How we decided to homeschool our children

 I often get questions when I share that we decided to homeschool our children this year. I should start by saying, it wasn’t a simple decision for us.

L and E were enrolled for 2.5 years at a great, catholic, montessori school near to our home that we love and trust. We loved the education, care, and formation they received there. (You can read more about why we love the option of sending kids to school HERE)

But we noticed something in our children that made us consider other options. These indicators that our children needed us + a need for slowing down in life led us to discern the option of homeschooling.

I really struggled with this thought! What about my quiet mornings during which I could finally put my brain together, catch up with loved ones and catch up on life? What if I end up harming my children with my short temperedness and lack of patience? Won’t I be a terrible teacher? I’m not very smart, brainy, or even good at explaining things! Here’s how we decided to homeschool our children and what helped in the process.

Prayer

We first decided take it all to prayer. There were a few beautiful moments in prayer in which I felt Jesus was with me while making this stressful decision. Prayer really helped me calm my heart and be attentive to the promptings of the spirit around me – the signs from my children, myself and the wisdom of my husband.

Deciding Together

After a couple of months of sometimes praying, my wise husband reminded me that it didn’t have to be all or nothing – we could just try it for about a year to give it a fair shot and grow past the growing pains. We could always return the kids to school when we felt ready again. When he shared this seemingly simple logic with me there was finally a sense of PEACE in my heart.

Inner Peace

This peace was the ultimate deciding factor. Where there was so much unrest in my heart when this thought first came up – the peace in my heart now told me this was the right path. My heart rested and my mind settled. There were still worries, of course, like my lack of patience, my dear quiet mornings – those problems didn’t go away. But I just knew inside of me that this is what I was called to do – to just TRY homeschooling. And I knew if God wanted me here that he would handle the rest.

“Having come to a decision, we turn again to God and beg for signs of God’s confirmation that the decision is leading us toward God’s service and praise.  The usual sign of this confirmation from God is an experience of peacefulness about the decision. The confirmed decision has a feeling of ‘rightness’ about it, and we feel a sense of God’s presence, blessing, and love.  This is a very important step, since the feeling of rightness, peace, and joy about a decision is a positive indicator that we have made the right decision whereas feelings of anxiety, heaviness, sadness, and darkness often indicate the opposite.”

Seven Practical Discernment Techniques, Marquette edu (Read more about Ignatian Discernment HERE)

Fast Forward

We’ve been homeschooling for a few months now and I have to say I am truly in awe. 

God works in mysterious ways.

I ended up discovering a lot of health issues in the month before homeschooling started. After addressing those problems, drinking lots more water and even starting a diet/lifestyle change (more to come on that!), my energy and mental clarity has improved greatly and I don’t feel so overwhelmed without my quiet mornings.

More energy means less short temperedness and more emotional stability. My lack of patience shows up in its normal amount (haha). But now, I have extra time with my kids to ask for forgiveness, to restore connection, and more chances to grow and practice patience – or even come up with ways to steer clear of situations that would trigger me. 

The fruits of our decision

Best of all, I’m learning about my children and myself. We have discovered so much about each other in the last few months. In these situations of learning, being challenged, and exploring – we are learning things about each other we couldn’t have before. I’ve started to learn things like how to motivate my very sanguine L, how to instruct my very choleric E without her shutting off (because she “knows how and I don’t have to show her”), how to find beauty and inspiration together, and that I am more capable than I imagined.

I’ve learned to trust in myself to handle school, baby naps, feeding my family, maintaining my health, keeping up with other relationships, and (for now, poorly) managing my home haha. That is HUGE! I don’t do everything very well but I’m also learning to show myself grace in my weaknesses.

So far its been a joy. I’m sure there will always be some new challenge that pops up. But because this prayerfully discerned/ decided to homeschool our children, I have that peace in my heart to take me through it all. That sense that “this is where I’m supposed to be” enables me to see each challenge as an opportunity for growth – as a puzzle to solve and to be grateful for it all. 

I don’t know how long we’ll be doing this – but for now I’m loving the journey!