Still Homeschooling?

Occasionally I run into people I haven't seen in a few years.  They always seem to ask, "Still homeschooling?"



"Yes."  I state without apology.

When I first began homeschooling, I felt like I had to justify my reasoning.  I no longer feel the need to explain my reasoning or why my husband and I have made the decision we have made.  Some will agree.  Others won't.

My girls back in 2008.

Year after year, I stick with it.  Homeschooling is simply a part of our family now.  It is a part of our family culture.  It is what we do. When I first began homeschooling, I wrote a blog post that listed some of my reasons why.   The last one on the list was, "I homeschool because God put it in my heart to do this and I need to be obedient even though it isn't always an easy task."  It still isn't an easy task.  I have learned many things over the years.  My reasoning has changed somewhat in some areas.  Experience has been a good teacher.  Each year I don't have to come up with a list of why I homeschool. I simply keep doing so.  When I compare the list I made back in 2008 with how I feel today, I am astounded at how little changes in my reasoning make a big difference.  I am also surprised by how much has stayed the same.

My First Homeschooled Daughter in 2008

(When I wrote the list in 2008, I had five daughters under 17. Three were in public school.  One was only eighteen months old.  Eventually I would homeschool four of those five daughters.  As of 2017, two have graduated.  The "daughter" I allude to in the 2008 post is now in her last year of high school.  The eighteen month old is a ten-year old fifth grader.)

Reason 1:
2008 - I homeschool because I want my daughter to love Jesus, and to be free to love and learn about Jesus without feeling pressure to do otherwise.

2017 -  I homeschool because I want to be able to teach my children about Jesus, the Bible, and our faith without apology.

What's different? - I have learned that, while I want my children to love Jesus, this is a decision they must make for themselves.  They can't live on my faith.  I can set an example, teach them the way they should go, but they have the free will to make their own decisions.  I still create an environment where they can learn about the Lord freely.

Reason 2: 
2008 - I homeschool because she can learn about the world with a Christian worldview, not a sheltered worldview that keeps other theories from her. She will learn about evolution, but she will also learn that it is not a theory we believe. She will learn about her creator.

2017 - Still true.  I don't believe in a sheltered worldview.  I believe in age appropriate.  I also believe in teaching what they world believes, such as evolutionary principles, because this is not something my children can escape.  However, I still believe in teaching fully about young earth versus old earth, and why I believe the way I do.

What's different? - Essentially, if I have made them critical thinkers, my children will be able to make determinations for themselves and defend their position.

Reason 3:
2008 - I homeschool because my daughter was beginning to feel negative about herself, already feeling like she had to measure up to everyone else and be like them.

2017 - I still hope that the environment I provide at home will be nurturing and build up my daughters, not tear them down.

What's different? - I may keep my children from some of the pressures and negative social aspects of public school, but I cannot protect them entirely.  The world will still try to tell them who they are.  To a large degree, my children might still compare themselves to others and find themselves lacking somehow.  I have learned that homeschooling may help, but it is not a cure-all or a protection against self-doubt.

Reason 4:
2008 - I homeschool because I get to spend quality time with my daughter any time I want to.

2017 - I don't regret one moment of the time I have had with my daughters that I have been blessed to homeschool.  This lesson was reinforced recently when I enrolled in college classes and was over- scheduled.  I was still here with my daughters, but I wasn't enjoying them because I was stressed out and overly busy.

What's different? - I am older and have more experience.  Three of my girls are grown.  The "daughter" I referred to in 2008 is graduating high school this spring.  Time goes by quickly, and I know the memories we made together are priceless.

Reason 5:
2008 -  I homeschool because I know what Laura is learning, how she is treated, and that she is safe.

2017 - If anything, since 2008, I not only still believe this, but feel even more strongly now.

What's Different? - Bullying, school shootings, suicides...  these things seem to be on the rise.  I know that perhaps the media shows these things more often, but the fact remains that it happens.  It happens often.  At home, my daughters can learn without the fear that they will be bullied walking to class.  I dealt with a lot of bullying, and even assault, when my older children were in public school.  It may happen other places we go, but I don't fear that my children will face it in their learning environment.

Reason 6:
2008 - I homeschool because I can make sure Laura is working at the pace for each subject that ensures she knows what she is doing and works best for her.

2017 - After several years of homeschooling, tailoring an education for a child has become something I feel is vital.  I homeschooled one child that came to me with an IEP from her public school.  She did well at home.  I know my husband struggled with undiagnosed ADHD as a child, and the school wasn't equipped to help him.

What's Different? - I know my youngest battles ADHD as well, and most schools would insist she be medicated. At home, I can find ways to fit the learning to her, instead of trying to get her to adapt to the learning.  She can work at her level, mastering one level before moving on to the next level.  In many ways, this works so much better than the school methods.

My 12th grader that was my first student in 2008.

Reason 7:
2008 - I homeschool because God put it in my heart to do this and I need to be obedient even though it isn't always an easy task.

2017 - God has never told me that He has a new plan for me.  He has never taken away the desire to homeschool my children.  The task is still challenging.  It still requires that I lean on Him.

What's Different? - After all these years, I have seen God walk me through tough times.  I have gained experience in teaching children and seeing what works and what doesn't.  I have seen how God walks with me and guides me in choosing curriculum and tackling subjects.  The difficulty of the task hasn't changed God's mind in what He has asked me to do.  I still must be obedient.

My daughters today.