Here’s our story of how we arrived at homeschooling. I (Amy) grew up going to both public and private schools. I taught for 7 years in a public middle school. So, how in the world did we end up homeschooling?
Honestly…it just kind of happened. When our oldest son was five years old, we had been exposed to homeschooling families through a couple different interactions with friends of ours. When it came close enough to that “pre-kindergarten time” for us to decide that our son was going to get on the bus and be at school all day, that just wasn’t a good fit. He was still in need of a good afternoon nap but was also asking to start/do school. So…what should we do?
At that time, the idea of teaching him some things using some curriculum a friend suggested seemed like the best option. Little did we know that it would lead to years of teaching him (and his brother…who really doesn’t like sitting still) all kinds of things. And mom would learn a LOT a long the way!
Here’s how that journey to homeschool began. I share it not as a “how to” or as a “this is the way” but more as a “this is what worked for us” or “this is something we came across”. Maybe it will provide some ideas for you. Maybe it will encourage you. Maybe it will raise some questions. Whatever “it” may be, I hope you find our journey worth reading.
Good questions to ask or consider might be…
Why do we want to homeschool? For us, among many things, it came down to the final straw of my husband’s work schedule. He would be gone a lot of mornings/evenings/weekends. So, being able to see dad during the day was important. When we factored that in (along with needing a nap, Amy having a teaching background, etc), it became easy to see that for us homeschooling would be a beneficial and “do-able” option.
What has made us interested in homeschooling? As I mentioned, for us, we were exposed to several others who had homeschooled. So, the idea seemed like something that fit our interests and our ability based on observations of others that we had made. And we knew we had others nearby that could help or encourage along the way if we needed direction or encouragement.
How would homeschooling work in our house…day to day, week to week? I have mentioned below how our days/weeks played out each year. But everyone is different. I am a morning person who likes to have a rhythm to the day/week. But I have also had to learn to be flexible and adjust to change/uncontrollable factors. In the end, I have had to remember, more often than not, the “why” behind our homeschooling more than the “what did I get done today”.
What are our fears in homeschooling? Homeschooling can seem overwhelming…repeatedly. I can fear that my kids aren’t learning what they are supposed to for their age. I can fear that they won’t be social. I can fear that I won’t know how to teach them something. I can fear that I might teach them something incorrectly. Reality is…all this is true. I am human. And I can mess up. So, I need to face fear with reality. I am going to make mistakes along the way. However, I have learned to bring myself back into balance on this area by reminding myself that the God who created me–and my son–will help me teach my son. He will give me wisdom—if I remember to ask Him for it. He will give me strength—if I remember to rely on Him for it. And He will guide me—if I remember to seek Him. And…if I forget to “remember Him”…He will still give me grace and still be faithful to help me!
