Why You Ought To Persevere
Are you homeschooling? If so, you’ve discovered that things are seldom as easy as you supposed. All of us at one time or another have looked at the yellow buses going by and thought, “Well, there’s always that …” But here are some things which help us keep on course when the headwinds pick up and doubts sometimes arise:
- Often, the reason you chose homeschooling hasn’t changed. There are still peer group issues in the schools, you probably still won’t like the state-chosen curriculum, and you’ll still be tied down to an institution’s schedule, agenda, and politics.
- Children do best when there’s stability in their lives. Taking your child in and out of a school situation can be disruptive and unsettling to them, especially if it’s frequent or happens in the middle of the year. We encourage new homeschoolers to make a commitment for a whole year, not just “We’ll try it a few months and see what happens.”
- Sometimes your “school” time is needed for things you can’t measure. God’s curriculum is not always the same as our own. We may need to establish (or re-build) a love for learning, or strengthen the parent-child relationship, or learn about living through trials, or do something else which is not exactly “curriculum” … but makes a big difference in your child’s life. Get the basics done and trust God for the rest!
- Results take time, but they’ll come. We have homeschooled eight children, and you know, our ten year olds have never said, “Thank you, Mom, for making the sacrifice to teach me spelling at home!” But we have three graduates*, and all three have phoned home from college – multiple times – to say, “I am so thankful I was homeschooled!” The time you spend now may be lean on the gratitude, but it’s investing in a future your child will likely bless you for.
We were at a conference a few years ago which gave out book bags that read, “When you teach your child, you’re actually teaching your grandchildren.” Some days homeschooling will be hard, and some years will be more about building character than finishing textbooks, but the adventure is worth it. Embrace the challenge and hold fast to your goals!
Yours In The Battle,
Hal and Melanie
*Actually six graduates now and they’ve all said the same thing!