My parents were pioneers.  Back in the days of having to stay inside during school hours, limited curriculum available, having a backup plan in case the school system showed up at your your door.  It was back in those days that my parents began homeschooling my sister and me.  We were worried my grandfather would have a heart attack because you just. don’t. do. that.  No one taught their children at home. I remember when we lived in Texas being a part of the “Austin T.E.A Party” where the homeschoolers rallied to make this way of education legal in the state.  I loved being taught at home.  And I was always going to teach my children at home.

And I did.

Fast forward many, many years (I won’t say how many) and I taught one, two, three, four, five, six children how to read.  We did A Beka, Bob Jones, Christian Liberty, Mystery of History, Math U See, Saxon and Teaching Textbooks.  We did my own rendition of the Robinson Curriculum, Satellite school, online classes and we did Alpha and Omega PACES. We did the years of just staying close to home and we did the coops, as well as the extra curricular activities. And we loved it.

We schooled our oldest son all the way through. When he graduated he had over 20 college credits already under his belt.  He is now doing college online at home. My second son will graduate from homeschool this spring, Lord willing.

Homeschoolers are my people.  When I walk into a homeschooling convention it is like coming home.  It’s where I thrive.

So if you had told me years ago that I would be putting 5 of my children in a little Christian school nearby I would have dropped my mouth in unbelief.  At first the thought of it made me quake with fear.  I was a homeschooler. But, the more we prayed and pondered the more apparent it was that God wanted us to be considering this option. Oh, I battled.  I battled that swinging between excitement and guilt, relief and fear.  This isn’t what I had planned, it isn’t what I had envisioned.

But, then the Lord gave peace.

It was time.

It was right.

It was a new season He wanted us in.

And so this year we did the back to school shopping, we got the backpacks, lunch sacks and water bottles.  We had the list of supplies like we had seen other kids have.  Now my job consists in checking school papers when they get home, overseeing the packing of the lunches, homework, asking about the highlights of their day and remembering school functions.  During the day I am home with my 3 year old and get special one on one time with him. He is my helper while I do the laundry, clean and cook.  It’s a huge shift…a big change.  But, for our family at this time, a good one.

But, guess what?  I am not ready to give us the title of being a “Homeschool Mom” quite yet.  Because remember my two big boys are upstair studying–even though I don’t see them much through the day, they are still there.  And you know what else?  I loved the description a friend gave to me the other day…it was something like this.

“The heart of home educating your children is having the freedom to chose the kind of education you think is best for your child.” 

It’s really true.  I may not be teaching Matthew his phonics rules, instead I have a helper (and what a sweet teacher she is!) teaching him.  But, I am confident he is being taught a Christian worldview and has a God-centered education daily.  I am still taking responsibility for his heart.

And so I am content and thankful to have this tremendous help in the educating of my children. With 8 children the needs are many, the duties are very diverse and this is good.

We don’t know what the future holds.  I could be back educating my children at home one day again.  But, for now this is the season God has for us.  And if He is in it…then it is good.