While my children are still pretty young, and I do not technically consider us formally homeschooling until my oldest turns seven, I want to encourage parents to consider homeschool as an educational option.
Home education has always been something I have considered since becoming a mom. I joined many Facebook groups centered around homeschooling and natural learning. Something I see often, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic began, is doubt in one’s ability to homeschool “effectively”.
I want to address my own fears and insecurities around home education, and how I overcome them.
Start With Why
You may have heard this phrase before, “start with why”. But there truly is so much power in your why. Have you asked yourself why you want to homeschool? Is it that you always liked the idea of customizing your child’s education? Maybe your child does better in smaller settings with more freedom to move around versus staying seated. Could it be that right now you feel the safest place for your children is home?
No matter your reason for considering homeschooling, you have to know why. Only you know why and your why does not have to be the same as anyone else. Nor do you need to justify your why to anyone else.
Your why must be established first because it is what will push you on the challenging days.
Community and Support
I have always questioned the way things were and why things were done a certain way. In school, I felt that I was being held back. Although I was an A student and involved in many extracurricular activities, I was not in charge of my education. I was not in control of the timeframe in which I learned certain information or how much time I could spend on what interests me.
As a parent now, I still find myself going against the grain. I’m a crunchy mom. I want to live a natural lifestyle, minimalist and simple. I want my children to have a life full of adventure and curiosity. Questioning those things their instincts tell them to. Doing their own research and developing their own opinions. So much of this begins at home. But, going against the norm and not being part of the public school system, can be pretty lonely.
Community and support can make a huge difference. There is strength in numbers, right? When the fears and insecurities set in every time an adult quizzes my five-year-old randomly, that community of like-minded parents remind me that I am doing just fine.
I encourage you to find a good one or two homeschool parents that align with your vision and your why and build a relationship with them. Find a good co-op or virtual community. Read books and listen to podcasts. It makes a big difference. And when you are having a tough day, you feel unqualified when that stranger or family member points out that your six-year-old can’t read yet, or when crap hits the fan, lean on your homeschool community. As a good friend of mine pointed out, “really sometimes it just be the pressure of “aloneness” feeding the fire”.
Faith and Calling
I truly feel called to homeschooling and homemaking. I struggle with the fear that I will fail my children and do them a disservice by homeschooling. Will they be weird and socially awkward? Will they be “behind” if they choose to go to college? And the big one, will they be upset with me that they missed out on the “normal” public school experience?
But you know what, I go back to my why (which I may share with you all one day), and I remember that God is bigger than my fears. His grace and mercy will step in where I fall short. Faith is what will keep me in the midst of the storm.
If you feel that tug to homeschool, stop believing you’re not qualified to guide your child’s educational journey. You are enough. If you love your children and would do anything for them, then you know you would be the best educator (supporter if you’re unschooling) for them.
SIDE NOTE: homeschooling isn’t for everyone, and only you know if it is or is not for you. Sometimes loving your kids, means they do go to public school, and there is nothing wrong with that. Just wanted to point that out.
COMMENT
Let’s build community and support here. Share what your fears are centering on home education. When you read someone else’s comment, offer up some encouragement. We got this. Happy Homeschool Year.
Leave a Reply