This past week, I was having a chat with my son about where he was academically. He quietly asked if there were things he hadn’t learned yet that he should. My heart sank as I wondered if HE felt he was behind. Have you ever had that moment when your head said a quick, but needed, prayer for the right words? That moment held me in a place where that doubt creeped in. The inner voice of “see, you’ve failed him.” It lasted a split second until I told it to shut up and began having a conversation with him about the difference in school and homeschooling. The question you may be asking is, “I want to homeschool, now what?” or maybe it’s “I can’t homeschool because…” insert your reason.I’m going to tell you the same thing I told him. In the public school setting, students are kept in a box. They are expected to learn the same way, at the same pace, with the same subjects and if you falter in any way, you are left behind or seen as less than. I know not all teachers feel that way, but I WAS a student in the school setting. I began falling behind even as early as 1st grade because I had issues memorizing multiplication facts. In 4th grade, I struggled taking tests and failed them even after studying at home. In Jr. high, I hated homework so much that I stopped doing it. I ended up in lunch detention several times. I had parent- teacher meetings. I found that lying was easier than feeling overwhelmed at what all I had to do for class to keep up. Highschool was a land of its own as I went to public school at that point. I shared with my son how there are homeschool families that try to have it look like school in their own way. They do specific curriculum, sit at a desk, start right after breakfast, all the things. And that works for them, I guess. And if it does, then that’s great! That’s what freedom means in homeschooling. But for us, it has been year after year of changing things, trying new things, tossing things out that weren’t working or we got bored with. Is that the best way to do it? I don’t know, honestly. I would love to have a set curriculum that both of my kids do well with, and I love, and we stick with it for all the rest of the time we have. I’ve tried the boxed curriculums and they have been wonderful, until they’re not. I’ve tried the unstructured and it’s been fantastic for them but leaves me feeling worried that I’m not doing enough. As I sat with my son, I finally told him, “I have 2 goals for the both of you with homeschooling. The first, is to know the Lord. I want you to know Him, who He is, and how to live for and serve Him. The second, is to be able to function in the world by the time you are 18.” I admitted to him my worries over the years of whether we were meeting standards, learning the right subjects at the right time, and that my goals have changed since we first started. I told him “if I can accomplish those 2 goals then the rest will work itself out and I have to remind myself of that on a daily basis.”There is NO “doing it wrong” in homeschool. There is only freedom.With freedom brings sacrifices. It does not bring the easy life. It does not mean no rain at all. But what it does mean is still finding rainbows along the way. It does mean personal growth for YOU, as the parent, teacher, bus driver, principal, janitor, and all the other roles.Seriously, if homeschool were described in 2 words as a parent. I would choose: personal growth. It tests every single part of you. It challenges what you have always thought and how you have always seen the world. It stretches your patience and belief in yourself and your own capabilities.Kind of like what parenting in general does, right?If I could tell you one thing about homeschooling, it is possible to start at any time. In any way that works. And even when the world…or family…or even you doubt your ability to teach your kids, YOU CAN DO IT.Maybe you aren’t sure where to start. I want to help you with that. It can be so overwhelming with resources. I have 3 things today.HSLDA.orgCathy DuffyEmail me at: [email protected] my private FB groupCome follow me on Facebook or InstagramDownload the free app to watch The Chosen or search "The Chosen" in your Apple or Android app storeWe started our journey from the beginning. It’s had so many bumps along the way that I’ve now decided homeschooling feels a lot like how the Beverly hillbillies looked riding in their old beat up truck, rumbling down the road, carrying their belongings to greener living. Actually, now that I think about it, homeschooling is a lot like that for many reasons! It’s bumpy, it doesn’t always look pretty and perfect, but when you’re with family, it is well worth it in the end.I stand by the fact that the school system should not be in control of when and how our kids learn about certain topics. They are not there to teach our kids about the latest trending things on social media and influence them based on their opinions. The school system’s job is to educate. To assist parents. To help students learn about things like reading, writing, arithmetic. To leave it up to the parents to lead them in ways of religious beliefs (outside of history, of course), sexual orientation, and yes, even when it comes to making their kids feel like they need to apologize for how they were created!You’ve got a decision to make. People may not agree with you. It may look like the Clampets. But you have been called. Your children are called. Life is not meant for you to just sit and binge Netflix – though I HIGHLY suggest binging The Chosen on their free app. But yes, life is meant to be lived. Taking chances. Changing the world for the better. And it begins in our own hearts. Our own homes. 
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