Thinking about Homeschooling?

Start here for a gentle tip.

When my oldest son was 5, we had a decision to make.

I had taken the tour of the local school, the one that we bought the house for BEFORE we had children. I sat with the principal and told her all of my goals and expectations for my sons future, she was such a good listener and she was able to share many reasons to bring my child to her school.

I interviewed several moms from the school about their experience and listened to them rave about their decision. Most of the raving was about the free time they had while their children were in a safe place. And that they knew the children were getting a “good education.”

None of it seemed like the right “fit” for my family.

I wanted my son to be a kid and learn through play. Sitting at a desk wasn’t something I thought was “necessary” for him to learn.

I wanted my son to explore with freedom and learn with his hands, not only at center time.

I wanted my son to lead his own way, creating interest in learning everything with no limits and boundaries, not only learning to the state standards at his grade level.

So I took a step back. I did a bit of research and found the state standards first grade and I started reading. If my son was going to attend public school, these would be the things he would master in his first 180 days of class.

I was shocked. He was already doing all of this. I could check EVERY single thing off the list. This made me wonder what he would fill his time with if he was already OVER qualified for the position.

Then I remembered the term “busy work”. I NEVER liked the idea of doing something that had no purpose just to be busy. Part of my mission on this earth is to live with intention. There is no space for “busy work” when you are living with purpose.

I shared the state standards with my husband who agreed that our son was already done with first grade. He asked me what I wanted to do. I already had the tug in my heart but I needed to take it a bit further to know for sure.

I searched out the local christian private school. I took the tour, I interviewed the head master and several parents, and I sought out their standards for grade levels.

Again, I was shocked. We were already there. And we didn’t spend a small fortune to make it happen.

The tug was getting bigger.

My husband asked me what I wanted to do, and I made the decision. We were going to be a homeschool family and I was going to be responsible for educating my baby.

I sat at my computer one night, not long after the decision was made and I wrote my own standards for OUR school. I wrote a mission statement that would define how we would move forward and keep moving forward for ever and ever. I named our school and I vowed to God that I would do my best. I asked for His blessing on our journey and I slept so well that night.

The journey has been easy for us. That doesn’t mean that people don’t complain about sitting with me for their studies. That happens every single day. And there are tears, often. The easy part comes when we think about doing it any other way.

I am dedicated to the mission, education that will last a lifetime and open every door. I don’t care if my family looks normal.

I don’t get much free time. I actually don’t get any at all most weeks. My day will come. They will not always need me like this.

I have never questioned our decision to home educate our boys.

Need to see what you are up against, look up the state standards for your state. This is a perfect place to see that you are over qualified to educate your children. Remember, you taught them to potty and walk and talk. If a teacher can meet the standards for 30 children in 180 days, you can do it for your baby.

Don’t underestimate the power of trust and love. EVERYONE learns better when they feel safe and loved.