Should I Home School?

This seems to be the question that we start asking ourselves around this time of year. Every parent wants to do what’s best for their child, and I truly believe that home schooling is the way to go for a well-rounded, personalized education that is filled with many social opportunities. ….but I could be a bit biased since my mom did an amazing job educating nine kids.

I don’t know about you, but I tend to romanticize things a bit. I saw the dedication that it took for my mom to home school us, I heard the threats to send us to public school on the days when my mom felt completely overwhelmed, and I knew that it wasn’t an easy task. Yet I continue to romanticize it because I also felt all of her passion and love all of the years she taught me.

So I thought I would home school…

But we won’t be this year. In assuming I would home school my children, I did not take into account our own family’s dynamics and my own personality. Honestly, it was stressing me out. I read in “The Best Yes,” that you need to take into account if you can physically, financially, spiritually, and emotionally commit to something. Saying yes to home schooling at this point in our lives wouldn’t be the wisest decision because I don’t have the emotional resources to do so.

Realizing that home schooling my children wasn’t going to be an option for us (for now) was a hard pill to swallow. But it’s okay. Go ahead. Have an honest heart to heart with God to determine what is the best thing to do at this point in your life for your family.

At the end of last school year we had three options.

We could home school, which would put an emotional strain on me; we could send our kids to a Montessori (again) or Christian school, but that would put a financial strain on our family; or we could send our kids to public school, which I was worried may put a spiritual strain on my children.

So how did we make our decision?

The thought of sending my kids to a public school made me want to throw up. However, it was looking like our best option, so I sought out some counsel and ended up touring the local public school with my mom. All of my fears were put to rest.

Ya know… the devil likes to keep things hidden for a reason. He was blocking the light that was coming from the only door that was opening up, so we just shoved right on through in order to see what things were really like.

If things hadn’t turned out so well I would have ended up home schooling this year, but it looks like the Lord has other plans. I’m actually looking forward to seeing how He wants to use me or teach me as we continue through this school year.

One More Note:

This will be something we will continue to discern each year – it’s all about what you need in the present. I’m so thankful that we have so many options to choose from to educate our children!

♥ Nicole

So… Should You Home School?