Have you considered homeschooling your kids?Our journey with homeschool started 4 years ago. I have my Masters in Education and taught in the public school classroom for several years before having children and staying home. When my oldest child was in third grade I started to see a change in her demeanor and work ethic. She had abruptly stopped reading good literature for fun, we were having struggles in the evening with homework, and she learned to comply in the classroom by saying that she “understood”. I was noticing that my patience and my joy for her was strained daily as I rushed her onto the bus in the morning and we had few hours together in the evening. It was then that I started to consider homeschool for our kids.
”he needs to be outside! This kid just loves Nature!”
When my second child started attending a private kindergarten at a church I started to consider homeschool and more of the possibilities for our family! This child loves the outdoors and being in nature! He was on a shortened school day, but I wanted him to be able to be outside more exploring and learning through play. His teacher even told me one day, “He needs to be outside! This kid just loves nature!” The Lord was calling me to obedience and empowering me each day in my convictions. I would see my kids wake in the morning and be naturally drawn to the playroom table to create. I would see them interacting together and realized the time my oldest daughter missed with her siblings during the day.
One of my favorite books I read in the beginning was They’re YOUR Kids, by Sam Sorbo. That book was a wake up call! I had fallen into the trap of thinking my kids were better off away from me all day and that even though I had a Masters in Education someone else could do it better! It’s so easy to believe the lies and fear. It’s also easy to be complacent when your following the expectations of the world, but God has very specific plans for each family and each child. We have to be willing to listen and be obedient.
Four years ago I took a risk and jumped into the world of homeschooling
That first year we joined a Coop and we tried a wide variety of curriculum. I read all the Charlotte Mason books and material. We loved our time together and I was finding joy for each of my kids. I was learning more about their unique learning styles and personalities. It felt like relief seeing my kids play and learn together; and I got to witness their success and watch them support each other. If I learned anything that year it was that homeschool wasn’t about the curriculum and the learning; it was about the time we spent together. It’s about relationship.
I wanted to address some questions that I receive daily and my response based on our personal homeschool journey. I think so many have questions with good intentions and curiosity, so here’s a few that we hear daily…
Do you get tired of being around your kids all day?
don’t you want a break?
We have a UPS man who approached our porch one day and asked my 13 year old daughter why she was always home. She told him that she was homeschooled and then he genuinely asked me if I wanted a break during the day. This question gets asked almost daily in front of my kids. I want people to know that we have days that we get frustrated with each other, we spend a lot of time apologizing, and we need a break, but we have a strong relationship and bond because of the time we spend together. We choose to fight for each other. When you spend your day together you can’t dodge the apology, or the bad attitude, or the lack of work ethic. The fruit outweighs the challenges.
Do you miss your alone time?
There was a season of my life when I couldn’t wait to drop my kids at preschool or the bus. I would walk around Target and grocery shop and after getting through the trenches of little people in diapers and sleepless nights it felt good to have some peace and quiet in my day. Do I regret those times alone? No! Although, I have a different perspective today! I have more of an appreciation for the trenches. The trenches are convicting and beautiful and full of work! The work has brought me such joy and appreciation for these souls I’ve been entrusted to love and nurture. I missed that back in the day. I was blinded by the call of the world to keep doing what I thought was expected.
Do your kids have any friends?
Yes, my kids have friends; they have siblings who are their best friends, they have Coop friends, sports team friends, neighborhood friends, and church friends. The list goes on, but you know what other friends they have? They have a ton of friends of all ages in our community! Since we do life together my kids go a lot of places during the day. They know just about everyone at the grocery stores we attend, the library, the post office, restaurants, and again the list goes on. It’s not uncommon for my kids to be given a compliment on how well they converse with adults and are independent and well-mannered. So, they might be weird, but they are also great communicators with all ages and socially mature!
That brings me to the next one! Are homeschoolers weird?
Years ago if you had used that word to describe my kids I would have been offended! Today, we sport HydroFlasks that say, “Keep Homeschool Weird!” You see weird is classified as different and by society’s standard nobody wants to be different! It’s unconventional to think of learning happening through play, or nature, or in just being a kid. I want my kids to daydream in the sun and stay wild in their childhood. Therefore, they will be emotionally grounded adults with minds capable of so much possibility! Weird is a rare calling. One of my favorite books I recently read is The Call of the Wild + Free and I highly recommend it if your considering homeschool.
How long does it take your kids to do school each day?
In the beginning I knew the cram it all in approach was not what I wanted for my kids, I wanted more margin in their life with family, school, chores, and sports. I’ve taught my kids to take responsibility in their choices with learning, chores, and activities. If they want to get up extremely early to get their work and chores done and spend the rest of the day outside; great! Or, maybe they are having a slower morning and need more time. Regardless, they are responsible for their work and expectations in the home. Chores are an integral part of our homeschool. I want each of my kids to know they are a valued member of the home and that we are each accountable. Also, I’m a firm believer that chores increases their awareness of the values of our family and their contribution!
In my opinion, the best learning is found in real life! Learning is always happening!
Over the past two years I’ve seen a shift in our home. My why in homeschooling has changed greatly over the years. We spend less time focused on curriculum and academics, more time outside in nature at our Forest School, and a lot less time worried that we aren’t doing it all! We do life together. Are you considering homeschool for your kids? Let me know!
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