Homeschool

Starting next month, we will begin homeschool preschool. Was this ever in my plan? Absolutely not. Me, a homeschooling mom? Yeah, right! So then, what made me decide that this would be in the best interest for our family? I say me because ultimately, let's face it, I'm the one who had to make the final decision. Incidentally, Morgan has always been a proponent of homeschooling. For about a year, he patiently waited for me to get on board. I have to admit, it took a little while for me to be open to the idea. It wasn't that I was against other people doing it. I was simply against me doing it! When I finally allowed myself to even consider the possibility, I began to gently hear what the Lord would have me consider. The more I researched and the more I prayed, the clearer it became for me. Month by month, my enthusiasm (and fear) grew. Today, I have wholeheartedly embraced the calling the Lord has set before me. In over a year of research, I've come to realize that homeschooling is the best choice for our family.

Here are some questions that we have asked ourselves...

Why not send our kids to a private Christian school where the values and morals are aligned with ours and the class size may be smaller?

Christian preschool in our area costs $6,000-$10,000 per year, per child. Being the value- minded couple that we are, we cannot justify paying someone else that kind of money to do a job that I feel I can do better on my own. Also, just because a child goes to a Christian school, it doesn't mean that we know their family or share the same values. Many parents send their children to Christian schools but they themselves, do not live their lives for the Lord.

What about giving our kids the opportunity to learn social skills and interact with other children?
This is probably the most common argument against homeschooling. Socialization is often learned from peers on the playground. I've been around enough kids now to know that the kind of socialization that's going on out there today is not the kind of thing we want our kids to learn. Fortunately, our girls get plenty of interaction with weekly church programs, social activities, extra-curricular activities, and play dates. Learning so-called "socialization skills" from their peers often leads to re-training and correcting at home.

But aren't we sheltering them from the "real world?"

On the contrary, we feel that we are better preparing them for the real world. They will relate regularly with adults and follow our examples rather than the examples of their peers. They will have plenty of "hands on" experiences and early training. In fact, the only "socialization" or aspect of the "real world" which they miss out on is unhealthy peer pressure, immorality, and unsupervised bad behavior.

Boy, I must be confident in my teaching skills?

I wish! I was an average student that excelled in certain areas that interested me but didn't apply myself in others. I am fully depending on the Lord's guidance, wisdom and patience!

Before considering homeschooling, I'll admit that I found myself thinking about what I would do with my "free time" once the girls started school. Would I get a part-time job? Volunteer somewhere? Take a class? Exercise more? Shop without distractions? Here is the bottom line and what it came down to for me...

I want to do everything in my power to honor the gift and responsibility of being a stay at home mom. It's a tough world out there today and my children need me at this crucial time in their young lives. They are just beginning to learn what it's like to live for the Lord. I don't want to sabotage that by sending them into an unstable environment. Teachers in school do not have an eternal interest in my child's heart and soul like I do. In a sense, I made the commitment and have the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom. The world says that us moms deserve a break and putting our children in socialized schools may give us that break. I am not implying that going back to work or starting a class or hobby is wrong. Nor am I implying that us moms don't need a break. Lord knows that we do! I just know that you can't get back time and no one ever regrets spending too much time with their children, especially at this tender age. Plus, I greatly enjoy seeing the development and growth of my kids on a moment by moment basis. Although a private Christian school is certainly an option in the future, at this time, laying a solid foundation for our children is our top priority.

Am I scared? Lacking confidence? Overwhelmed at the thought of it all? You bet. But you know what? I'm also very excited, thankful, and confident in the Lord and His will for our family. I know that without a doubt I will not be able to do this without His leading and guidance. That alone, gives me the motivation and desire to give it my best. I will inevitably learn to be more fully dependent on the Lord, in all circumstances.

The great bonus in this venture is that I am blessed to have a wonderful support system of godly and trusted girlfriends who have come alongside me. Hailey and Shannon are two of my dearest friends. The 3 of us are combining our efforts to create a co-op program for our children. Our kids are the same age and they know and love each other from church and other activities. However, regardless of Hailey and Shannon's future participation, Morgan and I have come to this decision on our own, for our family. At some point, each family may decide to school on their own, based on individual needs and scheduling desires but for now, it's so reassuring to know that I have trusted support and help.

Along with the academic curriculum, we also plan to incorporate prayer, bible study, arts and crafts, dancing, music, cooking, and exercise. In addition, field trips and service projects are planned once a month. Another great perk is that homeschooling will give us the flexibility to go on family vacations whenever we want to, instead of when everyone else goes. Gotta love that! Today, there are an estimated 2 million homeschoolers and the numbers are rising by as much as 15% each year. Consequently, there are now plenty of resources available both nationally and locally. Everything from organizations, support groups, conferences, magazines, books, blogs, curriculum, and materials.

With that said, many people have asked us, "How long do you plan to homeschool?" We plan to take it one year at a time and see what the Lord would have us do each year. Ideally, I think Morgan and I would love to homeschool until the girls reach high school. Once again, this is just another great example of what the Lord can do to change my heart about something; if only I let Him. I am genuinely excited to get started! The girls are so ready for school. This year will be both interesting and challenging, to say the least.

I know that I'll be spending lots of time in prayer. We are looking forward to what God has in store for our family as a result of homeschooling.

Lastly, I'll share two interesting quotes...

"In not mentioning God, my public school teachers preached a thundering sermon every day. By implication, they taught me that God is not relevant to most areas of life...with every lesson, in every class period, all day, every day for twelve years, I was being taught to think like an atheist in the academic realm. And I didn't even know that I was being indoctrinated."

-Christ Schlect, Scriptural Worldview Thinking

"Clearly there is an appropriate kind of sheltering. When those who are opposed to homeschooling accuse me of sheltering my children, my reply is always, "What are you going to accuse me of next, feeding and clothing them?"
-R.C. Sproul Jr.