Time to think about giving MORE!

Let me just start out by saying that I probably couldn't find more than one "friend" on my Facebook that is going to understand where I'm coming from.

It has been on me for a while. Maybe since before the birth of my first child. I feel like...wait for it....HOME SCHOOLING...gasp!!...might be right for our family. There are of course pros and cons, and I'm so very aware of both. Lets get the negatives out of the way first so we can move on to the positive and stay there. Hopefully. :) 

I watched a little video the other day on one of my fav. blogs: Storing Up Treasures ,  and I found myself relating with the "Home School Mom". Especially when the "normal mom" asks if "not normal mom" is worried her kids will be "different" and she replies, "I hope so". That is EXACTLY how I feel. I seriously hope that my children will make it through their lives and develop a sense of self that is Christ filled and not geared so much in the directions of peer pressuring.

I'm not completely patient. I was NOT a star student. I have "some" college, and I do not speak more than a few words of any foreign language. I'm not a teacher by trade, and I was not home schooled. Well not in the traditional sense anyway. From all of my time spent in the world and all of the experiences up until now, I do worry for my kids. I worry that my humanity will give in and I will fear that they will be "different". I HOPE that my faith will give way to trust that my kids will definitely be "different".

I saw a quote recently that I can't find anymore, but it said something like: "Never trust any one person, even family, about everything all of the time. Only trust God for everything all of the time." Even my family can accidentally, and especially in relation to my children and their needs, put their own desires or knowledge before that of the Lord when guiding me. 

I think we all know that the road less traveled, the one that is scary and full of mulligans is usually the one most worth while.

Okay so moving forward. I truly believe that raising my children is the single most important thing I am commissioned to do at this time in my and their lives. I truly desire for them to search out in their lives, ways that they can be the hands and feet of Christ. I want them to understand that they only get one chance to live life according to His plan and for His glory. I do feel repetitively called to home school my children. The part I am most confused about is where to begin. 

My children and I have developed an "un-routine". My son (3) does go to a Mother's Day Out program 2 days a week where they are working on letters and numbers, but mostly singing and social play. I don't necessarily feel like that is something I want to stop, but rather I'd like to try getting a structured, learning promoting schedule at home.I want them to feel like our home is a place where they can trust what they learn, and feel excited to grow in their book and life knowledge. What I don't want is for my son to get into school and find out about the birds and the bees in 1st grade like I did. I don't want him to be too distracted with the actions of others to figure out who he is. I don't want him to be misdiagnosed with a disorder because he is social.(me) I want him to be stimulated at his level so that he wants to do the work and learn instead of floating through.(older brother) I don't want him to be the nice and quiet kid who just wants to be treated kindly, but instead gets bullied constantly.(middle brother), and I don't want all of his potential for following God's plan for him to be side tracked by what ALL of his "friends" are doing. I don't want him to "need" a girlfriend to be cool, or to have to make a ball team to fit in. I certainly don't want him to fail at something and instead of trying harder...go with the kids who don't care.

Not all of my feelings are fear based, but for now I am not educated enough on all things home school. Time to begin some deep research and find some more friends who can be an encouragement.

I had a client who'd high school aged daughter was getting in with the wrong crowd. The woman pulled her daughter out of high school and quit her job to educate her at home and take up the responsibility that was hers. Her daughter's well being was more important than money or social acceptance. I am definitely that passionate about my job as a mother. 

Do you home educate? Have you ever considered it? Are you afraid you'll fail? Have you ever considered it only temporarily to form a solid foundation for your child that they can take with them to school when the time comes? Do you know anyone who was home schooled who wishes they were not. What about Christian Home Schooling? Does that make a difference on the level of success? (I think it does, but I'm asking you.)

Courtney