Homeschooling

Unpopular Opinion…

I’m just going to say it…

Homeschooling my daughters has been my favorite part of being a mom.

Having the opportunity and gift to watch each child grow and develop into their own person with their own set of strengths and weaknesses is like nothing else I have ever experienced.

Currently, of my four daughters, I have two in school, yet. One is a sophomore and the other is in 8th grade.

My other two have graduated. The oldest is in Washington DC for an internship. And our second oldest just graduated this year and is figuring out what her next move is.

The decision to homeschool was a very simple one for Ben and me.

We both were homeschooled all the way through high school. So we felt very comfortable educating our children at home.

For me, school was simply an extension of teaching the girls how to walk. It was literally the next step in the parenting journey.

It has also been the hardest part of parenting. Not so much because of the school aspect. But because it is draining and demanding. Homeschooling will reveal to you all of your weaknesses. And it will require great sacrifice.

But words cannot fully express the joy and satisfaction that comes with knowing I taught my child how to read and how to do math and how to think for themselves.

The number one misnomer about homeschooling is that it has to look like “school”.

It absolutely does not (and in my opinion, should not) need to look like traditional school.

LIFE is the classroom.

Yes. Books are important.

Yes. The subjects are important.

Yes. The discipline of school is important.

However, the most important piece to homeschooling is teaching your child to learn. If they know how to learn, they will be well-prepared for life. If they know how to be self -taught and know how to ask questions and think for themselves, they will be just fine. In fact, I would say they will be better off than fine.

There are so many different approaches to homeschooling.

My husband and I, while both homeschooled, could not have been raised differently. His mom’s approach and my mom’s approach were literally polar opposites.

Ben’s mom is very structured. Everyone follows the same schedule. There is very little deviation.

My mom didn’t do anything with a schedule. Until high school we had a math book, the Bible, and the library. She believed that is all you needed to homeschool your child.

Both approaches worked. Both have raised successful children who have become well-adjusted, functioning members of society.

But, here lies the most freeing, and yet most paralyzing truth about home education.

You can pick and choose whatever works for you.

The only thing that dictates you is what your state requires.

HSLDA is an excellent source for finding requirements on homeschooling in each state.

In following posts I will share experiences from both the perspective of the student and as the parent/teacher.

I will share specifics on how we operate in our homeschool.

Curriculum options.

ADHD/Dyslexia tips.

Schedules and routines.

Our mission in homeschooling our children is this:

To raise them in the Word of God first, followed by teaching them the joy of learning so they can go out into the world prepared to make disciples and to do whatever it is God calls them to do.

What questions do you have about homeschooling?

What is holding you back from taking the plunge?