So … along with hundreds of other parents and students, I attended the nearby annual homeschooling conference this weekend.
Take a guess at what this post will be about?
You got it. Homeschooling.
Not only did I come home with a fresh pile of Math books, language curriculum for next year and inspiring ideas in my head, I also came home very much encouraged and renewed. Like most very-pregnant women with lots of children to care for, I reaaaallly didn’t want to take the 1.5 hour drive to the conference, walk around all day on sore, tired feet and spend more money on math.
No, I just wanted to stay home and rest. Maybe read a book or bake some cookies and do a little pregnancy nesting.
But it was so worth it to go.
To be encouraged and renewed and inspired in this wonderful journey of homeschooling.
And it leaves me wondering why don’t more people consider home education as a choice for their family?
If you have ever considered homeschooling – or perhaps you are just not sure of the regular public school system and have questioned the way the system works or does not work – why not actually find out some information about home education?
We started homeschooling when my eldest daughter, now 10 years old, was entering grade one. She looked at me, simply and quietly, and said, “But mommy, why can’t we home school?”
Hmmm. Well, I knew it was something I had always thought about doing, but never thought I could do it on my own. I come from a rather non-traditional educational background myself so throwing my daughter into the public school system was something my husband and I had already agreed we would not do. Instead, we had chosen a small, Christian school for our children instead. Until that morning … when my daughter asked me if I could school her at home.
With a quick prayer and energetic zeal, I said, “Sure! Let’s try this out!”
Needless to say, we’re four years (almost five) into this home-educating thing and I love it.
But please know, I’m not just throwing this out there all covered with sugary-pink icing. No, home educating is not always easy, it’s not always fun and crafts and glue and happy days, but it certainly worth every moment invested into such a lifestyle.
It’s a full time job in many ways {isn’t mothering supposed to be full time anyways?}.
My mind never shuts off, thinking of ways to further our day with art, wonderful living books for reading, math skills and facts, grammar rules and piano scales, figuring out why one daughter is struggling in her work and making sure there’s enough time to hear the new reader make her way through her collection of books, incorporating the sticky, gluey-fingered preschoolers and still finding the energy to teach another little one to memorize her vowels and sound out her words … but it’s WORTH IT.
Oh, mothers, it is SO very much worth it!
The time I have – the time you have! – with my children is short. We are given a small window of ticking time to nurture, love, care, and, perhaps if you are willing, educate our children. Although a seemingly daunting task, I was more than excited to take on the role of educating our daughters. I knew it would be hard (and it is – like anything wonderful!) and tiring but it also means I can invest so much more time into their lives … something that spoke deeply to my own heart.
Just for fun, here’s our Top 10 Reasons we love home educating:
1. We get a day off when daddy is home. Since his schedule is sporadic and he usually works weekends, we work around him and it’s wonderful!
3. Intertwining our faith and values into our learning style.
4. Hot meals at lunch time on cold winter days.
5. Reading our books together by the wood stove with hot chocolate in the winter or … sitting together on a picnic blanket, reading our books outside in the sunshine during the warmer months.
6. Ditching the textbooks and running outside at the first sign of spring to do our nature journals. [Don’t worry – we still finish up the school year – but we do spend so much time outside once the sun starts shining.]
7. Solving math problems with jelly beans.
8. Never having to worry about snow days, no bus days or getting up early to catch a bus or drive the children to school in good or bad weather.
9. Spending the best part of the day – their energetic, waking hours – together as a family.
10. No homework assignments!
11. Knowing home education can truly work – statistics prove it.
Oops, that was 11 – but truly … I could go on … it’s not always easy to home educate. It’s a lifestyle choice, it means sacrificing some ‘down time’ and using it in other ways, it means a messier, noisier house some {most} days and it requires better planning and organization, letting things go and saying no to the busy schedules outside the home that make it impossible to get through all the book work – but it is saying yes to shaping your own character as a mother (what good is a teacher who is impatient?), pulling your family closer together and in turn, perhaps bringing a sense of unity and peace to your home. While we school, I can see where my child struggles – academically and character wise – and help the immediately with their problems. The sisters bond together easier because they are accustomed to sharing, giving and helping. There are so many positive aspects to homeschooling …
Let me encourage you to think about it – to pray about it. To perhaps, give it a go? It’s not for everyone, I understand that … but maybe, just maybe, this upcoming year is the time to start for those who are ready for the adventure to top all adventures!
by Gigi
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