Don’t doubt it, you can homeschool
Feeling like you can’t homeschool? You are not alone. Maybe you are wrestling with the same issue I did.
Doubt. Was my major issue.
If you are considering pulling your kids out of traditional school and feeling the call to do this homeschool thing then you are not alone.
I was there too friend.
Perhaps you have some negative thoughts telling you that it’s too hard or that you are not qualified to teach your kids math, reading, science, history and ALL the things they need to learn. I never thought in a million years I would be a homeschooling mom. But here we are 6 years later and still going strong.
If we are being completely honest I didn’t even think homeschooling was legal at first. I laughed at the idea when I first got the nudge. I really questioned who was speaking to me!
Let me just rewind and explain a bit here. It all started when my middle son was 4 years old and entered Pre-K in our local public school. We lived down the street from the school even within walking distance. Most days when the weather was good that’s what we did. I walked him and his siblings down to the school hugged them, said our goodbyes and walked back home with my little one-year-old baby in tow. My life was good, my kid’s lives were great. However, something deep down in my heart was speaking to me. I was being pulled away from the public school “option.” My head and heart were in a real war. My head was saying, “this is just what you are supposed to do. My heart was saying, “this is not right.” I struggled with the thoughts, back and forth. Part of me was like, traditional public school is where kids are supposed to go right? While the other part was like, you can teach them, you are capable.
Then this happened. I remember it like yesterday.
One day during our regular walk home I hear God say so clearly, “You will homeschool them.” I actually laughed.
I was like, what is homeschool? Why would anyone do that? I really had a conversation with God about how wrong He must be about this and how unqualified I saw myself as. I went on to explain all of these excuses to God. It was the craziest thing I have ever experienced in my life!
Then all of the sudden every day after that conversation all I heard about was homeschooling. I would go to the store and someone would be talking about the subject in the checkout line. I would go to church and people began to approach me and yup, you guessed it! They started talking about homeschooling.
What is going on, I thought to myself. Am I completely losing my mind?
Turns out I was hearing God right and It was part of his plan for our family. During those first three years, I kept thinking ok well maybe if I just find them another school then that will be sufficient. Well, guess what I learned? Delayed obedience is still disobedience. God specifically asked me to homeschool. Not find another school for them.
I was disobedient for 3 years! I am so grateful for God’s grace and mercy.
( I needed a lot of that and still do on occasion. LOL)
When I enrolled them in their new school I even joined things like PTA, and other time sucking and drama filled activities.
Nothing made that still small voice quit telling me that I needed to homeschool.
It wasn’t until a fatal shooting across the street from my children’s public school happened. That was my wake up call to get in line with what God had been pressing upon my heart for those past 3 years. I decided it was time to withdraw them and begin our homeschool journey.
There have been ups and downs and everything in between. Looking back now it was the best decision I ever made for our family. Not only am I learning alongside my children, but God has taught me so much about myself during these past 6 years.
While homeschooling is not for every family, it is for those who have been called to do it.
Just because we don’t see how it will all work out most often we doubt we can actually do it. Something I learned while on this crazy adventure with the Lord is that He rarely gives us all the details upfront because he wants us to trust HIM and exercise our faith muscles.
Are you at the point of taking the homeschool plunge as I did?
Before jumping just make sure you check with the homeschool laws in your state to see what procedure you will need to follow. Just so you know it IS legal to homeschool in all 50 states. Each state has its own rules and policies. You can find out more information by visiting the Homeschool Legal Defense Association.
By the way, if you’re looking for a homeschool friendly state come on down to the great state of Texas!
We love it here and yes we do say Y’all often.
https://hslda.org/content/laws/
Happy Homeschooling!
XOXO- Krissy Scoon