You might remember my post, Are Homeschool Moms Just Control Freaks?
In it I confessed my desire to home educate my children. I also shared the pros and cons of public and private education.
When I found out that my wonderful husband did not share my same passion for homeschooling our children, I was crushed! But then, we discussed that we would pray about it.
Ahhhh yes, Lord, please change Tim’s heart. I’ve prayed this for 3 months now. Guess what? Did you know that the Lord has a sense of humor? Oh yes He does. In just the past couple days, God has done a complete 180 turn of MY HEART! I am at total peace about actually sending our daughter to either Private or Public school next year. Homeschooling is indeed, OUT, for next Fall! (Lord willing).
I cannot explain it, but you’ve been there… Where the Lord speaks to you through His Word, and the Holy Spirit confirms things. He showed me that this was the path He had for our family at this time. He released me from my fears, my anxieties, my worries about what other “home-educated-moms” would think of me. He showed me these things:
- I love your Riley more than even you do.
- I have a plan for her life.
- You will still be a wonderful Mommy, even if you send her to school.
- You will still be in my will.
- You can STILL be her teacher, her number one cheerleader, her everything, even if she goes to school!
I’m actually excited about it! I so had MY HEAD wrapped around home schooling, that I’d never given the other 2 options much thought. I was convinced, that I had the desire to teach her, so I must need to home educate, right? No.
I will still be her teacher as I lovingly come along side her as she does her homework.
I will still be her teacher when I discipline and correct her.
I will still be her teacher when we discuss real-life events that occur at school.
I will still be her teacher when I pray, and instill God’s Word in her heart, daily.
It’s been totally eye-opening people! Do I still think home-educating her might be an option for the future? Oh yes. But not now. It’s not in God’s plan for our family and it’s okay!
So dear friend, please know that after you have prayed about it as a family, and move forward with the decision God has given you, you will be in His perfect will as you are obedient to Him!
We are not all cookie-cutter Christians. We are not all cookie-cutter families, either.
What are your thoughts? Have you been wrestling and wrestling, wondering what you should do for your children?
Put the guilt-trips aside, and trust the Lord. He will show you. He will guide you. He will tell you. He will give you a perfect peace!
I love being their Mommy… a great and high calling to raise them up in the Lord!
Thanks for visiting!
Gina Lind says
I’m so glad you found a peace with your decision!
Heather says
Wonderful post, Traci! I love how your share your heart with us!
I know of some amazing kids that went to public school and they are absolutely wonderful young Christian men and women. Being a Christian does not = home school or private Christian school.
Even though I still plan on home schooling my Brad I have no qualms at all with any of the mommies and daddies around me that choose to send their kids to school. Every family is different and as long as we’re all raising our kids with good morals and to love the Lord and follow Him we are doing the right thing by them.
Jessica says
I was actually thinking of writing a post about why we send our children to public school. I did all three growing up: public, private and homeschool. I understand the pros and cons of both.
It is difficult to not have the mom-guilt when so many bloggers homeschool, but it’s a choice we make as a family, husband and wife. It’s amazing to me how many times I start to pray and God changes my heart instead.
Blessings on your decision.
Annesta says
God bless you, Traci!
It is indeed a hard decision to come to but one that you and your hubby have prayed about and sought God’s will. God definitely has a place for Christians to enter the public or even the private school world and bring His Kingdom on earth by being HIS disciples to all those we meet on a daily basis. I feel certain that even today you have begun to pray not only for her teachers but also for her classmates and their families.
God will use you in a mighty way.
Thank you for sharing this post.
Grace and peace to you
~a
The Fussell Family says
Traci, I learned a long time time ago to “never say never.” I was “never” going to homeschool, and now I do. I was “never” going to go back to the working world, and now I do. You are totally right when you say that we are not all cookie-cutter Christians. The only thing that matters is that you are doing what God has called you to do for your family. People ask me all the time where I see myself and our family in 5 years. All I know is that we will be loving and serving God. I don’t know where that is or what that looks like. But He does. And that’s what counts. Praying for you and your precious family.
Claudia Jabieski says
I still haven’t decided. Amaris told us tonight that she feels homesick and upset about school. She never did well away from home. I know that God has put it on her heart to be a homebody. I believe she will marry young, and be a stay-at-home mama. I have been looking at school as “all or nothing” . Either I homeschool all 3, or I send all 3… I’m now wondering if Gpd wants us to send Dara to Christian school, and homeschool Amaris. Thought I had it all figured out, but no. We handed in our homeschooling paperwork, actually homeschooled for 2 weeks,then we changed our minds and registered the kids for school days before it started, and now we’re thinking of pulling Amaris out a week after she’s been in school. We do this EVERY YEAR. They have to think we’re psychotic. UGH
LaVonne says
I have a post in my queue that will publish tomorrow about Homeschooling my Princess for Pre-School. I am excited. I love your post though about your family decision. It was honest and real. I will keep homeschooling my daughter but one day I do have a desire for her to go to Private Christian school. Maybe 5th grade. For now we will homeschool her.
Blessings!
Wandering On Purpose says
Thanks for sharing this. Our little guy is just 15 months, but my husband and I have had many long discussions about this. (He did private and public school growing up, I did public and homeschooling, and I was a public school teacher). It’s good to be reminded that God will lead our families for what is best for each of us at every season of our lives – and that doesn’t always look the same – even within the same family! Bless you!
Home's Where My Heart Is says
Great post! I’ve wrestled with this topic a great deal. My husband feels that our kids should remain in public school. I have wanted to pull them out before when things have gone wrong or when the fear of “what if” sets in for me. Once I learned to embrace the notion that you have so eloquently pointed out, that I am their teacher when “……”. Once this clicked for me I felt peace and freedom.
I have decided to just lift their education up to the Lord and I trust that He will let us know where He wants them.
Thanks for sharing your heart on this topic.
Chrissy says
That last picture? You both have such amazing eyes!
Karen says
I am also glad you found peace with your decision. God is so good and always works out the details for us. Love it! I’ve also learned that you never say “never”. I have 3 girls that are 26, 17 and 2. I can honestly say that I have had good and bad experiences in homeschooling, public and private schools. We’ve used all three at different times. With my experiences the personality of each daughter determined where they flourished. I now have that decision to make again in a couple of years. Homeschooling may win only because my “little Napoleon” may just overrun a school. Ha! Just kidding! Blessings! PS you have the most beautiful blue eyes ever…….
Missy says
This is something I hugely struggled with. I had always envisioned myself homeschooling my children. Always.
But then Jayden was diagnosed with autism and I realized that he may need more then just I to help him.
I kept dragging my feet and my husband kept insisting that it was the year for Jayden to be in public school. It was 2 weeks before school should start. I asked my husband to pray fervently about it for 3 days and if he still felt that was where God was leading, then I would register Jayden, no more questions asked. He prayed and God led us to public school.
Once the decision was made, I was completely at peace. I did not cry when he went to school because I knew it was where God wanted him. It also turns out that the principal of his school has 21 years of special ed. experience and the leading “expert” on autism in our school district is the psychologist at his school.
It is amazing how God sometimes changes our hearts and the direction of the journey we are on.
Lollie says
All pros and cons aside….You must always follow the Lord’s leading in all decisions! I’m so glad that you are choosing to follow how He leads you and your Husband. How blessed your babies are! 🙂
Angela says
Great post. I homeschooled my kids for a few years and then had to put them in public school because I was going back to work. I had a lot of fears about how they would adjust. But they’ve done amazingly well and are thriving.
Last year, I was very worried about my son going into middle school. There were some tough adjustments and challenges he faced in 6th grade. But I was blown away by how God came through for him and how much he grew through all of it.
It’s true that we can completely trust God with our kids. He is able to make even the hardest things turn out for their good.
I know your daughter will have a wonderful year. 🙂
GrammieTami says
PEACE is an awesome feeling isn’t it?
Love you honey!
Donna says
I am a public school teacher who has many friends who home school and I have myself sent my children to both private and public school. I have often prayed for the parents of my students and told them that they should seek God’s will for their family. I know families who homeschool one and send another to public school. God knows what is best for you and your child. Trust Him. I have no doubt that you and your sweet child will make a difference in the classroom they are in….and in turn you will make a difference in the world.
anotherbattlewon.blogspot.com
DebC says
Beautiful, beautiful photos.
jenmom says
It is amazing that you post this at this time! This very subject has been the topic of some heated discussion in our home between my husband and I. I would love to homeschool my four year old and our 18 month old in the future of course. I am doing some pre-school curriculum with my four year old this year (using many of the things you showed in your post $20 and Target btw).
My husband is somewhat supportive, but is concerned about the fact that I need to be able to do some part time work from home to help with our finances. He is more thinking we would need to send our son to Kindergarten next Fall so that I would be able to do that.
My heart too aches a little about all this.
We do have a 12 year old in public school, and she has done well for the most part. There have been several issues over the past 6 years of her public education that we have had to address with the system, but the key has been that we are parents that have been very visible at her schools. That is important if your kids are in public schools!
I know this is already long, but I have to share something our Cecily was able to do when she was in Kindergarten. She attended a Charter School. The classes were small and she had a teacher who was a Christian. At Easter time that year, Cecily’s Sunday School teacher did Salvation Eggs with them. They were large plastic eggs with articles of the crucifixtion and resurrection in them. The teacher encouraged the children to share their eggs with someone and tell them about what Jesus has done for our sins.
Cecily wanted to share hers with her class at school. My husband talked with her teacher and the teacher was completely supportive of Cecily doing so.
So at the age of 5 my daughter stood before her peers in a public school classroom and shared the gospel!
Kristine says
This is a great post and my favorite part is when you said to ‘get over the guilt trips and trust the Lord’. Amen sister! Every family is not the same and each one has to make decisions that are right for them. I’m glad you have peace in your decision. 🙂
Amy says
Trac, I love that you are following your Father, and not what people want you to do, or what you “should” do or what might equal a good mom/good Christian/Godly woman/etc… You are right where He wants you to be, gf! And what you said is dead on… He is your children’s God, He loves them just as much and more then you, He is leading them just as He is leading you… I TOTALLY get it…totally get that peace you are talking about! Love you!
La Familia Garcia says
That is wonderful. We’ve recently been at a similar place. We’ve always sent our kids to a WONDERFUL Christian school and recently have felt convicted. I’ve had to work full-time out of the home in order to barely make ends meet. The home is no longer the primarily place of learning. We are depending too heavily on school and church. Soooo…we are back on our knees to God about it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts too! I admit I’m scared to send them to public school, but God loves them more than I do!
Valerie @ Frugal Family Fun Blog says
This is a BIG decision, and it ‘s great to see your family is at peace. The kids are adorable!!! xoxo
trooppetrie says
love these pictures, I can not wait to find leaves to take pictures in. We have 15 trees in our yard but they are all pine trees
Rachel @ The Cupcake Sprinkles In Life says
Glad you have peace about it…
Kat says
I wrestled with the same decision years ago, we couldn’t afford private, so it was home or public. And I always thought I would be the homeschool mom, then I had my first daughter. And she is a perfectionist, and learning new skills like writing brought us both to tears of frustration. I realized quickly that she needed a trained teacher, with whom she couldn’t get all co-dependant with to learn the basic skills of reading and writing. And now she is in thrid grade at public school, and even though I have moments of wanting her “back” I realized that she and I BOTH needed this. And public school has been great, she has even been blessed with Christian teachers for the last 3 years, and if that’s not a sign of God’s hand on her, in public school, I don’t know what is.
Ashley DeLen says
Traci,
Hello! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog from Aspire :O) And thank you for following my blog!!
I was just looking thru your blog and quickly reading and read this post. I’m so thankful I read it!! It is so important to follow God in homeschooling and out of homeschooling.
Anywho… very nice to meet you!