Twenty-one.

Homeschooling my children was never something I thought I’d do. I actually was pretty adamant I wouldn’t. Even before we had children, when we were looking to buy our first home, a good school district was one of our priorities because our intention was to send them to public school. We thought we found one. The test scores were excellent, and the neighborhood was safe, so we thought we found the perfect fit. That is until we had a 5-year-old who entered TK 5 days a week there. We quickly felt like the traditional school setting and schedule wasn’t the right fit for our family.

I am an advocate for play in childhood, and unfortunately, our schools don’t have much of that anymore. Being able to test well isn’t my ultimate goal for our children. Sitting at a computer to learn isn’t my ultimate goal for my children. A college degree isn’t my ultimate goal for my children. Instead, I want them to have opportunities to learn through experiences- building, growing, raising, and traveling. I want them to learn through finding the interests and skills that they love. I want them to hear God’s word and learn Truth about sexuality, morals, and creation from that and not from what a school district has determined they should listen to. So, we decided to take a leap and do what we never said we’d do...homeschool!

And, oh, what a wonderful, peaceful, joyful transition it has been!

For 3 days a week, I get to sit across from my son and watch his face light up as he discovers all that he’s capable of! I get to be the one to introduce phonograms and watch that knowledge turn into reading his first book. I get to be the one to watch the incredible way his brain quickly comprehends math. I get to read him amazing books as he learns about similes and fables. I get to teach him about directions on a map and how to find different countries. I get to watch him memorize scripture and make artwork out of those life-giving words. Above all this, I get to be with him.

For the other 2 days, he gets to go to a charter school that is filled with a community of families and staff that are involved, welcoming, kind, and helpful. Since preschool, I’ve been told Colton moves too much and that he can’t focus. It wasn’t surprising. I know him better than any teacher ever will and have known all of that since the moment we brought him home as a wide-eyed, never asleep, newborn. But, this year, his teacher talks about him differently. First, she points out his sweetness. She calls him determined and self-driven. She says he’s active and fun. She knows how to look at his traits that need refining in an encouraging, loving way. And he feels it.

He’s now eager to learn, excited to do school work, and looks forward to going to school. It’s incredible when something you never planned on doing ends up being something you can’t imagine doing any other way.