Now that you know my story, and how our family came to homeschooling, you may be asking yourself this question.
What IS homeschooling, anyway?
Trust me, anyone who has ever considered taking this faith leap has asked themselves that question! The answer can be simple or quite complicated, and it depends on many things.
Are you new to homeschooling?
How many children are you homeschooling?
In which state are you living?
Is this a permanent decision, year-by-year, or definitely temporary?
What is your teaching and learning style?
What is your child’s learning style?
Does your child have a great interest in a certain topic or activity?
The definition
Are you ready for the basic, simple definition of homeschooling?
Homeschooling is the educating of a child by his or her parents.
Ready for the more complicated answer?
Homeschooling is:
Reading, baking, singing, playing, writing, building, creating, resting, thinking, gardening, swinging, digging, swimming, changing, committing, adjusting, listening, praying, following, obeying….to name just a few verbs. Notice how it is an active, living thing?
I posed this question in a couple Facebook groups of which I’m a part, as well. Below are some of the answers I received from mamas who are currently in the trenches of homeschooling!
“A learning lifestyle” ~ Inger from Hiding the Peas
“taking personal responsibility for their [your child’s] educational outcome” ~ Amber from Adventure Hollow
“Living and learning WITH your children.” ~ Heather from Upside Down Homeschooling
“We think of homeschooling as learning together as a family, doing our best to equip and prepare our children for what God calls them to in career, family, and Great Commission.” ~ Tauna Meyer from Proverbial Homemaker
“Homeschooling is a lifestyle. It is not school at home, but rather a way we choose to live our life.” ~ Stephanie from Multi Taskin’ Mom
It is simply choosing to raise our children ourselves.” Cindy from Get Along Home
“It’s doing life together! Pouring the love of Jesus into them every moment and making him the center of all we do! “~ Jennifer from Godly Glimpses
“Homeschooling is the gift of nurturing relationships with your children, crafting learning opportunities to meet their needs, and blending life and learning together. ~ Anne from learning table
An opportunity for parents to be at the helm of providing intellectual, moral, social and spiritual instruction to their children by choosing to guide them through learning outside of traditional public, private and charter schools. ~ Martianne from Training Happy Hearts
“Homeschooling is about discipling our children the same way Jesus discipled his apostles — by being with them every day, talking with them, teaching, training, and setting the example.” ~ Marcy from Ben and Me
Here are some quotes from a few unschoolers, too:
“….my definition of homeschooling has grown over the years. I believe it is the original design for families. Children learn naturally from their parents through daily interaction, guidance, participation in the community in meaningful ways, and working through issues.” ~ Aadel from These Temporary Tents
“For our family, homeschooling is not defined as what we do. It’s just that we keep our kids home from school. I actually had a “Yes!” moment recently as I was flipping through David Guterson’s “Family Matters” and that he had written something very similar to the above sentiment. I had finally found something that made sense. What unites all homeschoolers, regardless of their educational philosophy, is that they have traded in the ideal of public education to keep their kids home and to educate them in a way that seems natural and makes sense to them. Homeschooling is about choosing something different for your family.” ~ Rebecca from Raven Threads
“I believe that parents owe it to our children to step out of that world and seek first, God and then seek freedom. Freedom to think for themselves without fear of rejection, freedom to learn the world outside the textbooks, freedom to feel the world…not just read about it. Freedom to become discovers again! ~ Margret
Tabitha, over at Meet Penny, also helped me out by polling her readers. Here are some of the answers she received:
“A method of educating the whole child.”
“Homeschooling is a lifestyle.”
“Homeschooling is providing my children with the best education I can for them to become happy, intelligent adults.”
“I am heart-schooling!”
Personally, I love that last one.
I may need to begin describing our homeschool that way. After all, it is the reason I began homeschooling. To capture their hearts, direct them toward Him!
Did these quotes give you a good picture of what homeschooling is? Of what it can be?
I look forward to digging deeper next week with Why would ANYONE choose to homeschool? I hope you’ll join me!
About Wendy Woerner
I love these! I, like you, love the last one, “I am heart-schooling” So many of them, I found myself nodding too.
My children had been born prematurely, so many things that seemed the normal, didn’t work with them, They needed the knowing, caring touch of Mommy and Daddy. We did things that went against the ‘normal’ in their sleeping, eating, etc habits…why stop at schooling??
No one will care for and love my children as effectively as I can. God has given these precious ones to my husband and I, for a very good reason…We are the best parents for them, and they are best children for us. We have the skills and traits needed to help them, and if we feel as though we’re lacking…show by example, and seek Him first!
I’m very excited to be with my children, to continue to follow my instincts and heart as a mother.
I’m looking forward to next weeks post!
You are so right, Peggy, that no one can love or teach your children the way you can. God chose YOU for THEM, and even on days when we feel like we are just not good at parenting, He is always there to give us the wisdom that we need for each child in our life!! 🙂
I’m not a homeschooler, but I sure have thought about it!!! I don’t have kids at home on a regular basis now. So now wouldn’t do me much good. But I sure wish I had been able to when my kids were young!
As moms, we’re ALWAYS teaching our children!! 😉 My Mom is still the one I turn too for teaching, advice, etc.
Thanks so much for stopping in to read and for your reply, Peggy! I loved that not one of the folks I polled gave anything close to “we tried to emulate the school system here at home” as their answer. I so love that we can tailor our homeschool to the needs and desires of those within our own family! It brings such freedom to work at our own pace, spend a shorter or longer amount of time reading and learning about any topic. In our home we do quite a few things that are untraditional, even by homeschoolers’ standards, so I find peace in knowing that that is what God has called our family to, and it’s OKAY!
Christi, maybe you will have a hand in homeschooling your grandchildren someday. You never know! 😉
Wendy, you are so right, in that our homes are just as individual as we are, and that the way WE teach, and learn is different from the next, and it’s perfectly fine. 🙂 I love seeing how different each mom teaches. Just shows me that no school could ever be as equal to a mother on a mission!
Exactly! 😉
This is a subject that I’ve thought about since before my oldest started school. He’s 8 now and just started 3rd grade. I know it’s a step of faith I’m supposed to take but I still haven’t for one human “reason” or another. I look forward to getting more insight from you, Wendy. And maybe this will be the gentle nudge that helps me take that step. 🙂
Tracy, praying for you, that God will show you exactly which steps to take to follow His cal in this. It can be a scary thing, but it has been so worth it! We have rough days, but God is always there to remind me of His grace and to help me extend it further to my husband and children. I look forward to seeing you here in the weeks to come! 🙂
wendy, loved seeing the quote from mrs. marilyn howshall! waaaaay back when i was homeschooling my daughter, the insight that God gave to mrs. howshall was very influential on my heart. truly, as moms—whether privileged to homeschool or not at this time—God has given us enormous joy AND responsibility to care for the hearts of our children. as you wrote, “After all, it is the reason I began homeschooling. To capture their hearts, direct them toward Him!” no one else can do what God intends for YOU (each of us!) to do for your children…. thanks, wendy! <3
I found some booklets for free at a curriculum sale at the end of our first year of homeschooling. Reading about the Lifestyle of Learning sparked something in me and helped change my ideas about education and learning! Thanks for your encouragement.