I must admit, I wasn’t too shocked when I got the phone call from my mother-in-law voicing her concerns about my decision to pull my then 5th grader and 3rd grader out of public school to teach them at home. I mean, we had just moved to this state and extensively researched the school districts we were going to build our house near.

I remember it like it was yesterday, me still in the drivers seat trying to explain to her that it was a calling I had to obey! Heck, I didn’t know how I was going to do it, let alone try and explain to others the methods to our madness. All I knew was that God had called me and I chose to obey. I chose to beg and plead and TRUST that He would equip me with what I needed to take us down this path.

Fast forward 6 years and she doesn’t blink at it. She sees that her seven grandchildren are happy, healthy, EDUCATED and socialized…. she even laughs because she always brags at how much we do and how excited our kids are to go to co-op every week… You don’t see that many public students blasting social media with that much excitement about learning…

But she took the time to hold off judgement and see exactly what ” being homeschooled” meant. Now, she is my biggest supporter (and defender).

I would love to say that I escaped the prejudice and ridicule from the ones closest to me, but we haven’t. Some family still will never agree, more for the fact that they have never taken the time to actually ask me what it means to homeschool, why we do it or what we do. But that’s ok, I guess. It won’t change the view my husband and I share on it, nor will it affect our vision. God entrusted these children to me and at the end of the day, the parents always know best.

I know many of you have gone through similar experiences or perhaps are going through them right now. All I can say is hold on tight. Don’t lose that hope and vision that God has spoken to you. If he brought you to it, He will bring you through. It’s a promise and God never breaks his promises!

“Now he who supplies seed to the farmer and bread to eat will also supply you with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest that results from your righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 9:10

Over time, they will see that your kids survived and became productive members of society, they can read and write and even do arithmetic. They usually graduate high school with a higher self esteem and awareness ready to take that next step in life, because MOM has prepared them for what life has to offer.  Many form businesses and community connections way before their 20th birthday, and every bit of information from the Museum, Zoo, Historical Landmark can be quoted from memory because while public students visited once, homeschooled children have been weekly guests.

They WILL be socialized- more than you can ever imagine- with more people than you can ever imagine- because homeschoolers actively seek out others. We are a strong community that comes to each others’ aid at a moments notice. An underground world that’s bursting with opportunity and wonder. We plan “school time” around our social calendar, and when we go to co-op, the kids have classes with other kids of ALL ages.

Most of us spend the spring traveling to different homeschool conventions to and fro. Meeting our favorite authors and shaking the hands of the writers from our favorite curriculum. Moms load up their 15 passenger vans with every type of book, game, embalmed animal and science kits they can get their hands on. The sight of moms and dads pulling wagons FULL of those treasures would make any public school teacher drool with envy, because WE get to pick what we like. WE get to buy any book that makes our brains burst with eagerness to learn.

“Is it possible homeschooling can work?”

I love to share our world with others, especially the critics- although some critics can never be satisfied. In that case, lay the fight down and walk away. It’s just not worth it. People are scared of what they don’t know and understand and sometimes it’s not up to us to make them understand. Just continue looking up and God will lead you victoriously down the road less traveled.

XOXO