Eleven years ago, as the new school year loomed, we made a leap of faith and decided to homeschool our kids.
It was literally right before the school year started, after teachers had already been assigned and backpacks were purchased and filled.
Chad and I prayed together and decided that we were going all-in, at least for the next semester as a trial run.
Carter had already been “play schooling” at home since he was 3, but he was now compulsory age in our state (ages 6-16), and we needed to make an official decision.
If we could have sent him half days I maybe would have, but he’d be riding a big bus and be gone all school day, ever week day. He was advanced for his age, he had started reading at 3, and was hyper active. I worried he would get bored easily and be labeled as a troublemaker in the public school setting.
We had already experienced one of Mady’s teachers insisting she be medicated for her behavior- we didn’t.
I knew Carter would truly need more freedom to move around and frequent subject changes. We could easily do that with homeschooling.
We had spent the last 2 years using homeschool curriculum with Mady in the evenings and on weekends to try to catch her up, because she had trouble learning the way the material was being taught in school. She was a sweet girl, she just couldn’t comprehend and retain information as it was being presented, the disappointment and scolding from a couple of her teachers changed her disposition in a negative way. We had countless meetings with her teachers over the years and they did all that they could with what they had available. At the time there wasn’t official school support for dyslexia.
It just made sense to bring her home, and I have had zero regrets about it.
People asked as we got towards high school if we would send her for the last 4 years. Absolutely not, emotionally speaking homeschool was best in that season too.
The unhurried lifestyle we’ve been able to adopt as a result of homeschooling has been the biggest blessing in so many changing seasons of life.
Being able to focus on each child’s interests and cater to exactly what they need each day has helped them to grow into the amazing and unique people they were made to be.
I know homeschooling isn’t for everyone, as not everyone has the ability or desire, but if you’ve ever questioned if it’s right for your family, I encourage you to explore it.
Home educating been the greatest gift for us, offering flexibility, personalized learning, and the chance to build a strong family bond with emotionally intelligent children.
I’m telling you this because just in case God is putting this desire on your heart I want you to know that you can do it. You don’t have to do it all the way through and you don’t have to do it alone. You can start small, just the first semester, and then reevaluate how things are going at the mid-year mark. Join a co-op with other homeschool families if you want a little more support.
If a small voice in your head makes you worry about all that your children will miss out on, think about all that they will GET TO experience. Also, from a snarky but true standpoint, I have a whole host of stories I could tell you about things I’m glad my younger kids “missed out on” that my oldest had to experience in the public school system.
Homeschooling has been an incredible journey. We’ve had the privilege of watching our children grow into confident, curious individuals.
I appreciate that my children get to wake up when their little bodies are ready (usually between 5am and 7am, but sometimes someone needs to sleep until 8am and that’s okay).
We enjoy three slow nutritious meals together each day, lots of reading, and plenty of creative play time. We encourage our kids to start their own businesses and add to their savings accounts while learning valuable life skills.
This is getting long, sorry, I really just wanted to say, it’s not too late.
You can start homeschooling anytime. You don’t need the perfect curriculum, because it doesn’t exist. I suggest starting with a Bible, a few notebooks, a library card, and a positive attitude.
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