May 17, 2023 – Remembering Why We Homeschool

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Because Sometimes We Forget

Things like stress, lack of rest, unrealistic expectations of ourselves, our spouses or our children, time pressures, and difficult circumstances can all cause us to forget why we are homeschooling. When others question us, or we question our own sanity, it’s time to remember why.

We are doing a good work keeping our children home. Remember that we are:

Obeying God’s Commands
To be sanctified (set apart) by Truth, and to remain set apart and separate from the world and its ways (John 17:15-17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

He Rewards Obedience:

• Reward of Success (Psalm 1, daily discipleship in His Word means everything he does will prosper!)
• Reward of Freedom (children have freedom from fear, anxiety, pressure, and conformity. And they have freedom to be who God created, pursue interests, learn at their own pace, and thrive)
• Reward in Research (homeschoolers excel across the board: NHERI.org Research Facts Sheet)

Providing Godly Education and Discipleship
Education is not according to the world’s philosophies, but according to Christ (Colossians 2:8). We can make disciples and teach them to observe Christ’s teachings (Matthew 28:18-20).

Fighting The Good Fight of Faith and Representing Christ
At home they are able to flee evil and pursue righteousness and be ambassadors for Christ (1 Timothy 6:11-12; 2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

Providing Individualized Instruction & Positive Socialization
We are partnering with God to prepare His children for every good work He will give them to do as they remain pure and unspotted from the world (Ephesians 2:10; 1 Timothy 4:12; Proverbs 13:20; James 1:27).

Avoiding Harmful Consequences
Our children get to avoid many mental health issues such as depression and severe anxiety that is prevalent in public school children, as well as avoiding ungodly propaganda, humanism, perversion, oppression, and intolerance of their Christianity. Because of Godly discipleship, they retain their faith as they grow:

• 87% of homeschooled young adults continue in their faith into adulthood.
• 88% of the children raised in evangelical homes (but discipled in public schools) leave church at the age of 18, never to return (2002, SBC Council on Family Life).

These articles from The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine also have some good reminders:

Why Homeschool? A History of American Homeschooling, by Marlin Detweiler
Remind Me Again: Why Are We Homeschooling? By Dr. Heather Allen
Why More Parents Should Homeschool: An Interview with Dr. Duke Pesta, by Kathleen Conway

We remember why we are homeschooling as God continues to bless and reward our collective obedience to keep His children Home. Where They Belong.

 ~Deborah

P.S. Don’t forget to tune in to our PODCAST, the Hey, Mama! Homeschool Show. Head over to www.HomeschoolShow.com and let us know what you think of all the new episodes!

Since many of you have made the commitment to homeschool your children, you may be wondering: why should I include creation apologetics as part of their education? Here are some things to consider:

• Based upon surveys of young people who walked away from their faith when they reached college, researchers predict that two out of three students currently in church are going to do the same thing. One of the top three reasons given was the belief that science has disproven the Bible.

• Some of your children’s friends attend public schools. These kids are being taught that all living things evolved from non-living chemicals over millions of years. They are also taught that humans evolved from ape-like creatures. These false ideas are in direct conflict with the Bible! If asked about these topics, how would your child respond? (1 Peter 3:15)

Need some answers? We can help! We have dozens of FREE short video lessons that build your student’s faith in God’s Creation! These resources are available at www.Genesisapologetics.com/students. For high school and college students, we have training programs, books, a smartphone app and dozens of videos on our YouTube channel. To access these resources, please visit www.Genesisapologetics.com.

Learn Latin through JAMwithLatin.com. Using the Henle First Year Latin textbooks, the classroom teaches an ancient language in a modern way. Perfect for homeschooling.

Raising Real Men

Hal & Melanie Young, RaisingRealMen.com

Discipleship, Relationship, Love of Learning and More

I’ve been that mom that was shirt-popping proud of her homeschooling. And I’ve been that mom that turned over the homeschool magazines in the bathroom because they made her feel nauseated. We’ve been homeschooling for thirty years, if you can believe it, and we are GLAD, GLAD, GLAD we’ve done it. There were a LOT of bumps along the way, though.

There was the child who just couldn’t learn to read despite using all the best programs, one after the other. (Spoiler: He did learn finally when he was 11, and now he’s a college graduate with a great career!)

Then there was the year that we had a newborn with a heart condition, Hal was diagnosed with stage IV cancer, we were starting a new business. We thought we’d lose our minds that year. (Spoiler: Hal is cancer-free and that baby is now a healthy teen.)

And that’s just a start. Trials come. Sometimes you’re just having a bad day and wondering, “Why are we even doing this?”

Homeschooling, like a certain phone booth, is bigger on the inside. As we get into it, we realize more benefits than we thought. Here are the big reasons that have kept us homeschooling:

The Love of Learning – We’re had the flexibility to do hands-on activities, limit busywork, and help them enjoy learning.

Preparation for Life – Not just academics, our kids get to do life with us and learn about being an adult.

Time – There’s just no substitute for being there together.

Relationship – We’ve had the opportunity to build good relationships. Our adult kids are our best friends!

Discipleship – What a privilege to be with our children, discipling through the day!

Those things are what will REALLY matter to you when your kids are grown. Homeschooling is about far more than the worksheets that are driving you crazy. Homeschooling makes the time for all the rest of the goodness to happen! It helps to remember that.

Here’s a little more help – a free video to encourage you that sometimes less is more: https://raisingrealmen.com/relax

Your friends,
Hal & Melanie

About the author

Hal & Melanie Young are the award-winning, best-selling authors of Raising Real Men, No Longer Little, and Love, Honor, and Virtue. They are publishers, writers, bloggers, and popular conference speakers internationally, known for their Christ-centered focus and practical, real-life stories. They are the parents of six real boys (five grown!) and two real girls and live in noisy, messy happiness in North Carolina.

Genesis Apologetics K-8 Student Zone
www.genesisapologetics.com/lessons
Does your student have questions? Check out our FREE video lessons about evolution, Noah’s Flood, dinosaurs, and other topics.

Sherri Seligson

Need Encouragement? Keep an “Egypt Folder”

There’s one period in my homeschool career that stands out. I was teaching a math lesson, and my child was struggling to understand. After four days of re-teaching it, we were both frustrated. Now, I realize that’s one of the benefits of homeschooling. We can zip through a lesson if it’s grasped quickly, yet we have the luxury of camping on a harder lesson until it is learned. But this was day four of camping – I was ready to pack up and move on!

I struggled with thoughts like, “You aren’t skilled enough to teach this” and “A real teacher would know what to do.”

Flash forward to another day when I was overwhelmed in the details of keeping a transcript (because in high school, there is pressure that “everything counts now!”).

And how about the times when I would overhear how a neighbor’s child who is in the same grade as one of my children was learning something waaay more advanced than what my child could do at the time.

Sound familiar?

Well, what helped me during those times was something we called a “Why We Homeschool” folder. In it, we placed encouraging articles we read about homeschoolers who were thriving as adults. We added Bible verses that affirmed our role as parents. There was information on how homeschooling fostered family relationships, built character, socialized our children to be able to talk to and work with people of any age, and permitted a flexible schedule to pursue passions and explore lots of experiences.

I sometimes call it my Egypt folder. You know, when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt and God performed miraculous deeds to free His people—deeds that were not forgettable. But the Israelites forgot. They were finally free from bondage, and yet when things got hard or frustrating, they thought they would be better back in Egypt.

We all easily forget. So set up a way to remember all the amazing benefits that come from homeschooling—academics, relationships, spiritual growth, and more. And when you’re feeling unsuccessful or are frustrated, you have encouragement waiting for you.

It’s all in the folder!

About the author

Sherri Seligson, M.Ed. is a twenty-one-year homeschool mom/marine biologist. Authoring Apologia’s science courses, instructional videos, and more, Sherri loves encouraging moms and teaching families the wonders of God’s creation. www.facebook.com/SherriSeligsonAuthor www.sherriseligson.com

Kristen Heider

Pillar of Hope
Kristen Heider – You’re Creating Lifelong Learners

Do you have difficult homeschool days? Depending on your homeschool journey, your difficult days could take many shapes. They could be days when the science experiment doesn’t work the way the book says it should, or your child can’t remember the math facts you’ve been practicing for weeks, or maybe your children don’t want to listen to this week’s read-aloud. While all these moments may seem to accumulate, I find it important to remember why we homeschool, especially during those most difficult moments.

Remembering why we homeschool can bring us hope and peace on difficult days. Did you write a homeschool mission statement? Look at that after you have had a difficult day. Find hope in that mission statement. Your goals are probably happening, even when it seems like your homeschool journey is bumpy. Homeschooling isn’t just about science experiments, multiplication, or read-alouds. Homeschooling is about building relationships and creating lifelong learners.

My hope for you and your family is that you take a step back during your homeschool journey and remember every day why you homeschool. May you and your children smile when you open a new book and celebrate every accomplishment as you remember why you homeschool!

About the author

Kristen is a housewife and mother to three, having worked at a National Park site, a metropolitan zoo, and as a history teacher. Kristen blogs at A Mom’s Quest to Teach, where she relates her family’s learning experiences. Her site is a regular column, covering elements of teaching, crafting, and all the roller coaster rides that entail being a mom.

Am I doing the right thing? Is there a better way? How do I know if it’s working? Everyone has questions along the way. We’ve got you covered with the Growing in Homeschool Confidence course on SchoolhouseTeachers.com. This resource encourages parents to improve their abilities while growing in their confidence about home education.