Homeschooling, I have considered to be my job, my career, for the betterment of my children and our family as a whole. I didn't always embrace it. In fact, when I first heard about homeschooling Tyler was only 6 months old and I thought the lady who spoke about it was strange and a little crazy to do it. I sort of snickered at the idea and even told Jay about, thinking it was weird. Should have learned my big lesson in life then, to never say or even think, "I would never do that!"
The 2nd time I heard about it Tyler was 2, when a family member began homeschooling her daughter. I respected this person and her family, so therefore I began to desire to learn more about it. It was also a time in my life when I began to realize I was not going to have a "career" outside of the home for many years, as I was pregnant with baby # 2 (my soon to be Makenna). While I did work part-time for extra money, around Jay's shift work, I wanted mainly to be there for my children in their primary years of growing up. I had also at that time, fully surrendered my life to the Lord, which began my understanding of what a Godly mother and wife was meant to look like in my life. So through the guidance of the family member, the Lord's opening my heart up to the idea, Jay's enthusiasm about the idea and some good books on homeschooling (I got every one that the library had at the time) I filled up my thoughts with what it might look like to homeschool. God planted a seed that grew quickly, into great excitement and anticipation for the time when we could do "real school" with our children.
Originally, I had the idea that we would only homeschool the first year or two. This would give Tyler a good foundation, more time in character development, and more time in the protection of our home. That was around the time when school shootings were beginning to be a reality, along with drugs and of course the "old-fashioned" bullying that seems to flourish in school environments. We figured we would then send him to a private Christian school, "since they had been trained in teaching and would do a better job".
However, as I began to learn more about homeschooling, I began to see that even though I hadn't been "trained" to be a "teacher" by the universities, I was very educated in my own child and his needs for education. I also realized that I was a quick learner and could teach myself how to help my child to read, write, and really almost anything and could find lots of help if needed. As my faith in the Lord grew by leaps and bounds at that time, Jay and I knew it was our biblical responsibility to make God and His Word the primary foundation for our children's education. We also knew that would not be possible in the public schools and might be skewed to our beliefs even in private schools. We also wanted to keep a strong connection with our children's hearts. With Jay's constant changing shift work with the military, we felt that keeping them home near us as much as possible would help us facilitate that.
Our official schooling started with Tyler when he was 4 years old. In fact, I was so excited to start teaching him to read that we spent a ridiculous amount on some "educational" materials that a salesman sold to us at our door. I think we spent over $300 on these ABC books and "curriculum", even going into debt for it, as we didn't have $300 cash to spend back then. (We still have the books but the curriculum was a joke and really not user friendly, so that went to Goodwill years ago.)
Thus, our journey of home educating continued and grew in size, knowledge, ability, and perseverance. The Lord challenged us in many ways, especially me as the main educator, to exhibit more of the Fruit of the Spirit. I hear many moms say to me, "I could never have the patience to homeschool my kids. You must be very organized and patient to do so." Well, I believe that we are supposed to let the Lord work on our character even as adults. I had to practice these things, learn these things and still am learning. What is more worthy then to begin having more patience, gentleness, kindness, self-control etc. by being with our children and being their main teachers! I don't think we can realistically give that excuse to the Lord as a reason to NOT homeschool. How unfair to say that to our children?
It has now been 17 years, 8 children, 2 graduates...I give ALL the glory to God above. I am so not capable of doing anything right even with all the "right" head knowledge, curriculum, perfect schedules, obedient times from the children, health, rested bodies, money, cleanliness, organization. Without Him the driving force in me, showing Grace to my family day in and day out, it is just my flesh doing those things. I am so thankful that in spite of my flesh, my ignorance and learning curve getting in the way, my children are so patient and forgiving toward me and my Lord is so merciful and gracious, as He keeps working in me. Then to top it all of, He turned out some pretty amazing kids from my home. Yes, He still could have done it even if we sent our children to public school. Yes, he could have done even if we lived in the poorest place of the world and they had no schooling. But I am forever grateful that He used our homeschool for His glory and I had the privilege of experiencing my growing Faith through homeschooling. He knows what is best.
The last year or so, things have been quite busy at our house. We started the road of adoption and wow what new joys and blessings have come our way from it. Our children have such a heart for orphans and the vulnerable. They have such a love and compassion for the millions of children without a Mommy and/or Daddy. I trust that God will grow them up to be even bigger and stronger advocates than I have been. I can't wait to see what He does through them.
With Asher in our lives, we have weekly speech and occupational therapy. We also have a big focus on bonding and attachment, that we spend a lot of time on. Then there is his medical needs. He is doing so well and he is so well adjusted. I am so thankful for the way God answered those prayers. Soon (about 10-12 weeks from now) we will bringing, two more children who will have the same sort of needs as Asher. We are so excited for this grand adventure the Lord has brought us to, to be expanded and even a little "crazy". He has called us to it and we will do all things through Christ, who strengthens us! (Philipians 4:13)
Because of the extra demands on me as a Mommy, the last year our children have been doing much of their school on their own. I just don't have enough hours in my day to be there instructing them or guiding them. It has been "okay" as they have learned to be independent and still get "most" of their schooling done. But it has been boring, and they have been having gaps in their education. We haven't gone on field trips, done fun art projects or unit studies and we have barely heard Mommy read a story to the whole family, like we have always done. The only thing we had been diligent in was our Family Morning Bible time, which I love and it should be the priority. But the rest of school has been pretty luke warm. We have had seasons in our lives where this occurred before (with early pregnancies, births, sicknesses, moves etc.) but they were short seasons by a matter of weeks or a couple of months most. This latest "season" has been for a year and will likely go on for another year or two with the addition of Elliana and Isaiah. With all that before us, I have been praying for the Lord to provide some sort of help for our schooling. We had seriously been considering hiring tutors for our kids for the next coming year. I am coming to a place that while I am definitely capable of continuing to homeschool through this season, I know it could be done better if I were to have some help. I am only one person and there are many little people in my life (and big people) who need my full attention.
Interestingly enough though, our church is starting a pilot program of a "tutoring school" you could call it. So we attended the meeting and the description was just what we were looking for, besides not being in our own home. So after much prayer, we decided to put the children in this Preparatory Academy. It is only 4 hours a day, using homeschool curriculum, with small ratio of students and teachers (in fact only about 20 students), parents and teachers in close communication, parents having much say in what children are expected to do, high discipleship focus, Gospel focus throughout the whole day, peer dependency discouraged and managed, and more! It really did seem an answer to our prayers, even though it wasn't what we "thought" it would look like. It just might be even better.
The kids began attending about 6 weeks ago. There have been adjustments, like my house not being as clean as I like it to be each morning, as we have to be in the car by 8:00 most days. And the cost of gasoline as we drive 2 times a day 20 minutes each way. And the younger two kids not having bigger siblings around all day, but their relationship has really grown in a positive way. And some of the kids coming home really tired. And wearing school uniforms and making school lunches. And scheduling appointments around school hours now. And not being able to sleep in. And feeling like I am always on the go And Mommy, having the opportunity to do some extra special time and schooling with Lenea and Asher It has been busy but it has gotten easier through the last few weeks and the children are really flourishing. The curriculum isn't too exciting, but it gets the job done. The teachers are amazing though and besides the book curriculum they make things fun with character teaching, bible study, prayer time, singing songs, learning about Christian Saints from History and having organized game time every day! Even more importantly, they love our children so much, praying for them, discipling them, correcting them in love, pouring their lives and hearts into them, and genuinely wanting them each to succeed, but mostly to grow in a deep relationship with Jesus. And they have. They are being challenged in ways that are also challenging me. They will be attending 3 semesters this year. Their first break will be the middle of May to the middle of June. This has been a big reason why we so are praying for our travel time to China to be at that time. They will have a 12 week semester this summer then a fall break and then another fall semester and so on.
I do pray that some day I will have the opportunity to homeschool my kids again. Maybe I will just have to work it into our afternoons when they are home from "school". Because they get off at 1, we do still have several hours. For now, though I am learning to still catch up and put little ones down for nap at that time. When Makenna is graduated this May, she will be such a big help in driving and picking up the children from school though, which will give me more hours in my day at home. She can also help with meals and cleaning. She is looking forward to her time of becoming my "Nanny" this summer and learning how to manage the shopping and cooking. So, we will be on another learning curve through that season of change. I am excited to see that flourish with our new babies home.
I thank God for this opportunity. It truly is one of the only types of schools that we were comfortable with sending our children to. It is like homeschooling away from home, with other women tutoring them. I am not sure how long we will do this. I am not sure if some of my children will do it until graduation and some come home again full-time. But I trust God, who knows what is best for our family. I did have a little grieving in my heart when I surrendered this to God. This has been my identity for so long, "Homeschooling Mom".. now I am not so sure what that looks like. But I am not here to please man, but to bring my children up in the way THEY should go, in the Lord. I want them to know Christ first. This opportunity is what they need today, for where our family is at. I still have a lot of time with them in the day and evening to be connected and I am more able to get done the appointments, therapies, preschool teaching and toddler training that I am so deep in the middle of, called by God. It is not a failure to have help for the rearing of our children. It is me learning that I don't have to do it all, to be called a Homeschooling Mom!
Lenea and Asher watching me drive the kids to school on their first week. Makenna was off that day so she stayed to help with the littles for me.
With two of their teachers, Rachel and Ruthann, sweet, dedicated ladies. Their campus happens to also be located on a little piece of heaven.
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