I started this journey in 2008. My daughter was starting 4th grade and my son was starting 1st grade. They started school like every other year, but this year was different. After only 1 month of school, we decided to pull them out.
The reason was not simple; it was complex. It wasn’t one event, but many. It wasn’t one reason, but several ones that added together made it difficult to see any other solution.
KD had been suffering from insomnia. It went on every night. She couldn’t fall asleep nor stay asleep. It was difficult for me to wake her up in the morning to go to school. On top of that, she is diabetic and her sugar was not cooperating either. I was always on edge wondering when the school office would call. There was no school nurse and it seemed that I was being called constantly. One week, I was at jury duty and they called three times while I was in the jury room. I eventually asked to be excused from jury duty because I was the only one available to care for my daughter.
Buddy had started first grade with a teacher I was not too happy with. Any other year, I probably would have dealt with it, but this year it was just another “sign”. I could see that it was going to be a very difficult year for him. I would leave every morning with a huge knot in my stomach. Literally, sick to my stomach. I worried about him all day.
So I worried about KD all day and I worried about Steven all day. I had NO peace.
Over the summer, my husband had said “Hey, why don’t you homeschool” I replied, “Why? They have a great school.” Well, with the situation we had at hand, I spent one week in prayer. My main fear was failing. I felt incapable. I just couldn’t see myself taking on such a challenge. Besides, It was the FIRST year I would have both kids in school from 8-2. It was not fair! Yes, I was being selfish. I wanted to be able to get my daily exercise at the gym, work as many or as little hours as I wanted. I wanted to get my housework done in peace. I wanted…..
Yet, over and over again, in my devotions, in songs, and it other ways, God kept bringing my attention to Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”. Multiple times this verse “popped up” and there was no denying that God was saying YES. I spoke to a seasoned homeschool mom who encouraged me and prayed with me. At the end, we decided that I would start homeschooling.
Every year since then, I spend time in prayer asking God to show me if we are to continue homeschooling. Every year, God has said yes. In retrospect, I can see clearly why he said yes each year.
My son struggles with spelling and writing, and I believe he has writing dysgraphia. I know he would have struggled in school and it would have been a source of difficulty for him. It is a challenge at home, but at least here I can encourage him, coach him, and teach him where HE is at. It may not be where he is “supposed to be” but its where he is right now. He will get it and develop just fine but it will be in the safety of his home-no peers, no competition, his self-esteem intact.
I know God is saying yes to homeschooling right now, but he may not in the future. I take each year as it comes.
I also know that God has given me this amazing privilege of being home with my kiddos. I enjoy digging into his Word, the Bible, with my children. I love learning History and Science in a completely God-centered curriculum. Most of all I love seeing them grow into the people he is shaping them to be.
My homeschooling philosophy is simple: I teach my children at home because He has asked me to.
