Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. -George Washington Carver
Education, n.: That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding. -Ambrose Bierce
Even though my girls and I ended our homeschooling career a few years ago I still get nostalgic for those times. We built a great relational foundation and we added some wonderful memories to the vault. When the girls and I were out in the middle of the day on a weekday we would often get those looks. You know the ones, the why are your children NOT in school, looks. If we were asked or happen to offer the information that we were a homeschool family we would get the occasional comment, “I could NEVER do THAT,” or “I could not stand to be with my children 24/7” statement. I normally responded with a nod or some snappy comment but in my mind I am thinking, “Well, then why DID you have children if you cannot stand their company?” I miss having my kids around all day but I still have that passion for education and homeschooling.
I didn’t set out to be a homeschooler when I had children; I actually researched good schools in the area where we lived before I made the decision to keep them at home. Homeschooling was a word NOT in my vocabulary because I thought because I barely made it through my own public education that I was not qualified to teach the girls alone. Then we met a family who had schooled their girls at home for many years and the children were so bright and thoughtful, it made me think that the concept was not so far-fetched after all but I was not ready to take the plunge yet.
God has a way of working things in our lives and this was a time when He definitely got my attention! I went to the good school to pick-up my daughter for an appointment but when I arrived I could not get into the school. I knocked and banged on the doors until finally, someone let me in. When I inquired about the locked doors they said that there had been a shooting in the parking lot just hours earlier. I was in shock and disbelief that THIS could happen so close to a school full of children under the age of 10! Needless to say, I heard other horror stories about this school and that’s when the decision was made to pull my oldest daughter out and keep her home.
We might have begun our homeschool journey because we feared the worst but over the course of our homeschooling years the reasoning changed. Our journey took us so much closer to God and one-another that it was hard watching my children taken away on a yellow school bus every day. The picture of the perfect homeschooling family is one where the children are smiling and coloring while mother reads aloud but the reality of it is, we had bad days. Days when the hot water heater was not working, laundry was piled to the ceiling, the dog ran away or when one of the girls is picking on another made it challenging but we made it through. I tried to seizea the challenging moments and make them opportunities for them to see God’s grace and provision for our family. Yes, the hot water heater is not working BUT we live in our own home, in a very safe city and on a very quiet street.
We did have formal studies but those are an added benefit to spending time with my girls. I did get frustrated when my youngest daughter keeps asking, “What sound does that letter make?” or I have to explain how to do the algebra problem over and over again to my oldest daughter but God was trying to mold and shape me into someone that was a likeness of His own image. I taught my girls at home for many reasons and the one thing that I miss the most is the closeness that we shared. Those relationships have remained but they have changed. It has been a transition and learning experience for me but at the same time it has not been altogether bad. I miss them during the day but it taught me to take every free opportunity we have together now. I treasure the moments with those that I love more than ever now. I guess that as the seasons of life change we just have to learn to adapt and try to see the good things no matter what might come our way.
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