It takes courage to homeschool.

It takes courage to decide that we, the parents, can do something better for our children than what the experts have suggested. (How dare we have the audacity to think that our Creator would tell us what our children need?)

It takes courage to swim against the tide. (It’s hard too!)

It takes courage to tell friends, neighbors and our family, that we’ve decided to educate our children as they look at us as though we’ve lost our minds. (Sometimes we question our own sanity.)

It takes courage to have your children with you all of the time, with no breaks. (It’s ok to daydream about how dreamy it would be to have your children in school during the day.)

It doesn’t mean you don’t have any fear.  It means that in spite of the fear, you do it anyway.

It doesn’t mean that the criticism doesn’t affect you, it means that you continually remind  yourself of why you’ve decided to travel this road, and you keep moving forward.

It doesn’t mean that you know exactly what you’re doing or that you feel completely confident that all will work out stupendously.  It just means that you have a compelling conviction to walk this path, and you trust that God is wise enough and great enough, to use your feeble efforts to accomplish his beautiful work in your children. He will bring them safely to their destiny.

It doesn’t mean that every day you accomplish everything you planned. (Some days you don’t even have a plan. Oops!  Didn’t mean to spill the beans!)

It doesn’t mean that your children are always excited about learning, or that they don’t get caught cheating on math work, or that they don’t waste an hour doodling or daydreaming. (Alas…it happens. Our children are human afterall.)

It doesn’t mean that our children will all get into Ivy League Schools, or be two grades ahead, or test in the top 90%, or speak and write eloquently.  (They may use the word “stuff”, “awesome” and “good” far to much, and they still may not get fractions. They could even be 2 grades behind!  Don’t panic, it happens in school too.)

It doesn’t mean that when the Jehovah Witnesses come to your door in the middle of your lessons, that you ignore them because you must stay on your schedule. (These interruptions become the lesson.  The best lessons can be the unplanned ones.)

It takes courage not to follow what all of your homeschool friends are doing.  When everyone else is raving over some new curriculum or educational philosphy, and yet something in your heart is unsettled about it.  You want to like it.  You wish that you could just be ok with what everyone else is doing.  It’s certainly much easier.  But something just doesn’t sit right with you.  You know that there is a different path that you must walk, and you don’t want to walk this path alone.  Let me say that you aren’t alone.  We never walk alone.  The great King of the Universe has promised to never allow His children to walk alone.

And I’m with you.

That’s why I show up every week, with messages of encouragement, inspiration, and instruction.  I want you to know that you’re not alone.  And as I walk this unique path before, I want to invite you to join me.

It so much easier to be brave when you have a friend or two with you.

That’s why I’m offering a new group mentoring program.  It’s a program for those who want support, accountability, and encouragement.  It’s for those who don’t quite fit the programs that are out there, yet they still want the benefit of connecting with other parents who are on a similar journey without feeling judged.  It’s for those who don’t want to be tied down by a book or curriculum. It’s for those who understand that education goes far beyond books.  Books spark the conversation, but the learning takes place in the pondering, the discussing and the experiencing.   It’s for those who are open minded and humble enough to learn from others.

See the services page, for a more detailed description of the mentoring program, and contact me if you’re interested.  There will be a limited number of spots available in order to keep the group sizes small.

Here’s to you courageous homeschooler! Yes, you with the strong, creative mind, the open and generous heart, the willingness to accept change, and the determination to move forward in the face of uncertainty, and difficulty.  It’s a narrow path you walk.  Not many find this path, but those who do discover marvelous treasures along the way!

What’s keeping you from homeschooling with courage? Did anything from this post resonate with you?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below.  Others benefit from your failures and your wisdom.