I never imagined I would homeschool my kids. In fact, I anxiously awaited the days when they both would be in school for seven hours a day. Then we took Gage out of public school temporarily, in order to travel. And here we are six years later, and I'm still homeschooling. This is proof alone that the Lord has a sense of humor and often laughs at our plans. Because this was definitely not ever my plan.
I have to admit that this is a calling from the Lord. It is not anything I ever desired or even felt qualified to do. Over the years I have brought this up in prayer regularly. I've asked the Lord to give me wisdom and patience. I questioned whether or not my kids would be left behind somehow, and if I was somehow doing them a disservice. Every single time I brought up these concerns, I was always left with this peace and this feeling of "Trust me. They will be fine. This does not even matter."
For reference, I have never audibly heard the voice of the Lord. Coming from the viewpoint of an unbeliever, it might come across that I'm mentally unstable. But I know that other people who have a relationship with Christ understand that the Lord communicates with each of us in a unique way that only we can understand. If we have ears to hear and eyes to see, and are willing to listen, we will be receptive to receiving answers to our prayers.
This past year as children have had to virtual school and parents have had to relearn how to live with their kids 24/7, I have felt like I had a head start on all of this. I was already skilled in these departments. I had lived with and homeschooled my kids in a tiny space for four years. So while other parents were being driven insane by their children, I was ok. While parents (and children) were pulling out their hair trying to figure out how to homeschool, we were fine.
My kids have been given the choice to attend public school or not, and neither of them care about going. I'm not holding them hostage against their wills. I actually have thought in the past that Owsley would love the social aspect of school, but both of them prefer to be homeschooled. There have also been times over the years where I was ready to go ahead and enroll them in school anyway. But I persisted, because deep in my gut it seemed like the right thing for my family.
People argue that homeschooled kids are weird. And maybe this was true in the past when it was mostly sheltered fundamentalist families that chose to homeschool, but now it doesn't seem to be the case. I'd like to offer the counterpoint that wearing masks 7 hours at a time inside of a plexiglass shield is actually weirder than being schooled at home.
Everyone reading this knows that I am a christian, but we actually have a secular curriculum that is free from propaganda. I teach my kids what they need to know. Reading and math are our two core basics, because you do need those skills to get by in life. But do they really need to know how to diagram a sentence? Or do they really need to memorize the periodic table of elements? Nah. I'm teaching my kids to treat people with empathy and respect. I'm teaching my kids how to think critically and be open to reason. I'm teaching my kids in a way that opens up a variety of doors, so that they will see what areas they are naturally talented in.
I see the world quickly changing around us. We need to learn life skills and trades. These are the things that will be important in the near future. We need to learn to see things from all viewpoints and take things in reasonably and logically, rather than emotionally. I am greatly convinced that theses are things my children are better off learning at home. I am not discrediting the school system. I understand some children need that structure and stability. Many of them do not get that at home. The nurturing some children get from their teacher is more than they ever see at home. So I'm definitely not looking down on public schools at all. It's just that this past year has been really eye opening to me. So many things have seemed providential in my life. It's hard for me not to see God's plan for my family playing out in real time.
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