Homeschooling: That Thing I Do (Part Two)

Hey Everybody,

If you missed Part One of this post, scroll down and read it first.

So, I knew I was going to homeschool after that, right? No, not really. Over the years, after Rich and I met and married, the Lord began to put us together with other people who were planning and pursuing the homeschooling lifestyle. One thing you need to know: You really cannot stereotype homeschoolers. I have met all different kinds over the past 13 years of being involved in it. Homeschoolers are not necessarily bread-baking, denim jumper-wearing, hair-in-a-bun kind of gals (although some are). They are not necessarily married. There are single moms who homeschool, city gals who homeschool, and even some who don't bake their own bread! They are not necessarily Christians. But I think they all love chocolate!

As we met more and more people who were homeschooling, it began to look do-able. It became an option, along with traditional schooling. When Danya was around four years old, Rich and I began to really pray about what we were supposed to do. I remember making a list of reasons why I wanted to homeschool.

At the top of my list was that I wanted to spend the most time that I possibly could with my kids. (That goes back to the snow day I mentioned in the last post.)

I also wanted them to spend time with each other. At the time, David was almost two, and Baby Derek was on the way. I wanted my kids to know each other and like being together.

I wanted to teach them. Whether they were going to be slow learners or over-achievers, I wanted to have the handle on it and provide whatever they needed.

I also wanted to be able to incorporate God into every aspect of their education. I wanted prayer and Bible study to be a part of each day. I wanted them to be involved in ministering to their community and to have time for those things. If I did this, I wanted it to be for His Glory.

Also, I looked ahead to the last years of high school. If we made it all the way, I wanted my kids to have the time to be able to experiment with internships in careers they were interested in.

And you know what? I knew that I couldn't not do it. I was called to homeschool, even if I didn't have any real reasons other than that I knew this was what I was supposed to do.

So here we are! That thing I do, homeschooling, has been a journey of joy. Long days? You betcha! But my, the years have been awfully short.