i am thrilled to have my friend
(and newest sponsor) april
guest posting for me today
her lovely blog the view from 5'5"
inspires me in so many ways
she is on the very cusp
of this whole homeschooling thing
and i asked if she would be willing to share some or her
thoughts about it
in her own words:
Homely. Unsocialized. Culturally and socially awkward. Inferior. Homebound.
What do you think of when you hear these words?
Up until a year ago I would have said “homeschooling.”
But that’s not the case anymore.
In fact, this year my husband and I will begin homeschooling our 5-year old.
Confused?
I specifically remember the day I told God that I would never, under any circumstances, homeschool my children should I have any. But isn’t it just like God to have bigger plans that my narrow-minded ones. It is also like him to gently lead me toward His perfect plan for me.
Up until about a year ago I still had my heels dug in the sand with homeschooling because I had not come in contact with a homeschooling family that I found real and relatable. My sister- in-law had been homeschooling for about a year and was always speaking of how much she loved it. She lives 500 miles away from me, so I wasn’t able to see it in action. My opinions on homeschooling remained unchanged.
Then I discovered that several of my friends “just so happened” to be homeschooling their children. I was surprised to discover this because they seemed so “normal.” This piqued my curiosity. One of those friends made herself available for me to ask questions and basically “pick her brain” over homeschooling. I felt total freedom to voice my concerns and questions without being judged or dismissed. She was honest and spoke from her heart. Each conversation with her was God’s way of chiseling one more piece of resistance from around me.
After reading Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto and Mary Pride’s Complete Book of Getting Started Homeschooling I felt that the plusses of homeschooling far outweighed the cons. I felt that if I chose to put my children in a traditional classroom setting that I would be doing them a great disservice.
Ten years ago my nose was turned up toward homeschooling. Over time my heart became receptive to considering it. Homeschooling has turned out to be the best fit for our children and our family. Now I am genuinely excited at the thought of homeschooling my little ones. Only God can orchestrate this kind of change. There are days where I fight nervousness and question my ability to effectively teach my children. Then I am reminded
•I am already homeschooling my children. I have taught them to walk, speak words, learn colors and alphabet letters, and even read! I have taught them how to hold a cup, brush their teeth and use the toilet! I am homeschooling my children!
•God never asks you to do a task without equipping you to do what He wants you to do. It is obvious that God wants us to homeschool our children, which means He has (and will continue) to equip me and my husband with all we need to effectively educate our children.
•My children will not miss out on anything just because they are educated at home. There are ample avenues for our children to involve themselves. They will only be as socially/culturally awkward as our lifestyle allows them to be.
If you are like I once was, resistant at even considering homeschooling as an option I encourage you to open your heart and mind and just investigate what homeschooling really is (and isn’t). You might be surprised to find that it’s the doorway to what you have always wanted for your children. I know I did.
(and newest sponsor) april
guest posting for me today
her lovely blog the view from 5'5"
inspires me in so many ways
she is on the very cusp
of this whole homeschooling thing
and i asked if she would be willing to share some or her
thoughts about it
in her own words:
Homely. Unsocialized. Culturally and socially awkward. Inferior. Homebound.
What do you think of when you hear these words?
Up until a year ago I would have said “homeschooling.”
But that’s not the case anymore.
In fact, this year my husband and I will begin homeschooling our 5-year old.
Confused?
I specifically remember the day I told God that I would never, under any circumstances, homeschool my children should I have any. But isn’t it just like God to have bigger plans that my narrow-minded ones. It is also like him to gently lead me toward His perfect plan for me.
Up until about a year ago I still had my heels dug in the sand with homeschooling because I had not come in contact with a homeschooling family that I found real and relatable. My sister- in-law had been homeschooling for about a year and was always speaking of how much she loved it. She lives 500 miles away from me, so I wasn’t able to see it in action. My opinions on homeschooling remained unchanged.
Then I discovered that several of my friends “just so happened” to be homeschooling their children. I was surprised to discover this because they seemed so “normal.” This piqued my curiosity. One of those friends made herself available for me to ask questions and basically “pick her brain” over homeschooling. I felt total freedom to voice my concerns and questions without being judged or dismissed. She was honest and spoke from her heart. Each conversation with her was God’s way of chiseling one more piece of resistance from around me.
After reading Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto and Mary Pride’s Complete Book of Getting Started Homeschooling I felt that the plusses of homeschooling far outweighed the cons. I felt that if I chose to put my children in a traditional classroom setting that I would be doing them a great disservice.
Ten years ago my nose was turned up toward homeschooling. Over time my heart became receptive to considering it. Homeschooling has turned out to be the best fit for our children and our family. Now I am genuinely excited at the thought of homeschooling my little ones. Only God can orchestrate this kind of change. There are days where I fight nervousness and question my ability to effectively teach my children. Then I am reminded
•I am already homeschooling my children. I have taught them to walk, speak words, learn colors and alphabet letters, and even read! I have taught them how to hold a cup, brush their teeth and use the toilet! I am homeschooling my children!
•God never asks you to do a task without equipping you to do what He wants you to do. It is obvious that God wants us to homeschool our children, which means He has (and will continue) to equip me and my husband with all we need to effectively educate our children.
•My children will not miss out on anything just because they are educated at home. There are ample avenues for our children to involve themselves. They will only be as socially/culturally awkward as our lifestyle allows them to be.
If you are like I once was, resistant at even considering homeschooling as an option I encourage you to open your heart and mind and just investigate what homeschooling really is (and isn’t). You might be surprised to find that it’s the doorway to what you have always wanted for your children. I know I did.
