I never wanted to be a hockey mom.
Your kids can bring so many different situations into your life to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. I have been transformed into a hockey mom, drinking coffee at the arena watching my youngest glide, maneuver and race on the ice.
In his second season of hockey, with little time on the ice in his previous seven years alive, he is showing great skill and love for the sport. I never encouraged his interest in hockey to begin with, but seeing him excited to play and eager to learn, it’s not something I discouraged because of my preference.
When I imagine how limited my experiences would be if I just did what interested me or even what I’d prefer my kids be interested in, it seems like a pretty ‘blah’ existence. I believe that God guides us to meet the needs of others so that we can live the life we’re truly designed for.
Even as an open-minded individual who enjoys exploring new ideas, places and experiences, I realize I’m still pretty limited in my thinking. My boys push me to be always considering an alternative perspective. Through them, ‘renewing of your mind’ takes on a transformational process that causes me to be a better mom for them, but they also mold me to be a better person all around. That is, if I let the ‘mom experience’ change me.
Change in My Perspective on Education
Being with my boys (almost) all day, every day (I do get out on my own occasionally) is nothing short of amazing! It’s not easy to take on the education of my kids, but the best things in life are rarely easy. However, I find that homeschooling makes parenting overall easier. My boys don’t have two conflicting values influencing them, and that seems to make life easier on us all.
I was recently driving in the early morning (although this wasn’t one of those ‘on my own’ trips) and drove by driveways with parents and kids waiting for the bus to take them to be educated in an institutional setting. For some reason, that day, it really struck me as sad.
I have witnessed this many times in the past and even have a now-adult son that I did this very thing with many years ago. My perspective has changed now, and the words scream in my head, “Do they know how amazing it could be to live the educational life with their children!”
I didn’t know when I was raising my first son and didn’t have anyone tell me either. As a single mid-twenties mother, I needed to do something different for my child who was trying to survive in an environment that wasn’t compatible with the way he learned. After six years of behavioural issues and learning challenges in the school system, I gave him a break and homeschooled him for a year. That experience changed my perspective and forever shifted what I considered to be education.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
Learning at Home – The Perfect Will of God
I’ve been following Jesus for about thirteen years, which interestingly is just a year more than the age of my second son. Although my oldest son did return to the public education system in Grade 7, my mind had been influenced by the potential of home education. I could see past the unknown and focused on how I could raise my family stronger and wiser by homeschooling.
It wasn’t so much about what I wanted but what my boys could benefit from. I knew right from the birth of my two youngest boys that I would be homeschooling them, and I was thankful to have several years to wrap my head around the concept and read many more books and resources on the various approaches to home education. When my boys were babies, I didn’t know how I would make homeschooling work – I just knew that I would. That was when I started to deeply explore the opportunities for working online and began as a freelance content writer.
Homeschooling may not be for everyone, but I know there are so many more families that would be positively transformed by homeschooling. Do you need some transformation in your home in relation to your children’s education? Is it possible the renewing of your mind about education could transform your whole family into what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God?
Our family is not at all what may be considered the typical homeschooling family. Although I think I can speak for many homeschooling families that we aspire to be all unique in our approach and lifestyle! Even so, I think the financial and educational background of my husband and myself would have you wondering how we make it work.
Maybe you’d be surprised what is possible when you change your perspective to consider the many, many benefits of educating your own children. There are about as many benefits as there are reasons that parents choose to homeschool.
Where Are You At?
If you’re already homeschooling and reading this, thank you for sticking around to the end. Perhaps you’ve got this same passion that I have for reaching more people that think they could never homeschool, but it would be the best thing for their family. Not the easiest, but worth the challenge! Share this article with them or send them to TryHomeschooling.com.
If your kids are still too young for school, but you’re considering the options for their education then please rest assured that home is where they belong – especially to have the best education. You definitely want to see what we’ve got for you at TryHomeschooling.com
If you’ve got kids in an institutional learning environment and you are having doubts about sending them off to school every day, then this is your opportunity to prove what is the will of God for your family. Click on the image below:
Stephanie Morrison has been building businesses, mostly from home, for over 10 years, motivated by her strong determination that her two youngest boys would be educated at home. She works for The Old Schoolhouse® on the Canadian team and in Marketing, and also coaches entrepreneurs to start and grow their business from home. Her and her family are all comfortably nestled in the trees in Central Ontario. She loves being a home-body and building up her permaculture property. Learn more about Steph at www.creatingworkandplay.com
