My Homeschool Journey

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. (I know non-Christians homeschool too.) I went to public school from kindergarten to ninth grade. I did good in elementary school. But I remember having a lot of anxiety the night before school would start back. I wanted to stay home with my mom. I didn’t want to spend so much time away from her. I didn’t know there was such a thing as doing school at home or homeschool.

I didn’t get picked on at school but I recall other kids getting picked on. I had some teachers that weren’t very nice. Sometimes, the teachers didn’t supervise as well as they should. I went to two different Jr. high schools, and things seemed way different. Not only was it a way bigger school, but couple of the kids tried to give me a hard time. One boy really didn’t like me and threatened to have his sister beat me up for no reason. And he told me this often. I also noticed that kids were not only talking about drugs but actually doing things that were not appropriate in the locker rooms. The only people I hung out with did drugs and would sometimes cut class. It was hard fitting in with all of the clicks.

I never tried drugs because my mom did drugs and I didn’t want to turn out like her. I got to a point where I was depressed and didn’t want to go to school. I cried a lot. The school counselor told me I should eat more fruit, and sent me on my way. I’m not sure how that was supposed to help. I moved to a different state to stay with my mom. After one day of high school, I decided I was not going back. I would either home school or just not do school. My mom was not going to homeschool me. I got a few books from someone, and each day I tried to homeschool myself. Remember, I knew absolutely nothing about home school. I didn’t even have all of the subjects. I decided what I would do, and tried to do it. I didn’t have any accountability system.

I started going to church, and the youth pastor’s wife, asked if I’d like to homeschool at her house. She had a little girl at the time which was not home school age yet. It’s kind of amazing how I received my first real homeschool curriculum. A family at the church with six or seven kids, said God laid it on their hearts to sell an old van they had and give us the money to buy my school books the first year. I was really excited. I’d go to her house early in the morning, when it was still dark out, and stay until after 5 pm. I learned a lot of things doing school at my youth pastor’s house. I not only learned a lot about God. I learned what a Christian family looks like. I saw firsthand what it takes to run a home. Those years of homeschooling really changed my life.

During school, I needed extra help with a few subjects. I had two ladies at the church open up their homes to me. I’d go over to their house one day a week and they’d tutor me. So, my homeschool experience was made up of a lot of helping hands. Those ladies didn’t have to help me. There was no obligation on any of their parts to help me. But they did because they loved God and they greatly influenced my life. I also had someone give me free violin lessons. Which was a blessing.

I graduated from homeschool because a group of people cared enough to help out a girl who didn’t have much. They showed me love when I felt unloved. They gave me hope and showed me what life could be like if I lived my life for God. They invested four years in my life, they sacrificed a lot. They were moved with compassion, and it made a difference in my life.

I learned that homeschool comes in all shapes and sizes. There’s not a one size fits all category. Homeschool is great because it can be adapted to fit the needs of the individual families. If you look at different homeschool families, most will look different. The curriculum, the style, the vision it’ll all be different. The one thing that will be the same is we are all investing our lives in someone else’s. We are making a difference in our children’s lives. Not just as their parents, but as their teacher. We go beyond just teaching math and language or whatever else. We are teaching them how to love by our example. We are showing them everything they will need to succeed in life without them ever having stepped foot in a school. Parents are the first teachers and we are the best teachers, because we love our children. This is not just a job for us, it’s a journey. It’s a journey we get to experience right beside our children.

Remember, you are making a big difference in your children’s lives. Homeschool has its ups and downs, but you will never regret the years spent with your children.

Jessica West

I am a stay-at-home mom who loves God, and couldn’t thank Him enough for His blessings. I have a great husband and five little ones. I have one girl and four boys, ages, 7,5,3,2, and 5 weeks old. We spend our days homeschooling and trying to stay on top of the household duties. I enjoy baking with my children. And playing the piano whenever I get a free moment.

My blog is called: Called to be a Christian Mommy. calledtobeachristianmommy.blogspot.com