Homeschool Confession

I’ve decided to homeschool. There, I said it. (I can see your shocked faces!) Can you believe it?! Me?! It’s like Saul’s conversion to Paul! Although I may not have thrown actual stones at homeschoolers, I have thrown mental “stones” at homeschoolers (mean words like “antisocial” and “weird” and “sheltered”). My thought on homeschooling has always been (face scrunched up), “Why on Earth would you want to do that?!” and “Good luck with that... Hope your kids don’t turn into freaks.” Situations like this is exactly when God starts working on my heart, in the sneaky way that only God can do, and then one morning I wake up and think “I’m going to start homeschooling.” I’m shocked and surprised by it all, but I imagine that God is giggling up in heaven. He always knows what He’s up to! And He's so, so patient.

So, I officially decided about a month ago but, looking back, I know God began the thaw on my heart about a year ago. It was about a year ago that Sienna started asking to be homeschooled, too. Of course, the decision comes with reasons and it’s not mainly because we're Christian, but more because we’re military. As a Christian, I feel almost an obligation to be out in world, being a light, and I think one of the best mission fields is in the public schools. But as a military family, facing another move this year, the thought of moving schools –again – can produce a lot of stress in me and the kids. I have no guarantees on where we’ll be living and what the school system will look like at our new home. Add in the challenges of being the new kid at school. Stress, stress and more stress.

Also, I do have some real concerns about standardized tests. Sienna will start standardized testing next year and she and her friends are already coming home saying how stressed they are about the test and they don’t think they’re going to do very well. There is a time to be worried about tests, say the SATs, but it isn’t in the 2^nd Grade! This is when kids should be cultivating a love for learning that will help them float through the stresses of test taking when they are older. The goal is learning, not test taking skills. I also read this article a few months ago about test taking and it made me think about the affects of standardized testing on our kids.

As I started researching homeschool curriculum, I was completely blown away by the options and quality. We're going to be able to cover so much more but working almost half the time she's at school now, all while weaving in Christian themes and character builders. Unfortunately, Sienna comes home from school with such a terrible attitude. She talks back, bobs her head at me, and says mean things. I think she struggles with back talk anyway (ahem, genetics) but being around it all day reinforces the behavior. As a lady told me, “I actually started liking my kids again once we started homeschooling.” Wow.

I think this blog also addressed many of my homeschooling concerns and truly inspired me. I love her words: “As a mama-teacher, I approach all the readings as a co-discoverer with an insatiable appetite to learn more. I’m exploring with the kids and I’m excited every day about we’re finding out together!  It’s not perfect — but it is contagious! I really believe that a curious mother and a library card can offer a stellar education.”

To be honest, I can’t wait to see what ALL of us learn next year!