A Few Thoughts on Homeschooling at the end of the first semester

We are wrapping up our first semester of homeschooling (next week, we will be out for Christmas!), and although I have no intention of becoming a homeschool blogger, I wanted to document my thoughts on the process so far.

• Homeschooling is a wonderful way to give your child a first class education. It is a way to give a child whose family could never afford private school a similar rated education. This mostly applies to those who live in poor school system zones. We have a great public school so this was not a factor in our decision.
• However, I believe that it is a luxury that not all families would be able to afford. Even if you resource your curriculum from a library, such that the resources were absolutely free, there is still the sacrifice of having a parent stay home with the child. Families in low economic situations would really have to weigh the cost, and as a result, many may not make that decision. My limited experience sees a homeschool population that is not very diverse, and I wonder if this is why, but I don’t have enough experience to know if this is the norm.
• Some families may be able to allow the child or children to work independently, and thus have a more flexible schedule, but for us, my child needs direct supervision so that she will do her schoolwork.
• One of the main reasons we sought to homeschool was for a better family dynamic. We saw immediate improvement in the issues we were having with our daughter, but we saw other problems pop up as a result too – loneliness, lack of deep friendships, self esteem issues.
• One of the reasons I’ve always wanted to homeschool was because I enjoy knowing more about my kids and seeing them learn. Annabelle and Elijah, our two oldest, lean toward introvertedness. There are many details that though we tried to learn about school, we were in the dark about. It has been nice knowing what happens at school.
• Also, I have never liked the rigid restrictions of school. I can only go to limited field trips, if any, and no siblings are allowed to public school parties, so this makes school rigid and inflexible. For me, I like the flexibility of being able to do things as a family and always be included in the field trips and learning opportunities. With no consideration of my kids, homeschooling would be a better option for me, but I have to think about the whole picture for my kids too.
• I have come to a deeper knowing and understanding of my daughter. I understand her struggles and her strengths in a deeper way than I did before.
• My daughter hated our decision to homeschool her, but she has come to trust me more, even when she gives me push back, I know this is true.
• I am an introvert and find it extremely hard to make deep friendships. It has been the case all of my life, and while many homeschooled kids are able to talk to children more easily, I have seen a reverse trend in my daughter, at least in my presence. This is deeply concerning to me as a fellow introvert who struggles with friendships. While we have not made the choice as to what we will do next year, this will factor in our decision.
• The co-op was a good and bad choice for us. Good in that it gave us a starting structure and a place to be with peers regularly. Bad in that it was similar in rigidity as public school.
• Being in this co-op has made us aware that we are capable of doing really hard things. And we are prouder of our success when we finish.
• I can clearly see my daughter’s progress. There is a LOT of pride in seeing how much we’ve accomplished in a short amount of time. We’ve finished half of our math and grammar books! Wow!
• Even though homeschool is a bit of a luxury, I think families should give it more consideration. It is such a neat experience and very rewarding, even if very hard.
• However, I think too that homeschooling is a calling from God, and that it is not for everyone, and would not be best for every child. You should not take the “calling” from God part lightly, as it will be hard work even when it is fun.
• There have been many times when I have thought about enrolling our daughter into public school next semester, not because homeschooling has not worked out but in thinking about my daughter’s learning and emotional challenges. It took me half of the semester to learn how best to come alongside her challenges and struggles. I am glad that I made a year-long commitment as it has helped both of us in our weak moments to stay focused on what we are doing and in persisting.
• We use Saxon Math grade 5/4, and Annabelle hates it, and I love it. I don’t think her elementary school was giving her a good foundation – that she was just gliding by because she is bright. Saxon helps us keep learning as she was already, plus adds a lot of rote, which she hates, but which instills in her a good foundation for math facts. I believe it will build confidence over time.
• God and Christian values are part of our curriculum. It helps her to think outside of the box she was seeing at school with mainstream values taking over her mind and heart.
• I am still learning how to best homeschool and do all my other mom/wife duties as I did before. I had to let go of some things, like a structured bible study, but I was able to pick up an accountability partner instead.

Ultimately, we will continue seeking God, and we believe that He will direct us to the best educational path for our daughter and each of my other kids too. 🙂

P. S. I will start the Christmas series later this week. jsh