I can remember when I was teaching public school and constantly wondering what my 3 year old was doing at preschool. So many ttimes throughout the day, I'd think, “Wow, Joseph would love this” or “Wonder if Joseph's teacher is doing something like this with him.” or “I'm going to have to remember to do this with Joseph when I get home.” Often I'd think that it would be so cool to bring Joseph with me to school so that he could learn along with the big kids and me. (God was planting some seeds in my heart.)

So after a while, my husband and I decided that I should be a stay at home mom so I could be the one to work with, teach and have fun with Joseph all day, every day - instead of the early mornings, evenings and weekends. I mean, what sense did it make for us to be paying someone else to teach Joseph while other parents were paying me (via the school district) to teach their children!

So I became a stay at home mom. Along came boy #2 and then before you know it, Joseph was five. Time had flown by. I couldn't believe that it was time to start sending him away for school 5 days a week. Fortunately the way his birthday fell, we were able to hold him back a year - another year to mature is always good you know....

But then the next year rolled around and we really weren't ready even then to send him away for school 5 days a week. But laws are laws and we had to make a decision about school. We had never given serious thought to homeschool. I mean, I was a “trained teacher” and thought that children needed to be in school with a “trained teacher”. Oh, how I regret that arrogant ignorant attitude!

However, we had known a few families that homeschooled in the past so as we began to consider our options we threw homeschool in there along with private or public. (I was a trained teacher after all.) It was kind of funny how my husband and I swayed between all of our choices before an article in our local newspaper finally guided us to homeschooling. The article was about a family who homeschooled their 5 children, 2 of which were at the state university on full scholarships! My husband and I were so impressed with that. It really helped quell the whole “can they get into college” question. But what came across in the article even more was the family's wonderful relationship. That got us to thinking back to the families that we had known that homeschooled and you know what.... all of them had great relationships.... the kind that we wanted to have with our children and the kind that we wanted our children to have with each other.

I did a little detective work and found the number for the homeschool mom from the article. She was so gracious and answered my questions. I think she could really hear my heart's cry that I wanted to be the one to teach my children - not because I was a trained teacher, but because I was their mother. Realistically I knew that I hadn't learned anything in college that I couldn't have learned from magazines, books and other moms. I knew how simple it was to pick up a teacher's manual and follow along and I also knew how much more fun we could have along the way if I didn't always follow the teacher's manual!

So that's why we started homeschooling and truthfully it's that and so much more that keeps us homeschooling even after boy #3. I love the relationships that we have as a family and we all love learning together.

Homeschooling.... it's a very good thing!