Why I Started Homeschooling

A couple of posts ago Lisa, asked me..."How did I decide to start homeschooling and what have been my biggest highs and lows?" Whew! But I love to talk about homeschooling as it is such a big part of our lives.

I don't remember ever having a "deciding" moment when we knew we were going to homeschool. We just kept moving toward that direction and then jumped in.

I grew up thinking I was going to teach high school literature, marry a preacher, and then live on a farm where I baked cookies for my three perfect children. I was going to teach Bible studies and lead the PTA to heights it had never achieved before. I was going to grow old gracefully and my children and husband would rise up and call me blessed and we would all live happily ever after. It was going to be The Walton's Version 2001. Bless my heart, I also thought I was going to marry Andrew McCarthy, live in a boarding school like the Facts of Life show, and also marry Prince Edward and live in a castle in England. I wasn't sure how I was going to work out the three marriages thing, but all that didn't matter when I was 13. It would work itself out somehow.

I went to Samford University my freshmen year and then transferred to Montevallo. This was my first real exposure to someone who homeschooled. I was in the Secondary Ed program and was beginning to realize this wasn't all that I hoped it would be. I spent very little time studying literature and lots of time learning how to use the laminating machine. We also had to spend some time in the classroom and I realized then that teaching in a classroom was not for me.

So I adjusted my plans a little bit. I was going to drop the Secondary Ed major, become a English/History major and work at Southern Living magazine until my preacher/farmer man came along. And also at this time I did lots of babysitting for a lady who homeschooled. And then I met another lady who homeschooled, and then another. Then I met Mark and realized I didn't want to marry a preacher/farmer. I didn't want to work at a magazine or even marry Prince Edward. :) I wanted to be married-to Mark! The End.

Fast forward 8 years later and I had a five year old, a four year old, and a 2 1/2 year old. We lived in a very nice little starter home, but not in a very nice school district. At this time I was not committed either way to homeschooling. Several families at my church homeschooled and it was not foreign, but I wasn't sure it was for me. I got involved in Community Bible Study and began to see all the wonderful things about it and began to ask a lot of questions. Rebekah had already homeschooled for one year before I started and I pestered her to death with all kinds of questions.

My sweet parents offered to pay for private school for Tyler. Not that they were against homeschooling. Or at least I don't think they were :). They just saw me with three kiddos under five and wanted what was best for me. Once I decided to homeschool though they have been on board and have been encouraging throughout the process. I would have been in many binds many times if my mom had not helped me with our schooling.

This is getting pretty long, so I will stop now. I'll finish up next time.