Homeschooling….

One of my favorite things that people often ask me about is homeschooling. I’m definitely not an expert but I’ve learned a lot these last twelve years.

Sometimes when asked about homeschooling I want to issue a WARNING. I want to tell them that I might not be the mom they want to talk to. Ha!

There are different kinds of homeschooling moms.

There are some moms that want to recreate public school at home. They want to do school 8am to 3pm. They hang posters and alphabet charts all over the walls. They probably have a designated school room or area in their house. Public school is what they know and they might subconsciously believe that if it’s not just like the public they attended, then it’s not REAL school.

That mom is definitely not me.

There are also moms that desire to get their child into Harvard or Yale. 😉 They develop a rigorous homeschool curriculum that rivals the finest private school education. Their children are masters of all the advanced courses. They probably speak Latin fluently.

That mom is definitely not me.

There are also moms that are creative geniuses. They develop entire units around Valentine’s Day. Their children work on amazing projects the entire year. They probably make a working telescope out of marshmallows and pipe cleaners.

That mom is definitely not me either.

I’m the mom who backs up and punts A LOT. I’m the mom that’s willing to change when something isn’t working. I’m the mom that’s willing to do what works best for each CHILD, not what works best for me.

I’m the mom who wants my kids to have TIME to just be KIDS. I want them to have time to participate in the arts. I want them to have time to be involved in our church activities. I want them to have time to pursue what interests them, even if it isn’t “school” related.

I’m the mom that knew what my ultimate homeschooling goal was a long time ago and I’ve chased after that.

RELATIONSHIP

I want to have a solid relationship with each of my kids. I want to really KNOW them. I want them to be able to talk to me about anything. I want to have the kind of relationship where we can discuss hard things.

The relationship that I have with my kids is different from the relationship I had with my parents growing up. That was my goal.

At the end of the day, the relationship is more important to me than an A+ in calculus. Period.

KINGDOM IMPACT

My strongest prayer for my children is that they grow to know, love and serve Jesus. Out of that love I want them to want to serve him faithfully in whatever path they choose for themselves.

I want to see them grow in their faith and be strong in their convictions. I want them to be a part of changing their world without being OF the world.

I want to know that they have 12+ years of solid nurturing and guidance under their belts before we send them out into the world. I want them to step out into adulthood confident in WHO they are and WHOSE they are.

At the end of the day, I don’t panic about homeschooling. I want my kids to know HOW to learn. I want them to LOVE to learn. I want them to know that we are cheering them on no matter where God calls them. If He calls them to be a rocket scientist then yay for them! If he calls them to be a stay at home parent and raise their babies then yay for them!

I want them to know that we don’t judge their worth by whether or not they attend college. I want them to know that we love them the same whether they grow up to be a lawyer, a doctor or a hair stylist.

When my kids are done with their official homeschooling journey, I want them to have fond memories. I want them to treasure the time they spent at home truly getting to know their siblings and their parents. I want them to have a broad range of experiences that they hold close.

Pursue what you love. Love and serve Jesus.

Everything else comes out in the wash.

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This is a book that I’ve been wanting to pick up. It came highly recommended for anyone with children…whether you homeschool or not. I downloaded it today on Audible and I’m excited to get started.

Wanted to share for those of you who homeschool or who’ve had it on your heart to pursue something different.

Love You All,

Jenifer