are pitted against moms who send their kids to school. Moms who go the natural route medically are pitted against those who put all of their trust in their doctors. You see where I'm going? One side believes they are better than the other. Each side feels the need to loudly state their case in order to defend their decisions.
This shouldn't be how it is. We shouldn't have to defend our choices. We shouldn't have to feel inferior if we go against the flow, or like sheep if we happen to make the popular choice in our parenting decisions. I respect any parent who cares for the well-being of their child, whether they choose to do things the same way I do, or not.
Back to the original reason for my post. Friends want to know why our family homeschools. If I could condense that answer down to one post, I would. There are many reasons we homeschool, and that list continually grows as we trudge along through life. Here are just a few:
- God's Prompting ~ This is and always will be the number one reason. I had the kids in school before. Those times were good. That move was necessary. I don't regret putting them into school when I did. However, the last year we had them in school, I felt a deep stirring in my spirit to bring them back home. I prayed all year. I honestly didn't want to bring them back. Homeschooling is no easy task. It isn't the easy way out. There is no easy way. There was no peace when they were in school. The school was great. The teachers were amazing. My kids did well and had sweet little friends. I had no issues with the school itself. My issue was with the lack of peace I had while they were there. It was a big learning year for me. The next year we kept them home and haven't looked back. We've had our hard times, of course. We've had our share of financial struggle, throbbing nerves, and caffeine overdoses, but through all the hustle and bustle and messiness of the homeschool life, peace washed over me like a soft, comforting blanket.
- Freedom ~ This is a close second to God's call. Ahhh..... the breath of fresh air freedom brings. The first couple years we homeschooled, I stuck hard to a curriculum because that's what I thought we needed to do. I didn't take full advantage of the freedom we had. After much experimentation, we've found an almost perfect fit. I'm able to tailor fit our lessons to each child according to their learning styles, interests, and capabilities. I've learned to love the freedom that comes from tossing something that doesn't work and hugging something that does. Our schedule changes with the seasons, our field trips happen on our terms, we take days off when we need to and do school on weekends if we want to. We research on our couch in our jammies, we draw at the kitchen table, we cook or bake on a whim, we find learning opportunities where we never would have looked before. This has opened up a whole new world for us.
- Faith ~ Whether others like it or not, our faith plays a huge part in every decision we make. There are things I want my children to learn that they might not learn in a school setting; and there are things I don't want my children to learn from other people, or at certain ages. I want God to be a part of their lives all day long. I want them to hear the Christian worldview side by side with how the rest of the world believes. I don't want our faith being left out of their learning for the sake of others. I understand why the public schools do this, and of course we have to respect other people's beliefs, but as far as my kids are concerned, I don't want to add confusion where it just isn't needed. They will learn all sorts of beliefs when it comes to religion, politics, creation, science, etc. But this will all happen when Jeff and I feel they are good and ready to learn...when they are mature enough to see opposing sides and not become confused. A couple of my children aren't mature enough to hear all the different views quite yet. I think that for them, it would be detrimental to put them in a public school setting. A couple of the kids could handle it well, but the others just aren't ready. I believe God blessed us with our children so that we can train them in the way they should go. And I say this all about my children. What another parent decides is completely up to them. My children are mine for a reason, just as your children are yours.
- Education ~ This really fits in to a few categories, but it deserves one of its own. I want a tailor-made plan for my children. I want them to learn at their own pace, whether that be behind or ahead of their peers. I want them to fully grasp what they're learning. I want them to choose some of the topics they study. I feel it is important for them to have that one on one attention. I think it is equally important for them to have breaks when they need them, not just when scheduled. I am not opposed to someone else teaching my children, and I do plan on taking advantage of outside classes, co-ops, and tutors as needed. We've taken part in a wonderful co-op or two, we have a fun field trip group, and as the kids show interest in specific extra curricular activities, we'll sign them up as finances allow.
- Shelter ~ This one may have left some of you with your jaws on the floor. Hear me out. I'm about sheltering my children from certain things for as long as I deem necessary. My kids are more sheltered than some and less sheltered than others. I am a strong believer in letting kids be kids. I am a strong believer in protecting them from adult problems, situations, and topics. I am not, however, going to shelter them to the point that they can not function out in the big, bad world as they grow into young adults. My kids will be well aware of how the world works in due time. In the meantime, I'm going to cherish these times with my kids while they are still kids without the unnecessary drama, pitfalls, and predicaments that come with experiencing things too early for their own good. I allow free will when appropriate and I make no apologies for protecting the innocence of my children for as long as possible.
- Fun ~ Believe it or not, most of the time homeschooling is a lot of fun. Sometimes it's a BLAST! I am always finding ways to make learning enjoyable. I want life to be exciting for my kids. We don't have a lot of money, but that doesn't mean we can't have a lot of fun! Because they're home, we're able to have Pinterest Days (doing fun and educational activities we find on Pinterest), slumber parties at Grandpa and Grandma's, play dates during school hours, field trips of our choice, picnic lunches inside and out, student-led classes, an abundance of time as a family, and so much more.
I wouldn't trade this incredible blessing for the world. I will fight for our right to homeschool. My family will continue to live this lifestyle for as long as God allows. I hope and pray He allows us to continue for years to come. I have learned so much about patience, love, sacrifice, and humility through all of this and I get choked up every time I think about just how blessed I am to be living the life God has given me. I have a supportive husband, amazing kids who actually enjoy being around me, and a life full of beautiful memories. I couldn't ask for more.
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