Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine home schooling. By the worlds standards I was “not qualified.” I didn’t really WANT to do it either. Now, as graduation approaches, I can say with confidence that these past fifteen years of home schooling was the best decision we could have made for her. They were right, I wasn’t qualified. However, as her parents, we made sure that she received the best education she could have possibly received, that was customized just for her.
I’ll never forget the flak we received from family and friends when we told them we would be home schooling our three youngest. “Are you a certified teacher?”, “Do you really think you’re qualified?”, “What about socialization?” All of those statements created fear and doubt in my mind, and I didn’t have all the answers. All I knew is that I felt a call from God that this is what I was supposed to be doing for my children. There were many reasons for our decision (maybe I’ll share in another blog), but our decision did not come without skepticism. I questioned myself, I questioned God, I questioned the strong feelings, and I questioned my fears. – Who could love my child more than I do, to want what’s best for her? Who would give up their own life for my child, if need be? Who better could protect and provide for my child’s needs more than her family? If I love my child, I knew we could give her the absolute best.
Q: “How would you teach her all of the different subjects?”
A: Think back to your own education. How much do you really remember from grade school? How much do you remember from high school? Do you seriously believe that your teachers knew all of the answers, or did they simply know where to find the answers? Did your History teacher know everything there was to know in History? I remember my own education (or lack of it) and felt like I had fallen through the cracks. Sure I graduated an “average” student, but I will never forget how much more I learned once I was OUT of school. How much of what we are forced to learn, along with hundreds of others, really applies to our personal purpose and call in life? Through homeschooling we were able to customize their schooling, according to their own personal and individual strengths, weaknesses, gifts and talents. Home schooling was a blessing for our entire family; and we were able to learn many things right along-side of our children.
Q: “What about Socialization? How will they get along out in the “real world”?
A: That’s easy to answer now, if you know my daughters. However looking back, when they were young, I had to dispel these fears. I had to ask myself a few questions: Where in “real life” do you ever experience all the same age people, together all day? On the job, do we separate employees by age? Think of your neighborhoods, do we segregate all the thirty year olds on one street, and fifty year olds on another? I knew that I would be giving her more “real world” experiences than she could acquire inside the four walls of a school room, with peers all her own age. We made it a point, throughout the home school years, to involve our children in community and social activities. We sought out opportunities for our children to be involved in civic, community, nursing homes, home school groups, church, and social activities, that included generational learning; and through those experiences our children have blossomed.
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against public education, in fact I’ll be the first to say that home schooling is not for everyone. I could have never done it without the strength I found in God, and the perseverance He’s taught me, and the trust I’ve gained in Him.
I’m sure I’ll have more to say about this topic in future blogs. Today I just want to reminisce the wonderful years I was allowed in training and raising my own children. The laughter, love and joy we shared as we learned, and experienced life TOGETHER. As one daughter graduates high school, and moves on to college, another completes her freshman year, and another entering the junior high years, I thank God for the provisions He provided for us to train, shape and mold, our own children into the beautiful young women they are today.
