The Joys of Homeschooling

These are two of the greatest joys!

Homeschooling can be challenging. There are individual personalities that are together for extended periods of time, emotions that arise from a variety of circumstances, educational challenges, daily chores that must be accomplished in the midst of having a living, active household, and the constant chatter and busyness that having your children home all day brings. At least these are the things I have found challenging. But in spite of those things that seem difficult, there is a great deal of joy that overflows into the lives of a homeschooling family.

I talk, write and post a lot about homeschooling. I do so partially because I’m passionate about the choice we’ve made for our family, but mainly because I find a great deal of joy in the experience. And as I’ve started on the journey of seeking joy in all things, here I want to share the specific joys I am experiencing as a homeschooling mama.

One of the things I have enjoyed since my children were babies is watching them grow. Being able to see them learn new skills like rolling over, crawling, and walking were exciting. Next they were figuring out how puzzles went together, learning their alphabet and numbers. Pretty soon they could read words and communicate in long sentences. These were thrilling times! This joy continues as I school my children today. I have a front row seat for those “ah ha” moments where they grasp new concepts and put together the things we’ve been learning into words and practice. Of greatest importance is seeing them grow in their faith and knowledge of the Lord and begin to learn how to apply Scripture to their lives.

Now I happen to be writing this following a rather difficult school day. One thing you can’t get past when your children are with you all day, everyday, is that their sins, weaknesses, and struggles are ever before you. But because they are with you, you get to watch them mature, grow, and overcome these challenges. Each difficulty becomes a teachable moment that helps all of us.

These challenges as well as the pleasures of being together tie the heartstrings of my children to one another and to myself. Sister and brother are becoming better friends. There is a deepening in my relationship with each of them as well. I am jealous for my children’s hearts and desire them to always feel comfortable turning to me. I love being with my children. And yes, I am in need of some quiet time by day‘s end and I do enjoy some time away once in awhile, but overall I still love having my children with me all day. My kids are fun to be with and we have many laugh out loud moments and shared experiences that make for great memories.

Homeschooling is a great experience for me on a personal level. I was an elementary teacher for about nine years. I found a great deal of fulfillment in that profession. I was blessed with many wonderful students who also had amazing parents whom I enjoyed partnering with. But having made the commitment to be home with my own kids, I gave that up when our daughter was born. So I am overjoyed with the opportunity to once again dive into planning and preparing, to pour over curriculum and come up with fun activities to do for my own children.

And yes, I can’t talk about the joys of home schooling without mentioning the flexibility. I am overjoyed at how relaxed our home life is (most of the time) without the pressure of conforming to an outside school schedule. Our mornings are leisurely. The kids work at their own pace. We can enjoy morning walks. Our afternoons are spent resting, playing and working together. Although I am not one to just say, let’s forget school today, I like that we can go when and where we want. School can come with us, or we are done early enough to enjoy some great things.

The opportunities allowed by homeschooling are fabulous. We have many field trip options available to us through our homeschool group as well as what we desire to do as a family on our own. We have the time to explore units of study at length and try out experiments or do projects. The kids are allowed to have input in regards to what we study. J really wants to do a unit study on dinosaurs. So that’s up next for him. I’ve been considering a change in our science curriculum for next year and asked E what she would prefer. While the kids appreciate being able to have input, I enjoy the freedom to choose curriculum for my children.

These are the main things that come to mind when I think about our homeschooling journey. But like Sally Clarkson writes in her book, Seasons of a Mother’s Heart, “there have been so many other unexpected joys in home schooling, like the ones above, which have surprised and delighted my spirit.” (p. 124) This lifestyle may not be for everyone, but for us, it has brought tremendous blessings. And I will always encourage those considering it, to go for it because the homeschooling lifestyle can be very fulfilling and rewarding. There are many joys to be discovered!