Posted in Homeschooling

     As a graduate of homeschooling myself, it was a natural decision that my husband and I homeschool our children.  I had been in public school, as well as spending a few years in a private Christian school.  I was a very shy child, so as a public school student, I was lost in the crowd.  I endured cruel treatment from the other students, and even some of the teachers who misunderstood my reservedness.  I wanted to protect my children from the negative influences so many children fall prey to in the public school environment.  Christian school was better, although being away from home for eight or ten hours a day was stressful for a young student. My fondest memories, and I believe the years that I gleaned the most from the experience of schooling, were the time I spent homeschooling.  As a student, I enjoyed the flexibility, as well as the wide range of choice in my own studies that my parents allowed me.  So, naturally, when my husband and I first discussed homeschooling our own children, I was greatly enthusiastic.  My husband saw the benefits, and was willing to let me take the initiative in the area of our children's education.

     When our first child was born, our decision to homeschool having already been made, we began what I would come to think of as our "educational lifestyle".  I read to my son when he was a baby, first little board books, then lovely picture books.  My husband got in on the pleasure of reading aloud as a family, and our son became an enthusiasic participant in this early learning.  By the time he was three years old, he was begging me to teach him how to read, so that this magical power of unlocking the mystery of words on a page could belong to him as well.  Shortly after I started teaching him to read and do some simple mathematics, I purchased the book A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola.  This was the book that really shaped my vision for what I wanted our family's homeschooling experience to be.  It also helped me to understand exactly what education is and the God-designed place it should have in one's life.  I came to see that God created all of us to be life-long learners, and that as parents we can help our children to love learning.  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."  It must begin with a love for God and the world He has created.  Simply put, education is developing an understanding of the world around us, the world God created.  I wanted to help my children develop that love and excitement of discovering who God is and what He made.  I read Charlotte Mason's Home Education, which further helped to clarify my vision.  I shared what I was reading with my husband, who agreed wholeheartedly. 

     As we have continued in this journey of homeschooling, God has helped my husband and I to understand the importance of making the family the center of all of our acitvies.  The family was the first institution God ordained back in the Garden of Eden when He created man and woman and comanded them to be fruitful and multiply.  As our family grows, so does our vision for a Godly home where each member of our family feels loved and safe and free to become the person God created him or her to be.  As parents, our role is to provide the environment and instruction necessary to see that goal achieved in each child's life.  Our greatest desire is to see our children develop a love for God and a determination to do His will for their lives, that He may use them to bring glory to Himself.