I will never homeschool.
I should have known better than to ever make a big statement like that. It seems like whenever I do, it nearly always comes back to haunt me. You’d think I would have learned my lesson by now.
It’s not that I was against homeschooling, mind you. It’s just that, well, how can I put this…?
I didn’t think I was the homeschooling “type”. Whatever that means.
But wouldn’t you know it, the Lord kept putting it on my heart and in my path, until I finally gave in. Reluctantly. I guess I’ll try this thing out for a while.
I mean, how hard can it be to homeschool a five-year-old?
In some ways, harder than I thought. But funner (is that considered a real word yet?) than I expected too.
From there we kept going. One year at a time. One child, then two. Then eight.
Alright, so we didn’t really jump to eight – it only seemed that way at times.
Now our five-year-old is a junior in college. Oh, except he’s not five anymore, he’s 20. He’s thriving at school, works hard, and, above all, loves the Lord. And, yes, he was homeschooled.
So for those of you who are like me and wondering – or doubting – if you’re the homeschooling type? Here are some things to consider:
Time. It does take time, but less than you might think. We “formally” school a few hours in the morning. On the good days. The rest of the time we enjoy working, learning and playing together. I’d say more happens in our “off” hours than our sit-down ones.
Relationship. This is what “sold” me on homeschooling. The chance to love and disciple our children all day long. Not always easy, but the investment has been invaluable. I’m grateful for all the relationship-building hours we have together.
Discipline. And, no, I’m not talking about the kids here. I’m talking about my own. Organizing our kids’ education has been a terrific challenge in my life. Making myself do things even when I didn’t feel like it has been good for me. (Yes, that was a confession).
Grace. So I’ve learned some discipline. And I’ve learned grace. My older children even complain a little about it. They say I was way more uptight with them than I am with the younger ones. Truly? That’s a good sign. That means that grace is gaining ground around here. Like hearing that!
Prayer. Um…you wouldn’t be put off if I told you that homeschooling has had a powerful impact on my prayer life, would you? I’ve had to pray about curriculum, classes, squabbles, and schedules. Prayed for wisdom, mercy, patience (!), and spiritual insight. I’d become a downright Prayer Warrior by the time our eldest was filling out college applications.
Growth. I love watching our kids grow. I love seeing the people they’re becoming and the work God is doing in their lives. I love seeing them grow strong – not just on the outside, but on the inside too. I also love being able to grow and learn right alongside them.
So it would seem that I might be the homeschooling type after all. Our kids are learning. Their mom is learning – and about way more than just homeschooling.
Like, never say never, for instance.
Because I’ll be homeschooling again this year.
Wondering about homeschooling? Doubting? Go ahead and ask and I’ll do my best to answer!
In His grace,
(This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.)
Lisa
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Although this was written a while ago, maybe you will see this comment…we live in a very small village of 250 people and in a way are lucky to even have a school considering there are only 65 kids enrolled…they need numbers to keep the school here and it truly is what allows this village to have community and activities as everything revolves around the school….I am in canada and we have a different school system than in the states and our school is a catholic school( we are not catholic but the christian morals are taught in the schools, prayer encouraged, worship, etc…very much like a christian private school would be, but free of charge as its under the education system in our province)….my concern is that even though it is a catholic school, they are required to teach the general curriculum that all schools must teach and will eventually have to teach about certain beliefs that we don’t agree with…I have always wanted to homeschool….until we moved out here and felt extremely isolated from everyone as we were all alone all day, every day and had no one to converse with about anything…we ended up enrolling our son and although the school is amazing and the teachers are wonderful…I still struggle with the curriculum thats coming in the years to come and I truly want that time with my children to teach and guide that I don’t get when they are at school for the day ( I am lucky, they come home at lunch)…I guess I am just looking for advice and encouragement…how do I homeschool and isolate my kids especially when they are so extraverted as are we!
Do you mind me asking what curriculum you use? I’ve been looking at Sonlight. I’m honestly scared – worried I won’t be able to teach them to read, write, etc. What if the kids don’t want to sit down & learn. I have a very wilful 3 year old & am worried I won’t be able to get her to sit still & engage in the lessons.
as we are preparing to start our first year of homeschool, the hard part to settle is the schedule, i havent decided what is the best time for a sitdown lecture, do you happen to have written anything about daily plans? i would love to read and learn from it….
I don’t have my schedule written out, but so many have asked, I think I should probably do that. I usually like to address the “core” subjects first in the morning – generally right after breakfast and chores – and we try to be done with those by noon. We’ll save the afternoons for the electives and other “favorite” subjects like science and literature. Each year in August, I’ll sit down with a daily schedule and start filling in what makes sense with everyone’s classes and needs, so it can vary from year to year.
just like you, i also thought i am a not a homeschooling mom type… a year later of fuming on how i am not getting my money’s worth, we are considering it, our son who’s turning 9 on august has few weeks more to endure conventional school. i am reading, making list, taking down notes on homeschooling which i think will be helpful once we started. i am copying inspirational quotes from joel osteen, which seems to be talking to me, propelling and encouraging me that i can do it!
I should mention Heidi St. John (also known as The Busy Mom) who offers encouragement and other helpful resources too. http://heidistjohn.com/
thank you! i like heidi! already read some of her blog and im loving them!
My mom’s story is similar to yours, except she only homeschooled me. My older sister was already one of those public school kids and mom couldn’t convince her to stay home with mom and little sister 😉 Mom decided to homeschool me in kindergarten thinking “How hard can it be to homeschool a 5 year old?” and she kept saying “One more year”. Twelve years later, I gave a valedictorian speech for my homeschool group’s graduation ceremony. I am now a rising sophomore in college. I tell you, homeschooling prepared me for college in ways that I don’t think public school would have. College is so similar to homeschooling as far as doing the work on your own and pretty much teaching yourself. Granted, I have had to learn a few studying skills and how to actually participate in class discussion (gasp!) but overall I’d say homeschooling prepared me most adequately for college, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I made so many friends, including one special friend who set so many things in motion and because of them I became involved in a wonderful youth group, met my beau, and have met so many wonderful people. So if there is anyone who thinks homeschooling doesn’t change your life for the better, you might want to reconsider your opinion 😉 God bless!
finally hearing a homeschooled individual speak. this makes my determination more solid… thank you…
Thank you Catherine for sharing your encouraging testimony! Always good to hear from someone (other than my own children, of course 🙂 who have been there!
I have been wrestling with this decision. I am a stay at home mom with a soon to be fourth grader and two preschoolers. I don’t even know where to start looking for programs. Do you have suggestions? I love our teachers at our school but my fourth grader knows way too much about adult topics and it worries me. Also I have a 5 year old who just struggles grasping concepts in a group setting. Any suggestions for preschool for a 3 and 5 year old?
You know what might be a good place to start? I’m fairly certain that every state has its own homeschool organization and if you contact them, they should be able to direct you to some good resources – there are so many available these days! As for the preschoolers, I like checking books out at the library and using everyday activities (like cooking, counting, measuring, etc) to learn together. If they’re eager to read and/or write (some are and some aren’t), then I like the Get Ready for the Code books by Nancy Hall. Hope that helps! ~ Lisa
I have a multiple teaching credential and I would love to homeschool my children but no matter the information I bring up to my husband hes not convinced its good for our children. He wants our kids to grow up “normally” I don’t understand how he could feel that a great idea given the common core curriculum here in CA. Any ideas or words of encouragement for me?
In that situation, I would simply pray about it and wait. I’ve seen many people (husbands included 🙂 who have changed their minds over time. So respect your husband’s decision and let God change his heart. Blessings ~ Lisa
try teaching your children during summers or any break, then let your husband see the difference between conventional school and homeschooling… 🙂 i didnt used that to convince my husband, i did it to convince myself homeschool is for us…. during those times i found out that what my son learn in school for a week, i can teach him in 30 minutes, depends on the topic and we have more hours to master each subject… i havent started homeschooling and i can see bright days ahead… it will be full of trial and error but at least i know if my son is learning accordingly or not… i need not guess what he learned at the end of the day….
Thanks Lisa!
Once more an encouraging post! I am ever grateful to our Great God for opening the homeschooling door for us… 8 years ago He allowed us to bring-our-children home to educate…and yes, this mom has also learned so much … I can readily identify with each of the 6 areas you highlighted…but the GRACE one really sank in for me! I also hear time and again how I’m not as uptight with the younger ones; ((they get-away-with a whole lot more than we did- types)) Thanks to you, I’m gonna love hearing that from now on! =) May GRACE abound in our homes as we use the TIME to DISCIPLNE GROW in the Knowledge of the Lord!
PRAYERS to your ministry—-Linda——
Yes, let grace abound in our homes! Thank you, Linda, for your encouraging words as well.
My son just turned 4 and my husband and I have been discussing kindergarten. I would love to homeschool, my husband not so much. My question is – I don’t see us being able to become a one income household in the next year. Do you think we could successfully homeschool without being home full time? Thanks!
It would be a challenge, but I do know a number of families who are having to do just this – juggling homeschooling with two parents working. I know it helps if you have a flexible work schedule and two parents committed to it. I know of other situations where other family members help out too – like grandparents or siblings. Personally, I think it’s well worth it even if it’s not easy.
I was homeschooled from the time my mom started teaching me to read when I was four until I graduated high school. There was a time when both of my parents were working, and we still homeschooled; they were able to arrange their schedules so they worked opposite hours. It worked for us!
I’m currently also in the I-want-to-homeschool-but-haven’t-convinced-my-man boat – we don’t have kids yet, so there’s still time, but my fiance is convinced that sending kids to public school is the best way to be a witness in our small, mostly Mormon, community. I’ve hardly ever imagined life any other way besides homeschooling my kids until he started expressing his concerns on the subject.
You never know, he might change his mind in time, Christi. (And see my above comment to Jacqueline 🙂
And congratulations on your engagement! ~ Lisa
I have a 3 1/2 year old and have been thinking about homeschooling. Thanks for these reasons of why I should do it. I’m still undecided but it’s always great to hear others experience! What would you suggest using as curriculum and when would you suggest starting?
Good questions! I like to start homeschooling slowly….adding little bits and pieces as we go along. I focus first on the fundamentals – learning to enjoy reading and having fun doing math. I’ve found those basics – mostly loving to learn – is the important part and then the rest falls into place rather nicely. I don’t use one particular curriculum, but have over time picked out what works best for ME and my child. If you can? I’d recommend attending a homeschool conference at least once. I liked being able to walk through the vending tables and browse through the books and materials for myself to see if it looked like something that would suit our family.
When our children are somewhere between 4 and 6, I’ll start them on a light schedule for school, just to cement the routine. After breakfast and chores, we’ll sit down together and read, maybe do a worksheet or two (depending on the child’s interest), and a math concept. This time might run anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour at the most. Then we’re done with the formal part of our schooling! The rest of the day I try to weave in the natural lessons that come with daily life: measuring for recipes, counting the pennies in the penny jar, studying the worm in the garden, etc. Obviously, as the kids got older, the routine was extended and we added other subjects as well, but that foundation was set in place when they were young.
Hope this helps! ~ Lisa
Thank you!
Hi Sarah ! We homeschooled for K4… My daughter was so eager to learn and we had such fun. We read many of the “Five in a Row” (FIAR) books and had a grand time together. She wanted to go to school for K5 and did and has been happy at school since then. We still do a lot of learning together at home… For fun! So I guess my message is you don’t have to make a decision for ever and ever.
I swore I’d never homeschool but, like you, it kept coming to my mind, my heart and I warmed up to the idea but still wasn’t sure. My husband took longer to warm up to it. But we are currently homeschooling our preschooler out of necessity. Necessity being, “But Mom, I just want to learn!” 🙂 Even though she was enrolled in a preschool, the two afternoons a week just weren’t enough for her. Then some other things happened that made me really uncomfortable with her being in that preschool and we decided to start homeschooling! My daughter and I generally butt heads a lot – she’s a lot like me and knows exactly which buttons to push. But we bond so well when I am teaching her! No, it’s not always easy, she’s not always cooperative, but it is usually the best times of our day. And I’m learning to take advantage of teachable moments in the other activities of our day, making those so much more enjoyable as well! 🙂
I liked what you said about grabbing the “teachable moments” in the day! That’s one of the best – and most effective – ways. I’m always amazed at how much our kids pick up and learn, if I’ll just take a moment to explain or teach as the need arises.
So true! 🙂
I never thought I would homeschool either. In fact, I went to college and got a degree so I could teach in a public school. But, I was at home with my kiddos after a very difficult second pregnancy, and my eldest was ready to learn to read. So, we started doing a little “school at home” and it just never stopped. This will be my seventy year of homeschooling, but my first year with all three kiddos having their own schoolwork. I love that we never stop learning, and that I am learning right there with them. Those six things you mentioned above…I’ve experience them, too, and it has been such a blessing. Thanks for sharing this! I’m going to send it to my younger friends who are on the fence about this whole homeschooling adventure!
I appreciate hearing that this has been your experience as well! It’s definitely a learning experience – for ALL, isn’t it. 🙂 Blessings on your adventure together! ~ Lisa