Week 1 Down. 13 Years to Go.

 

We're one week into "real" kindergarten.  So far so good.  I say "real" kindergarten, because when we started our homeschooling trial run in January I used kindergarten curriculum.  Over the course of the last 9 months, Boy Wonder has flown through kindergarten and is now working through 1st and 2nd grade curriculum.  That said, for all other intents and purposes, he is in kindergarten.  He may be ahead, but we're planning on having him graduate at the age of 18.  We just hope that when he graduates, he will have been exposed to far more educational subjects than is required by the State of Texas.  If, at that point, he has also acquired some college credits, then yay for him.  That's not our purpose for homeschooling.

I'm having a hard time communicating to people that we homeschool because this is something that we want to do and feel called by God to do.  Plus, we're finding that it works for us.  I'm not a militant parent.  I don't believe that there is one way to raise a child that is going to work for every child and every family.  And I've met enough school-age parents to know that homeschooling is not a good option for the general population.  But I do believe that if we want to homeschool our child, then it's nobody else's business. 

It's ironic to me that the State of Texas has allowed us to create our own private school where we can educate our children as we see fit but that other parents think that we need some sort of supervision or help.  I can't tell you how many times other (probably well-meaning) lay people try to convince me that I should join a co-op, a university model school, a private school homeschool program, or a 1/2 day something-or-other.   It's driving me nuts! 

For the record, my professional educator friends and my relatives have been nothing but supportive of our decision to teach our children at home.  I can't tell you how much it means to me that my children's grandparents, my educator friends, and my church group friends have supported our decision to home educate.  Without the encouragement from these people, I probably would have been in tears this week.  And it's only week 1! 

Choosing to educate our child at home was one of the most difficult decisions that we've had to make as parents.  I'm well aware that this decision is not without controversy.  I'm well aware that I will be stigmatized and that my children will get to wear the "homeschooler" badge during their school years. I'm well aware that there will be tears and topics that we will struggle through.  I'm well aware that I don't have a PhD in every school subject.  I'm well aware that I will be teaching subjects that I never even studied in school.  But I know this: God has called us to homeschool, and we're going to obey.

So, for all of you homeschool parents out there, remember to honor God with your calling.  And to all of you who know homeschool families or families who are thinking about it, please be encouraging and don't harass them with your concerns.  Trust me, they share your concerns.  But when God calls them to do something, your opinion really doesn't matter.