to be or not to be a homeschooling mom...that is the question.

I am not going to tell you to homeschool your kids. I've been at it for 23 years. I wouldn't change a thing. 

The reason I homeschool is because when an opportunity is presented, I take that into great consideration since I believe God leads and guides me. My church truly pioneered something in the mid-eighties that was practically unheard of. We had educators in our congregation who had the knowledge and expertise to launch such an endeavor. I appreciated their desire to build a relationship with the school districts through respecting their authority and at the same time, establishing our own courage and fortitude to live with our convictions. 

Secondly, Deuteronomy 11:

So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of Mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.

It was these scriptures that inspired me. It speaks of a lifestyle that homeschooling would have provided. I had the privilege of having my children home with me. I would be the influence in their lives. I wouldn't have to compete with 7 hours of public education influence that did not speak of the Lord in any way, shape or form.

I had always been one not to make a public school family feel uncomfortable by their choice. I think it is wrong to involve ourselves with the decisions of a father or mother. We accomplish nothing by judging another's decision. Unity should be guarded at all cost. 

Homeschooling is a huge undertaking. Yet, it's interesting to me how naturally a mother can teach her children. We teach our children from the time they are born. Education isn't beyond our ability. It is true that we live in a different world than 200 years ago but the resources available today make it attainable. 

And no one is going to care more about your child than you.

A mom is willing to give some of her slower learners the time they need, recognize their learning style, and the endless opportunities of teaching the value of work and loving your neighbor!

And yes, there have been the days of complete frustration (them and me), tears, yelling (how many times do I have to tell you?). But then there are the days when they read their first word or they recite the states and capitals or make a model of the solar system.

I've taught school while laying on the couch with morning sickness, I've had years when we finished our books and years when we didn't. There have been times of vacations that brought us to Fort Sumter and Jamestown, and years when we couldn't go further than our back yard (but there's lots of interesting things lurking in the backyard, too!)

Don't be afraid of homeschool. You are your kid's best teacher whether you know it or not. There is much more than academics in the development of a child. Relationship is key. And if you decide to send them to public school, God is with them there, too.