Start with Your WHY: A Heartfelt Look at the Calling to Homeschool
By: Lanette & Brandon Judy
Maybe you've heard a friend talking about homeschooling or maybe the idea of sending your child away from you for 8+ hours a day sounds unappealing, and you find yourself thinking about homeschooling your child.
You are in the right place and let me tell you that homeschooling is a wonderful, wonderful blessing but will have challenges. That's why it's really important to start with your “WHY?” In my experience, if this is not solid and front and center in your mind as you approach homeschooling then it will be really easy to divert to something else. It will be really easy to say “I'm not qualified”, or “I should be working.” So what is your “WHY?”
Your why (all lowercase) can be that your child isn't challenged at school or there are negative influences at school but I challenge you to dig deeper than that. These are valid reasons but…. Are you being called to homeschool? Are you ready to put this commitment to God and your children above what may come with homeschooling? That may sound scary but committing to that above all else will make you successful. (And relieve your fears.. It’s Your will God.)
There will be bad days. There will be absolutely wonderful days. And days you'll think you’ve failed and meaningful experiences where you know your child is learning and growing. But above all else, your commitment to uphold HIS calling and purpose for your family must be at the top of the “WHY?” list. Then it's easy (or easier) to handle everything that comes along with homeschooling. “Your will be done in my children,” “Lord, fulfill your plan for their lives.”
After all, they aren't “mine” their His.
So what's my story? WHY do we homeschool? My son (now 18) and will be completing his senior year went to public school kindergarten (I was a former public school teacher, but was teaching at a private school at the time.) He was so excited to go to kindergarten and learn. But, we had many challenges in public school. He would ask me…”Why are we still coloring at school?” The school structure was very different than he was used to, for example he was not able to go outside until after lunch. “Mom,I just want to be outside and run around.” Even once outside they were required to walk in circles on a line until all the the kids were finished with lunch and they could have the proper amount of adults to supervise on the playground.(I can't make this up!)
At the fall conference, we were told that formal reading instruction wouldn't start until January. This was the instruction I knew my child needed but it wouldn't be provided until halfway through the year. As a teacher, knowing I could provide what he needed if he was with me all day began my search for something else. This was not going to work. We started a specialized behavior log for him. I started praying for a solution. I'd need a different job, or the ability to stay home. I started looking, and less than a year later, God blessed me with a work-from-home position. We found a Christian hybrid homeschool model that we were ready to try. And fast, fast forward 11 years, and this year he graduates from that school. The road was not always easy for our homeschool days, but it was a calling that I knew was for the Lord. God's footsteps were all over our journey.
Just as important as your own “why” (let’s be honest mama, most of the responsibilities fall on you), is your family “why” and making sure you and your husband are on the same page. Let me pass it over to my husband to talk about that!
Hello! This is my first time writing here, as I usually like to stay “behind the scenes” working on the business side of things. My background is totally different from what my wife describes above. I was homeschooled myself until college. I grew up when homeschoolers were definitely not the norm. I get teased at every family gathering about Jr. High, girls from the church we attended wanting to know, “what time do you and your brother eat lunch?” (They had taken an interest in my brother). To which I answered, “Whenever we want.” They looked at me like I had three eyes. You mean you don’t have a lunch period? This all went completely over my head. There were five of us in my family, and my mom and dad homeschooled all of us all the way through high school. They sacrificed at times (homeschooling means one income most times, right?). They both worked hard. I heard my Mom say at times, “Do you want me to send you on that big yellow bus?!?” (Not for me of course, I wasn’t the squirmy kid that dropped his pencil 1000 times a day just so I could get out of my chair).
Honestly, when I graduated and left for college, I thought I was done with that “homeschooling thing.” You see, it wasn’t just our school, my Mom and Dad owned a business selling math curriculum to homeschoolers. We travelled around Ohio and Kentucky attending homeschool conferences. I travelled throughout the US helping other distributors of that same curriculum at their big homeschool conferences. I shipped boxes of curriculum. I answered customer service phone calls (thinking to myself, “this mom hasn’t had an adult conversation all day”). I tutored other homeschoolers on upper level math they needed help with. Maybe…. I would homeschool when I had kids, but this wasn’t going to be my career.
The Bible says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 ESV). I have spent the last 16 years working in home education; supporting and advocating in many ways.
WHY? My WHY is about our kids. My desire for them is that they are set up for "success” in life. What does that mean? Does that mean that I expect all my children to attend Ivy League schools and go on to be CEOs, doctors, or lawyers? Emphatically, NO! I want them to be prepared in life for whatever God calls them to. Ministry? Sure. The trades? Yes. College bound? We are all uniquely and wonderfully made. God has given us talents, skills and abilities that make us who we are and that He wants us to use for His glory.
What better way to disciple and mentor your children than individualized learning (e.g. homeschooling)? Does that mean that everyone is called to homeschool? No. What I do believe is that if you seek the Lord for wisdom, He will grant it. No one (other than Him) knows what is best for you, your children, and your family than you!
What I will say, however, is that there are so many more resources available to you today than there was when my family started homeschooling. If your reason for not homeschooling looks like this:
I can’t do it
I am not good enough
I will mess up my children
My children won’t learn what they need to
I won’t have any support
My kids won’t have any friends
I can tell you, those are attacks/lies from the Father of Lies. Satan has a vested interest in you not pouring yourself, your faith, your talents, skills, and abilities into your children.
If you are on the fence and want to know more. Contact us at hello@totallanguageplus.com or call us at (717) 220-3427. We would love to support you in any way we can!