Friday, January 21, 2011

I was a Mom, Long before I was a ‘Homeschool Mom’

In a few short years, our homeschooling journey will come to an end. My oldest son will be 18 in less than six months. It’s common to hear him comment several times a day that he is nearly a man. Our days are no longer focused around learning to read or multiplication facts. My independent learners are now interested in things like  photography, writing a novel, gaming, physical fitness and sometimes it seems, everything except school. My children are growing up and soon, their homeschool careers and mine as ‘homeschool mom’ will come to an end. I have to admit that on occasion that very thought has gripped me with fear.

Not because I’m not ever tired of homeschooling or teaching. If I’m completely honest, sometimes I am. Not because sometimes I wouldn’t rather spend the day browsing thrift stores, or playing on Facebook, or Twitter, or reading a stack of novels from the library. Sometimes I can find a hundred things I’d rather do than homeschool my children. Not because sometimes I wouldn’t love to have a career outside the home. I’ve often wondered if choosing to be a stay at home mom and depriving my kids from a public school education wasn’t a huge mistake.

When my senses return, I remember that though it has had its ups and downs, for the most part, I have LOVED homeschooling my children. Has it taught me patience? To be diligent? To persevere? Oh, yeah! Has it been hard? You bet! Has it stretched our entire family? Yes. Has it been worth it? A loud, resounding, thousand times, YES!

Thrift stores, Facebook, Twitter and that bestselling novel will still be there when my children aren’t, and honestly, working outside the home wasn’t that great the first time around. Have my children really been deprived of a traditional school atmosphere? I think not, after all, how many times have I heard someone tell me to be thankful that the Lord has led my family to homeschool?

Homeschooling has had its ups and downs but, now that we’re nearing the end, I’m reminded of the blessings that my family has received over the years as a result of homeschooling. My children have learned at their pace without the stigma that they may not learn like everyone else. We have memories of wonderful field trips, snuggling on the couch on a cold winter day, reading an amazing read aloud, the laughter at failed science experiments, the joy of reading the bible together each morning, and the fact that we love to spend time together. Plus, we’ve been able to travel with my husband which has been an education in and of itself; something we wouldn’t have had the freedom to do if our kids were in public or private school.

I’m not stricken with fear wondering if we made the right decision. I’m stricken with fear because sometimes I wonder if my children will still need me when we no longer homeschool. And then I remember that I was a mom, just plain mom, long before I was a homeschool mom . And I know that my fears are unfounded. Yes, my children will still need me. They will always need me.

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7 comments:

  1. Loved this post! Our kids will always need us no matter what! :)

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  2. Beautiful! Thanks for sharing your heart.

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  3. I loved this too! I'm facing the end of my homeschool Mom career too...but you are right...we will always be Mom.

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  4. Very thoughtful. Congrats on almost making it to the end- at least of homeschooling. It is a hard road, but the path of righteousness is never the "easy" road. I am proud of you,and you are an inspiration.

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  5. Beautiful post Tanya! Thank you for sharing!

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  6. Wonderful post, Tonya! It gave me butterflies in my stomach just reading it though. I'm so far off from being done (heck - I have one in kindergarten!), but the thought of my kids not being in school anymore kind of blows my mind.

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  7. Loved this post. My last one is in kindergarten this year and it's made me think about the time when they'll all be finished. I know it will be here all too soon.

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