Mommy Life: Thinking about homeschool?

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March 25, 2008 12:04 PM

Thinking about homeschool?

For anyone toying with the idea of homeschooling - even if it's just a glimmer on the horizon:

First a personal anecdote:

I remember a number of years ago my oldest daughter Samantha – back when she had four children – called me to say, “Mom, I think God’s calling me to homeschool. And I’m upset because I really don’t want to do it.” You have to understand that though I homeschooled my children for many years, I decided early on not to pressure others to follow the path God had given me, so Samantha had started her children in a Christian school with my blessing. Because of a large age difference, Samantha had already graduated from public high school when I began to homeschool, so she had had no role model of a teacher/mom. Like many mothers, her first reaction to the idea that she might be called to the homeschooling life was one of panic.
“Don’t worry, honey. If God is calling you to homeschool, he’ll give you the willingness,” I reassured her.

Although we saw each other several times over the next few weeks, we had plenty of other stuff to talk about, and I didn’t push her. Eventually Samantha called to say, “Guess what, Mom? I’ve decided to homeschool and I’m finding out everything I can to get ready for next year. But I’m going to wait until school is out next month to tell Timmy. You know how social he is. I’m sure that’s not going to be easy.”

And then it was only a week ‘til I got the next call:

“Mom, Timmy asked me today if I would homeschool him next year!”

Isn’t it wonderful how when we have any doubts, God works to reassure us that yes, indeed, we are following the path we’re supposed to?

Not that homeschooling is the path for everyone. I decided early on to take my kids’ education child-by-child and year-by-year – how else to make sure you are open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit? – and never to judge other parents for the decisions they made. I mean, how could I presume to know what God’s plans are for other people’s children? It’s all I can do to keep up with my own.

from Mommy, Teach Me!

Eight years later, Samantha is still homeschooling five children - one year at a time.

And this is from a free brochure you can order from the You Can Homeschool site:

As long as there have been parents and children, “homeschooling” has been happening. It was only with the emergence of widespread compulsory public education that this age-old method of instruction was virtually forgotten, but not eradicated. Foreign service workers or missionaries who by choice or necessity did not send their children to boarding schools continued the tradition of home education. Children who had illnesses that kept them from attending school were frequently taught at home. And families who lived in the remote areas of Alaska or other isolated regions answered their children’s educational needs with homeschooling.

In the 1970s and '80s, homeschooling experienced a renaissance as a few parents began to question whether the public education system or existing private schools were right for their individual child. They wondered if they might be able to do a better job.

And what do you know? Parents discovered they could do a great job. They told two friends who told two friends and so on. The modern homeschooling movement was born.

It wasn’t entirely that simple, of course. The early days were rocky.

There were few curriculum suppliers who would sell to homeschoolers.

Teachers considered themselves experts. What made these parents think they could teach their own children?