We all have our own reasons why we chose to begin the journey to homeschool our children. Some have known that they were going to homeschool all along and have done so from the beginning. Others put their children in public school and later decided to remove their children. There are some who tried private school, only to trade it in for homeschooling.
Our family fits into the last group. I don't often share this story with many because of fear of not wanting to make the school sound horrible. However, people should hear our story because there are so many who can relate. Those from the same school our children attended and those from other schools.
Private school had such a draw to me because I was pregnant with number 4 and didn't even have a clue how I could manage homeschooling my oldest in the midst of such a big change. It was frightening. I knew some homeschoolers, but I really didn't know many in the area. So, private school sounded better. The idea that we were raising children who would know God and learn education pulled me right in. Kindergarten wasn't so bad. It was half day and not so taxing on our family time. Then we started 1st grade and life changed dramatically. All of a sudden our little boy was gone ALL DAY LONG. I couldn't stand that someone else was getting the most time with my children and we really didn't have time with him at home because of homework, dinner, preparing for bed, etc. It wasn't enough for me to start homeschooling however. It wasn't long after that, that our son started coming home in tears because he was being picked on. We talked with the principal, teachers, the parents of the students, etc. Everyone said the same thing. Caden exaggerates or lies to make things bigger than they are. I believed it. It took a long time for me to realize that the reason he was exaggerating or down right lying was because he felt such a lack of injustice. No one stood up for him at his school. It escalated to a level that changed our son from a stubborn yet sweet first born to an angry, bitter child who was constantly in tears and completely hated school. It was the first couple of months of his second grade year that yet another situation occurred with the older boys. The parents and school staff didn't take it seriously. Again. Once I put my foot down and said, "This HAS to stop", a little more discipline took place for the students involved. However, not for all of the students involved. It was at that point that my husband said enough. He was tired of spending so much money on something that was causing our son to morph into this person that no one should be and yet so many are because no one stands up for them. It was obvious things in school were not going to be completely rectified once and for all. So, we started homeschooling much to my great fear.
The reasons we continue to homeschool are not just because of the situation above. It is simply the tool that God used to open my eyes to the reason we needed to start homeschooling. Since then, we have become a family who fully believes in homeschooling for so many reasons. We have a family who has bonded in a way that is not possible when children are in a public or private school setting. It's a bond you will never fully understand until you actually homeschool. Our children are learning what we want them to learn. We have the ability to deal with problems that we were unable to see when they were in school. The best part, we get the best of our children. We don't get the leftovers. We get the part of their day when they are happy, awake, and ready to learn instead of giving that to a teacher while we get the aftermath. It's a hard road some days, but the longer we homeschool, the fewer and farther between the bad days are.
It's been a process of character building in my children and more so in myself. I have so much to learn and I haven't even come close to arriving. In the last few years, however, I have learned so much. New families and friends have entered our lives and have impacted them in a way I never imagined to be possible. This blog is intended to be an encouragement for those who are or are planning to homeschool. It is my hope that our journey so far will be an example to others. In our success and our failures, we have learned so much.
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