June 1, 2005

• HOMESCHOOL STORY

  I got an e-mail the other day from a mom just beginning the home school journey. She asked me to tell my home school story. This is the capsule version. If you have questions ask them, and I’ll do my best to answer.

  We began home schooling midterm the year my kids were in second and fourth grades. We began because our youngest was having problems on the school bus, and we were a one-car family. By the end of that first year our reason for home schooling changed, as God moved in all of our hearts. When the kids finished 8th grade, we let them choose whether to stay home or re-enter the public system.  They both chose to stay home. (That is a whole ‘nother story.) So in all I was a teacher/mom for a little over 10 years.

  Even though choosing to be a one-income family brought many sacrifices, I can say with confidence that they were all worth it! Thinking back to those days brings back so many memories I wouldn’t trade for anything. I remember fall cleaning because I had to have all the closets and drawers in the house cleaned out, and at least 6 weeks of lesson plans prepared, before I felt ready to tackle a new school year. During most of that time I also kept a curly haired little munchkin that stole our hearts and her little brother, when he came along.  

  We got her when she was 9 months old and kept her weekdays until she finished kindergarten. I always wanted more kids so it was a great solution. I remember many school days, with my son sitting at our kitchen table doing his math lessons wearing a cape, with his dog's head resting in his lap, and our daughter perched on a stool at the bar with her very own original hairstyle doing hers, while little bit mimicked every move she made. (I would sew, or cook so we could all be in the same room.) If you tried to talk to her, she would look up from her coloring book, put her chubby little hand on her hip and say, “PULEEZE be quiet! I’s tryin’ to do my math!” It is hard to believe she just finished 6^th grade… I saw her picture in the local paper a few weeks ago for an art contest that she won. Talked to her dad last week and he said she won a passel of awards at school this year, including the president’s award for academic excellence. It makes me proud to know I had a small part of getting her off to a good start.

  Without a doubt, home schooling was one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done! It was also the most challenging. Many times, I wished I had begun sooner, but as my pastor is fond of saying, "You can't unscramble eggs." I had no idea when I brought them home that winter what great kids I had. My son had such a wonderful sense of humor, and my daughter, the chatterbox, was so dramatic! Don't get me wrong, it was not all fun, or rewarding. They were not perfect children who brought me breakfast in bed, or cleaned their rooms without being told, or begged to do extra math lessons. I was not always patient or organized. But we had some great times! And NOTHING can replace being the one to see the light come on when they grasp something new.

  People used to ask me all the time if I thought they could home school. My first question was always, "Can you get them to brush their teeth, or clean their room when you tell them to?" If you can't motivate them to do that, you can hang up getting a math lesson done!

  My next question was, "Why do you want to do this?" If a mom begins home schooling for superficial reasons, she won't last. Because even though you chose to have your kids with you all the time, there are still days when you don’t like each other very much and you'd like to sell them to the nearest peddler for 50 cents!

  Many folks worry that they are not smart enough. But knowing all the answers is not what makes you a good home school mom. Answer keys and lesson plans books are out there ~ anyone who can read and follow a cookbook is smart enough. Knowing that God put a calling on your life to do it, is what makes it work. You have to ‘know in your knower’ that this is God's best for your family, and that if He calls you to do something, He equips you to do it. Motivation and dedication when things get tough are things only God can supply on a daily basis. Most, if not all, long-term home schoolers I have ever met fall into one of two categories: (1) the ones who are trying to turn out little geniuses – its all about how much you can learn and how fast, or (2) the ones who want to teach their children Christian values and moral principles.

  The verses hubby and I held onto whenever our home school vision began to get fuzzy were Malachi 2:15 “… And what does He [the  Lord] want? Godly children from your union.” and Deuteronomy 6:5-9, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home, and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

  Now I work part-time at a church and my kids are 22 and almost 24. She is a hair stylist at an upscale salon, and he is in the USAF about to sew on his Staff Seargeant stripe.  We had absolutely no problem getting them into college. (In fact my oldest did his first year of college the year most of his peers were Seniors in High School.)

  • 9:26 am
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