As I gear up to start a new year, only my second, I’m realizing how differently I feel since starting the homeschool journey. Reflecting back I see several big changes and many small ones.
I’m learning so much, likely more than my 5-year-old. Topics that I either never learned or forgot are exciting to discover alongside my son. I feel like I’m reclaiming my own education. It is fun!
Here are a few surprising ways that homeschooling changed my life.
My relationship with my husband is stronger.
Taking control of your children’s education is a daunting task. But it has forced us to be more intentional about discussing how and what we want them to learn. We have total flexibility, so if daddy has to go to another town for the day we can all pack up and go with him. My husband’s job is demanding and stressful, but fairly flexible. If he is feeling overwhelmed, we can just take off for a quick vacation, and after a few days we all have a better perspective.
My faith has deepened.
I’m not sure if it’s just that I need to rely on God more or because I’m talking about Him more, but I cannot remember a time when my relationship with Jesus was as strong as it is today. I hope and pray that I can continue to seek Him first and instill that in my children as well.
We protect our time.
We have all sorts of time together, but I find myself evaluating what tasks/activities are the most important and only investing in places we see lots of value. I love our mornings together, just reading on the couch or working on writing at the table. We don’t have an intense curriculum right now, and I’m trying to savor this time where we aren’t pressured.
My Amazon cart will never be the same.
As a former teacher turned homeschool mom, I’m a big book lover, constantly adding books that I “just have to have” to my cart. I firmly believe kids should always have lots of books to choose from, and I’m always adding titles that someone tells me they enjoyed. I really need to make a budget category for books.
I’m more defensive.
Even though homeschooling is becoming more popular and has been proven successful, I still get some funny questions and looks from others. I’m not very gracious when asked about socialization. I know that I only need to answer to God, but for some reason I feel the need to defend my choice.
I’ve found a community that I love.
We participate in a co-op and the moms (and some dads) have become an incredible support system. We meet every week and are able to encourage and challenge each other. Our co-op is actually worldwide so we have an active facebook group to share ideas and remind each other of our end goals on hard days.
My life has been changed because of homeschooling. For now, I’ve committed to one year at a time. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’m thankful for the journey.
