We all know the Mamas who are uber excited for the new school year because their kids are heading back to school. Yup, (raises hand) that was me!

I was hindered from taking the leap into homeschooling for a long time by my erroneously preconceived notion about a calm lady in a long skirt with peaceful, obedient children; as well as the misnomer offered almost as an apology “well, they were homeschooled you know”. I didn’t want “those homeschooled kids” to be my kids, I thought I wanted ‘normal’ kids. Not until my kids were school age did I have the opportunity to walk alongside homeschool mamas and see their families and how they operated.

I had to overcome fears of my own inadequacies and failures first in order to have enough confidence to take that gigantic step.

Here are some questions you might ask yourself if you’re considering homeschooling.

1. Am I perfect?

2. Do I always withhold my tongue?

3. Am I too smart to teach my kids at their level?

I doubt anyone actually asks those, here are three legitimate heart issue questions you ought to really contemplate before diving in, because they are really the only things that should hold you back.

1. Am I willing to set aside my expectations of what I think homeschooling will look like if it changes?

The best piece of advice I received prior to starting was to let go of ALL expectations. I thought I had but I was wrong.

• I expected workbooks would be well received and keep us organized and on track for each year. I realized while I loved workbooks in school it bores my children to tears to monotonously sludge from book to book because there’s so much reading.

  

• I expected I would have a homeschool area with cute desks and organized cubbies, just take a look at my Pinterest homeschool board for all of my lofty expectations. I realized my kids wanted to hang out where I was and sat at the counter (and now they slop their bodies across a couch as they peer at their work). I also realized I didn’t want to be cooped up in one area “teaching” the whole time but to encourage self-study while I hopped from house task to house task with intermittent answers to their questions.
• I expected I would be teaching solely from Christian textbooks because we are Christians. I realized we are Christians and I can teach my children a Christian aspect with any curriculum; come to find out even the Christian schools don’t exclusively use outright Christian curriculum (for certain subjects).

2. Do I apologize to my children when I have sinned against them? If not, am I willing to start?

It’s important for kids to receive respect and to witness what the Bible calls a holy life. Homeschooling has really shown me an ugly side of myself that I had kept hidden; I can get angry with my kids really fast sometimes when it seems they are not putting any effort into their school work; or frustrated when I have to repeat something for the 341st time. If you walk by my house and hear my voice louder than it should be, be looking out for my white flag of the day, it frequently makes its appearance. I have gotten worlds better at apologizing to them but have a long way to go.

Being real with your kids is important and teaches them how to respect others and apologize with meaning behind it, not just empty apologies for worldly sorrows.

3. Am I willing to lay aside my pride and admit to my kids that they taught me something new?

While our kids could grow up with a lofty sense that their parents are perfect, Biblically I think we’re called to exemplify humility with our weaknesses. In our family this ended up starting years ago, “Mom, hoooow could you not know that?” I still remember it, my kids were telling me about baleen in a whale’s mouth and I told them I never knew that or had even heard that word. Flabbergasted. Dismayed. Shocked. Their brains were trying to comprehend that they knew something I didn’t. But then it empowered them. (Thank you Wild Kratts!) They asked Dust later that day and it was so cool to them that they taught us both something. (I was a little relieved that I wasn’t the only one….)

In all reality I never felt (and still don’t) that I’m “capable” of homeschooling my kids. But I know that we are all committed to it as a family. The sibling relationships have transformed into friendships right before our eyes and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

Click here for my ode to you as a teacher, you are awesome, you are capable, and the desire to homeschool is really all you need to get started! 

~ Becca