June 3, 2026 – Second Generation Homeschooling: Passing the Torch

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

The Olympic Torch

I am at the end of an era. I have just completed thirty‑five years of home education as we just graduated our last child from our homeschool. I love hearing my grown children say, “I can’t wait to homeschool my own children.” And I absolutely love watching the parents of my grandchildren lead them through their early years of homeschooling. I know how time doesn’t stand still, so I purposely stand still and take in all that my grandchildren say and do. 

During those homeschool years, my husband would often say, “We are raising adults,” in relation to home education discipleship. He knows that these children will soon be the adults leading the next generation. What are we teaching them today that will guide them well when it is their turn to train up their own children? When we are running this Olympic race called homeschooling, we carry the torch and light the fire for the next generation to see and follow.

With that said, we now live in the season of second-generation homeschool families. They know the benefits well. They understand the enemy’s fight for the souls of their children, and they are continuing to bear the torch for the right to educate their own children as they see fit. As they stand on the shoulders of their homeschool parents, they see ahead the road that God has paved before them. Parent-led discipleship is what the Scriptures teach and the LORD blesses. 

Bring them Home. Where They Belong. You will one day look back in awe and wonder at how God orchestrated the future of your children, and now their children, and their children after them declare His praises (Psalm 78).

~Deborah

More from the pages of TOS:

The Rise of Second-Generation Homeschooling: A Legacy of Learning by Julia Suarez
Homeschool Foundations in Two Generations by Amy Juett
Doc: “You Need to Homeschool Your Son” by Dara Ekanger

~Deborah

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Todd Wilson

Passing the Torch

I’ve never passed a torch before, but I have passed a baton a lot of times. I was far from a track star in high school, but I was on the 400-meter relay team. All I had to run was a quarter of the track. It was a sprint. The place where races were won and lost was in the handoff. That’s what we practiced over and over. The passing zone was small, and the baton had to be passed within the zone, and of course, the worst sound in the world was the hollow bounce of the aluminum baton hitting the track.

Parenting and homeschooling are a lot like that. It’s all about passing the baton . . . giving your children the tools to run the race themselves. Because one day, right around 18-20 years of age, you have to pass the baton. There is some gray time in the zone where you both have your hands on the baton, but eventually . . . you have to let go, and they get to run. And here’s the warning: they may run differently than you did. They’ll choose different paths, different ways, different methods . . . and you’ve got to be okay with that.

As parents, you go from runner/coach to cheerleader. You don’t get to call the shots, share your wisdom (unless asked), or make the decisions for them. All you can do is cheer, “Go, Go, Go, Go!”

And when the baton is dropped, and the relationship is broken . . . and it often is, you accept responsibility for it, apologize for it, and hand it back to them.

I could go on. Instead, let me encourage you to buy our latest book, “Help! I Have Adult Children.” I talk a lot about the relay, the baton, and what to do when the baton is dropped. Once the baton is passed, it’s time to put down your whistle and pick up your pom poms. Get the book right now.

Be real,

Todd

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About the author

Todd Wilson is a dad, granddad, writer, conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down to earth realness have made him a favorite speaker at homeschool conventions, retreats, and churches across the country. As founder of Familyman Ministries and the Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind dads and moms of what’s most important through weekly e-mails, podcasts (The Familyman Show & The Smiling Homeschooler), seminars, and books and products that encourage parents. Todd, and his wife Debbie, still homeschool two of their eight children (six have graduated with four married) in northern Indiana. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.

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Christine Hage

Homeschooling – Lasting or Lost Legacy?

As parents involved in all the busyness of life, the present so often prevails and we forget that we are laying a foundation for the future of our family. Today’s happenings are tomorrow’s memories. What will our children remember about the homeschool experience we shaped for them? Will they look back with fond memories and choose to carry down the legacy of educational freedom we’ve given them? Or will bad memories cause them to choose a different path?

 If we want to leave a homeschool legacy for our family to pass down to our grandchildren and subsequent generations, we must prepare while our children are still in the homeschooling phase. If it’s evident to our children that homeschooling is the best educational choice, not just a preference, and we are happy with our choice to  homeschool, there’s a high possibility that our  children will choose to homeschool their own children in the future, especially  if we’ve made effort to ensure homeschooling was a good experience for them. 

No one wants to repeat something that brings memories and feelings of stress, overwhelm, unhappiness, and discontentment. If we want to make sure our children continue in the homeschooling path with their future children, we must do all we can to show the effort is joyous, worthwhile, and fruitful. Remember, the present is the key to the future when it comes to creating a lasting legacy. The events and our attitudes today shape how our children will respond to future decisions. 

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About the author

Christine Hage has been homeschooling in West Virginia for over a decade. She strives to live a simple, eternity-minded life as she raises her family and serves in the ministry with her husband. She and her husband lead a local homeschool support group, and also offer homeschool support and a free Homeschool Resource Guide at www.teachingnaturally.net.

There are many signs of successful homeschooling when it’s all said and done. Maybe “success” means that your adult children are secure and have strong convictions because of a Christian education. Perhaps “success” means that they advance to higher education or move into careers that complement their interests. Many parents see second-generation homeschooling as a sign of “success.” Although you wouldn’t say that you’ve done everything perfectly, your children see the value of home education and wish to bless their own children with it. Grandparents can continue to play a role in homeschooling, whether by encouraging and cheering them on, helping with teaching certain subjects, volunteering at a local Schoolhouse, or supporting financially. Consider gifting your children and grandchildren their education with a SchoolhouseTeachers.com membership!