Is Homeschooling for life?
I was never certain I would homeschool through to the end of high-school. I was fairly certain that God had called me to homeschool for the primary years, but I put CC's name down for a local high school, just in case.
In Year 7 she was offered a 50% scholarship for high school but I wasn't convinced the time was right. That was the year I began my science classes for homeschoolers in Perth. As it turned out, the next 18 months were very eventful (even traumatic) and I was so pleased that CC was not in school.
The many changes in our life culminated in moving to the country. A new town with no friends or support structure led me to consider again whether it was time for CC to go to school. After much prayer and talking with friends who knew her well, I decided the time was right. Questions of how it would affect our business, I ignored. I had to decide what was best for CC and work out the rest later.
A few interviews with local principals and a school was chosen. Homeschoolers were not foreign to the school because they had many students from remote farming families who had been home-schooled. It seemed like a good fit, but I needed to break the news to CC! It went as well as could be expected…
“How could you do this to me?!!” Lots of tears were shed as she ran to her bedroom.
I sat and prayed.
It was not long before she returned asking questions. It was not easy for her (or me!) The first week was particularly difficult but she made friends gradually. She began studying with renewed enthusiasm, being motivated by being responsible to someone other than her mother! And she found science really easy :-)
I am so grateful for this transition into independence. For CC, it was time to move out from under my wing. School has provided a stepping stone to independence where she is faced with worldly values whilst being able to come home and talk with me about it. Her peers are not Christian and she is frequently bombarded with questions – some genuine, some hostile, some making fun of her faith and some just curious. But she is learning to stand up for what she believes. The questions are forcing her to face life's hard questions and to search for answers. She is sinking her roots deeper into the sure foundation or Jesus, her rock.
It was God's time for CC.
And that's the thing – it needs to be God's timing.
That doesn't necessarily mean it will all be easy sailing, but good fruit will be seen.
I spoke yesterday with a friend who also sent her daughter to school in Year 8, and she is encouraged to see her daughter's pastoral gifts flourish in a way that they could not at home.
And yet, just last week, another friend removed her child from school after one week of Year 9 (after 5 years of homeschooling). The time wastage and the lack of desire to learn in other students tipped the balance too far. The pros of homeschooling outweighed the cons, for them.
Everyone's journey is different. But it is not a failure to stop homeschooling. Seek God first and He will guide you on your journey.
- Tags: homeschooling
