Homeschooling was never on my radar. When our first child was about 15 months old, my husband graduated from college and we moved south to central Florida. We soon found a wonderful church where we became heavily involved. We loved it there! We were making close friends, I was serving in the children’s ministry, and together we took some of the marriage classes offered, to grow closer to God and to one another as a couple.
The church had a preschool and was also starting an elementary school. My ‘plan’ was to send my kids to preschool and elementary school there, and to eventually teach there myself. When my oldest was 3 years old, he entered the preschool program. My daughter was only 2 years younger and soon followed. By the time we had added our third child to the family, my son was entering kindergarten and we were wondering how we would afford private school for three children!
We decided to try public school. That lasted all of about 6 weeks, due to an illness in the family which required travel. My son was “missing too much school” and we were told he would fail the year if he missed more than 9 days in a semester. We decided to try homeschooling for the first time. Although it was going well, and I enjoyed teaching my children at home, it was not a permanent decision. By the beginning of the second semester, we had found a way to cut costs enough to swing tuition, and we re-enrolled our son and daughter in private school.
I began volunteering at the school because I wanted to be involved and be ‘in the know’ about school happenings. As my children learned and grew, we became ensconced in the school setting. We made great friends, participated in field trips, and generally enjoyed our time there. I missed my children, but kept busy with my baby and enjoyed our time together when they were home. As they each moved into their next grades, I found a sitter for my youngest and was able to spend even more time at the school. I was the ‘Friday Folder’ mom in my son’s 1st grade class. I saw what they were working on each week, listened to the teacher as she taught various lessons, and sometimes I graded papers. I even began walking with my son’s teacher some evenings because we lived near one another, and it was a great time of fellowship for me!
The end of the year came and went, and we were well into summer when there were rumblings about a temporary move. We were not sure if we should all move or if my husband should go alone, but eventually came to the decision to take everyone. Thus began our second, and very short, stint in the homeschooling world. With a 2nd grader, kindergartener, and 2.5 year old, I found it difficult to ‘do school’ and keep everyone happy. After 4 short weeks, I threw in the towel and put the kids in the neighborhood public school. Their time there ended up being very short as well, as the company shut down the program my husband was working on and our family headed back to Florida after just 9 weeks away!
Working My Plan
There were openings in the children’s grades, as well as an opening for a preschool teacher’s aide and an after-care worker, at the private school where our kids had been enrolled before. I accepted both. My dream to teach was about to come true! We began school just after Thanksgiving that year. My children were at the school from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. I had found a daycare for my youngest son and I had also enrolled in college classes. I was preparing to get the teaching degree that I had always wanted.
We were all very busy and actually not very happy. My husband was the one to pick up my youngest from the sitter and he also often began dinner preparations. What a blessing he was! Still, that was not his role, it was mine. By February, I knew things weren’t working. We held a family meeting and decided that I would stick the year out with my teaching and classes but that the next year I would be done at 3 p.m. when my children were. I was thrilled with our plan, and I even had a real teaching job lined up for the following school year. I would teach 3 year olds from 8 to 12 and be able to pick up my kiddos at 3 p.m., just as I had promised!
Surrendering My Plan to God
Over the summer I continued to take classes and left my children in daycare. I still didn’t get it, and God began to whisper to me:
How do you feel about missing your son perform during his Christmas play, and for Mother’s Day? Shouldn’t you be teaching him?
He also brought to mind the verses from Deuteronomy 6: 4-9, and I wondered, how will I teach him if I am not with him?
We had also learned that our daughter had a vision problem and could not read, a requirement for the first grade environment. She would need more help than would be available. These two things caused me to consider homeschooling yet again.
It was a hard sell to my husband. I promised to stick out the entire year, even if I hated it. He hesitantly agreed. It was tough, but I knew that this time I had heard a clear call from God to do this. That is what made the difference! I have had to surrender some dreams, but answering the call to homeschool has given me new dreams, far and above anything I could have dreamed up on my own. We are entering our 8th year of homeschooling and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
Please be sure to join me again next week, when I will answer the question: What IS homeschooling, anyway?
Blessings,
Wendy
About Wendy Woerner
I love reading how other families are called to homeschool. My husband and I both heard it from the Lord before we were ever a “we”. Sure made that part of it easy. We’re beginning our 8th official year (eldest daughter starting 7th grade) and still working day to day getting it “right”.
I love to read others’ stories, too, Hillary! it’s amazing to me how many ways God brings folks to the same journey. That’s neat that he told you both to homeschool before you ever met. 🙂 We are also striving daily to get it ‘right’. Thanking God for His ever-present grace!
I’m so excited that this is here! I’m contemplating doing some pre-school with my son, because he’s active, and loves learning. Can’t wait to read next week. 😀
Yay, Peggy! So glad to give you information that you need and want. 🙂 Thanks for stopping in, and I pray I answer some questions for you next week that will help you as you teach your son!
Wendy, reading your blog just makes me want to homeschool! I have thought of it for years, but truly believe that I am not to do so. I do not feel that I am disciplined enough to be able to do this. But I totally admire women like you who do!! Thank you so much for being so willing to share your homeschooling expertise with us! May God bless this new endeavor of being an At Home w/ GCH Homeschooling Blogger!! 🙂
Thank YOU, Christi! I am so happy to have the opportunity to our into other women and to, hopefully, dispel some beliefs about homeschooling, as well as give helpful information regarding the ins and outs of it. At one time I was also of the belief that “I could never do that”. And you know what, I couldn’t, not until God called me to it. I had heard people say “it’s a calling” but didn’t really believe it until I lived it! God has enabled me to homeschool, and He has built me up in so many other ways, through homeschooling. It’s a refining fire, for sure. IF you have a desire to homeschool, anyone, pray about it. God will show you, and He will equip you daily to answer His call!
I so believe that, Wendy….If God calls you to it, He will equip you! AMEN!
I love learning about how others became homeschool families. Mine is one of those, ‘If only I had known then what I know now…’ stories. Oh, and I keep thinking I might feel God nudging me, but I’m not sure if it is God or peer pressure…still praying about that.
I understand the concern that it could be peer pressure….spending more time asking is the best thing you could do. Keep praying and He will make it clear. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts!