Why do you home educate? How did you come to the decision to teach your children at home? Did you prayerfully consider it?
When our daughter Riley was born, I could barely keep my head above water with the whole “new – mom” thing. How do I take care of this little thing? She’s so tiny and all those stinky diapers and anticipating her every need.
When someone told me that this season goes by in a flash and soon hubby and I would need to be making decisions about schooling, I brushed it off.
That’s so far away!
Well it’s coming folks. She’ll be 4 in October. What! How did that happen?
Riley’s personality:
- she thrives on people-interaction
- every day she asks me where we are going
- she tells me that she is excited to go to school one day
But my desire is to home school her! When hubby said he wanted her to go to christian school… I was crushed. I actually started to cry. Don’t get me wrong, I would love some ‘quiet’ in the home, for 1/2 the day. We talked about it and I expressed to him my desire to teach her. We are praying about it…
I keep coercing asking her if she would like Mommy to be her teacher.
No mommy, I want to go to school, she continually insists. Her answer is always the same.
You see, I believe every child is not the same. But I don’t want to base my schooling decisions on personality (hers or mine).
I’m a control freak, people. I’ve come to grips with that. It’s not a good quality. But I also have pure motives in my desire to teach her.
But would I be holding her back? I just don’t know, yet. That’s where prayer and waiting on the Lord comes in. Hubby and I are praying.
What are your thoughts? Are you a home educator? How do you like it? How do your children like it? What curriculum do you use?
Do you send your children to public/christian school? What are some of the benefits you see from not homeschooling.
I went to public school my whole life. I used it as a mission field. It worked for our family. But my mom was always always always a worker at home. Even when I was a teenager, she was always there when I got off the bus. I so appreciate that. I needed her more during those times than even my elementary/middle school years.
I also am not naive to the fact that christian schooling can be just as bad as the public school environment (with regard to moral behavior and the interactions of kids, rebellion of the heart and such).
For hubby and I, and our family, public schooling is still not an option (at this time).
I’ve moved past my once-stereotypical view of home schooled children. You know, the quiet, shy, bonnet-wearing, sheltered type.
I see many thriving and smart children come out of a home schooled environment.
So with each new decision we make as parents, we want the Lord’s perfect will.
Your thoughts? Your advice?
emily says
i am SO glad to have found your blog!! =) i have enjoyed reading some of your older posts, and just came across this one on homeschooling.
my heart and mind are so full when it comes to this topic, so it’s hard for me to narrow my reply. =)
we have an 11 yr old girl, and she went to christian school from k – 3rd grade. we started homeschooling in 4th and are continuing this year (5th grade).
it’s been SUCH A JOY … to spend my days with one of my favorite people on the planet; shaping, discipling, training, teaching. more and more, my hubby and i believe that education is not confined to “school” hours; that ALL of life is learning! my passion is to cultivate a love of Jesus, and knowledge of GOD’s Word, a passion for learning, a connection with serving His people, a knowledge of how to use resources to learn … and so much more. and honestly, the lack of fragmentation in our lives (with going to school, picking up, sports, etc) … leaves so much more SPACE and freedom to teach these things.
i remember how frantic life felt when she was in school, then in competitive gymnastics; i felt like i barely saw my girl! time was passing … quickly … and we needed to slow down and re-evaluate.
this decision is such a good one for our family but, it was made easier by the fact that our daughter actually asked to be homeschooled. wild! at the time, i was working outside the home and we couldn’t fathom how GOD might make it possible for me to stay home, and teach our girl. but He did, and here we are. no looking back! =)
for sure, there are discouraging days … times i question if i am teaching enough … and yet, GOD supplies. and i have an amazing network of homeschool mama friends and our families learn and play together, a lot!
i know that GOD will guide your family … on this amazing journey of parenting and educating our kiddos. =)
blessings!