We are a homeschool family. Our children at educated at home. We are not ashamed of that, we share that with anybody who asks where our children attend school. We are active in our Church. We are active in our community. We are involved with our children’s extra curricula activities. We stay busy. Interesting we are not a unique homeschool family, we have lived in several areas, and have many, many friends who homeschool, and they are all pretty much like us, involved in growing children into young men and women ready to stand firm for Christ and able to be productive members of the community…..and beyond. So, why is it that people so often want us to volunteer for many extra projects? Why do people think we have so much extra time? Why do people think we need help entertaining our children?
I was slightly offended by comments made to me over the last couple of weeks. Comments such as: just don’t do school, take a break, let dad teach, thought you needed something to keep your kids busy, why can’t you have ladies coffee each week, can’t you just do school during the evening, don’t you want a break from the kids, how can you stand to be with your kids all day, if I were home all day I would go crazy but my house would be clean. After the last comment that was made to me, I had a change of heart, I really think people who have never homeschooled, nor spent much time with a homeschooling family understand the lifestyle of homeschoolers. That is what homeschooling is, it is a lifestyle, not just school at home.
Homeschooling in America has grown tremendously in the last decade, each homeschool family has their own ‘flavor’ as you continue to read this, please do not think about that one person you know/knew who did or did not, think about the many homeschool families, some within your extended family, and try to understand, maybe even walk in their shoes a bit.
We chose to homeschool our children after much prayer, discussion, and watching other homeschooling families. It was evident keeping our children at home was the right choice for our family. We do not think we are creating the next Einstein, Mother Teresa, or likewise, we are enjoying the very short time we have with our children. We relish the freedom we have to disciple our children to become more like Christ. We enjoy reading books together, learning and discovering history as a group, we love creating meals, and eating them as a family. We do not necessarily love writing paragraphs, checking grammar, or trying to understand algebra, but we do it because we have chosen this life style. Our mornings are filled with learning new or reviewing yesterday’s new things, we must spend time in the mornings as our afternoon or evenings are filled with other fun stuff.
Homeschool children are allowed to participate in sports, scouts, 4h, music, art, and foreign language lessons. Homeschool families enjoy serving others, when they have time. Homeschoolers are involved in Church, even on a day besides Sunday! Our children are involved in Scouts, sports, 4h, language, mission projects, service to others, and encouraging other homeschool families, not to mention Church during the week that makes for a full week. Our family enjoys dinner, together, as often as possible, and with other homeschooling families or friends. Proverbs mentions a good friend being better than a faraway brother, which is what other homeschool families are, our family.
As a mom, I am honored and thankful that I can legally and freely homeschool my children. I love to spend time with them. I love to listen to them. I love to watch them grow, although they are growing so very fast. My fun is when we are altogether as a family. My break is when we head out to the woods together. My time with them at home is limited, I do not want to find ways to hurry it along; I do not want to find ways to be away from them. I do not spend all day at home, I do not have a clean house most days (your first visit to my house will find it looking clean) I do not spend time arguing with my teen. I do not need help keeping them busy. I do allow for free time where the kids can p.l.a.y. Time for them to just be, that is good, to be. We do not have a school that looks like public school, and that is ok, in fact freeing. Why would I want to miss out of what we are learning so dad can teach and I can hang out? I will have plenty of time in a few very short years to have ladies tea each week, where I can take the day to play whenever the invite comes, I will have a clean house, then, maybe…..
I am not defending or explaining who I am, but rather want each person who knows or knows of a homeschool family to take a minute to understand what their lifestyle is all about.
Semperfifarms 