What Homeschool Moms are REALLY Afraid Of

This homeschooling mom’s worst fears:

That the kids will squish the strange bug terrorizing the family instead of catching it for an impromptu entomology lesson.

That PE {a morning swim in the neighborhood pool} will derail our whole day because we have to stop a billion times to answer different people’s “Why aren’t the kids in school?” “Are they all yours?” “How do you do it?” “I don’t have the patience.” “Where do you get curriculum?” questions politely.

That the high schooler will fall in love with competitive debate and latin the same year the middle schooler asks to learn Spanish and the toddler wants to take ballet.

That the children will {honestly} answer the cashier’s innocent question, “How was school today?”

Yes, homeschooling moms do have deep-seated fears we have to face daily. Knowing there will be no 6th-grade teacher to blame your child’s poor grasp of Mesopotamian history can be a huge burden to carry. But there are other parenting challenges we avoid.

This homeschooling Mamma is never afraid of…

My children’s socialization. They communicate comfortably and clearly with people of all ages in a variety of settings.

What the teacher said about sex ed. I may mess up on Mesopotamia, but I’ll get the important things right. {umm… not that Mesopotamia isn’t important… where was it again?}

If they’ll get into college. Statistics show that homeschoolers have nothing to fear when it comes to college admission… if they choose to go. Once you’ve experienced learning “outside the box” students realize there are other avenues for successful professional lives.

Our family is starting back to school next week… and I’ll confess I’m a little nervous! I will have five students in my one-room schoolhouse and a preschooler to keep occupied, too. But with over a decade of home education under my belt, I am confident that God- who called us to homeschool in the first place- will equip me and enable me to accomplish all we’ve set out to do.

learn anywhere - homeschooling

Vicky asked me how we do homeschooling in our family. I look to the days of the one-room schoolhouse and combine the subjects we can. We read history books and fictional stories aloud together. Sometimes I’ll have an older child read aloud to the younger kiddos while I grade. I have time set aside for the subjects that need one-on-one instruction and we try to minimize interruptions during school. No phone, no internet, no video games… and please! No fighting!

It’s hard to answer why we homeschool our children in print. You can’t hear my voice or see my smile to know that our reasons are perfect for us but that I don’t expect others to hold my same goals. So don’t hear what I’m not saying…

big helper - homeschooling

We homeschool our children because we love them! We want to have time to focus on the Biblical values that are important to our family. We want our children to love each other, to respect people and show it in their daily actions and choices. We want them to know the value of working for what they have and how to be good stewards of those blessings- materially, relationally and socially.

Academics are important to our family- thus the competitive debate league and Latin {ugh} for my oldest even though I’m more of a yearbook and chorus kind of gal. But, honestly, academics are not our primary goal. I know our children have a lifetime to pursue work, their interests, and passions but that their values will be shaped primarily in these formative years. So, some days, Ben is on his own with Latin while I coach our five and six-year-olds through disagreements again and again. And others I spend an extra hour with our emotional preteen when _fill in the blank… those of you who were teens once know how this goes!_

To use a highly academic counseling phrase: that’s the important stuff. Relationships matter. Homeschooling allows us to learn, together, about life. And I wouldn’t trade our crazy life for the world.

moustaches - homeschooling

 

Allie O
Allie O. has been married to her high-school sweetheart for 15 years. She’s Mamma to six sweet kiddos- 3 to 14- whom she homeschools. She started blogging at www.gracefullmom.com 7 years ago and still occasionally posts there about recipes, her parenting journey and God's faithfulness. While most days are filled with homeschooling and laundry {first things first!}, Allie squirrels away time for writing, speaking & encouraging younger mammas. Their family of 8 explore the nation’s oldest city and she shares St. Augustine discoveries regularly at www.SimplyStAugustine.com. Say howdy to Allie O. via facebook & twitter!

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