Today, I want to share our homeschooling story and the benefits we have received after six years of diligently doing the work God intended for our family.
It was 2017, and we entered the church for the first time in Ohio; the pastor’s wife welcomed my husband and me into the sanctuary with a big smile. We sat down and introduced ourselves.
Homeschooling:unknown world
The concept of homeschooling had been introduced to us by our neighbor back in South Dakota when we lived there, but it still felt like such a foreign thing to us, especially for this mama from Colombia. Homeschooling does not exist in my country of origin, and it took me several years to grasp what that meant. However, I always felt 100% interested and drawn to learning more about it.
After talking for a few minutes with our new friend, the pastor’s wife, she shared that she had homeschooled her kids and was helping her daughter do the same. The woman radiated such light that I was instantly interested in getting to know her better. She spoke passionately and confidently about homeschooling; her love and commitment to her kids were visible, and she was sure experienced in being a homemaker. I knew this connection was God-sent, and I would try to get as much information from her as possible. Thankfully, she and her husband wanted to invest their time guiding younger generations on the topic. Through a homeschooling class they offered and regular Sunday morning chats, we started to feel like God had a unique call in store for our lives for the future. Little did she know how impactful she would be in our lives and how grateful we feel today for her and her husband’s guidance. They would be the ones who would help us decide to homeschool, guide us initially through the process, and even share the first curriculum recommendations with us.
Fast-forward to 2018
We packed our house into boxes to return to my husband’s home state; after six years of being away from Minnesota—a fantastic job opportunity allowed us to move back home and near family. With that, a new beginning; the perfect opportunity to start afresh, and this time, the kids would not be going back to school because we were sold on homeschooling and had decided to try it. A decision that felt right but also filled us with fear of the unknown. However, with our trust in the Lord, we moved forward. We decided to take it year by year, and at any given time, if it did not work, we would be okay sending the kids back to school.
“School” at home.
Homeschooling started for our family as it usually starts for other families that have been a part of a school setting in the past- my first spontaneous attempt was to recreate school at home. Still, I quickly realized that wasn’t working for us.
Some of the biggest challenges I experienced were mental and internal for me as a mom. How on earth would I work out, clean the house, do my devotional, read, and do everything I was doing while the kids were at school and I was solely caring for the home while my husband went to work? Looking back, I feel fortunate that I had that little time to deepen my connection with God and set some excellent dynamics for the family and the house chores. Still, it is silly to think that I would spend the rest of my life doing just that while my husband worked so hard. I celebrate those who can afford that lifestyle, but that was certainly not what would fit my family. I knew much more was in store for me as a mom and the rest of the family.
Finally getting the hang of things!
One of my favorite things is to look back and see God’s perfect timing and work in each of my family members and how much He has brought us together and fortified our relationships. The chiseling has been hurtful at times and has made us look ahead with no hope, but we have overcome each of those experiences and have come out of them stronger and with a more profound love for each other. And when I say that, I am talking about all of us, husband and wife, children and parents, siblings. God’s fingerprints have been in this journey, which is wonderful. I can’t imagine how we could live this life differently.
Harvest time
Some of the most significant benefits that we have received over these past six years, other than relationship-wise, are:
- Bilingualism. Our children started this journey with a basic knowledge of the Spanish language. Today, they are nearly bilingual. They can understand almost everything they hear but are working on losing the fear of speaking back in the target language. It has been a long process and too long to explain, so it will need its separate blog post (stay tuned for it)
- Academically, they have exceeded our expectations and surpassed standard national scores by ranking one, two, and even three years ahead. Yay!
- Their independence and work ethic is remarkable. As young as they are and as much work as they have ahead, we are so pleased to see where they are. Any kid starts to show this type of success as long as the parent nourishes those areas early in their lives, but homeschooling has given us an advantage. That advantage is time. We have had the time to work on many character traits fundamental for their development and contribution to society early on in life at a faster and more detailed speed.
- Our house runs as a collective effort. Everyone in the home can work on their passions. We work as a team, and we help each other. Hence, there is time for exercise for the parents, free time for exploration and pondering for the children, one-on-one dates with one another, rest for everyone, and fun time together exploring different activities that define us as a family. A lively home filled with the people and things we love is a tremendous gift.
Looking ahead:
We have a lot of things to figure out, and I know life will throw at us unexpected curveballs, but our faith remains and continues to grow stronger in God and His leading hand.
After six years of being at it and overcoming many obstacles, homeschooling has been life-changing for our family. We are better people and more united because of it. I highly recommend it, especially if you want your family members to deepen their knowledge, work in their passions, and nourish their skills.
Today, I think about that dear lady. The sweet pastor’s wife lent us a smile and a word (or many words) of encouragement and wisdom. Her advice and excitement were contagious, and she left this earth not knowing the significant impact she had on my life and my family. But she impacted many other lives, and I hope some of them can thank her and share their success stories with her.
Thank you, Mrs.Beth
I dedicate this post to her. Mrs. Beth Webb, who left to be with Jesus in 2019 after battling cancer- I will always remember her with love and admiration.
Do you have a similar story? What has made Homeschooling a successful story for you?
Our stories are so unique and individual. They are the essence of who we are as family– They for our identity. I am sharing my story in here not with the intent of boasting over my blessings by rather reflecting on how our journey has been. I hope you feel motivated and encouraged to faithfully lean into your family, an dwork hard towards your goals and your hopes for your family.