|

Homeschooling Mom, Be Brave!

I remember driving away from the school wondering if we’d made the right decision.  What if this is wrong?  What if I’m not capable of being momma and teacher? What if the kids look back on their lives and decide that they hate us?  In those moments of my self-doubt and worry Abba gently spoke peace to my heart.  He used the words of a song.  A song that would prove to be a rock to grasp when I needed solid ground.

So long status quo, I think I just let go…

The status quo of our society is to send children to school.  I walked my children up the hill every day to their bus stop.  I didn’t question.  I just did.  It was shocking to find myself standing up and saying good-bye.  Walking away from a system that had educated me.  Stepping in faith that I could homeschool my children…and letting go.

You make me wanna be brave, I wanna be brave.

I looked into the mirror and met the eyes of my girls.  Any doubt disappeared.  I wanted to be brave…for them. No matter how scared I was, I knew that Abba had led me to this moment.  To teach my children when I wake up in the morning, when I walk in the midday, and when I lay down at night.  He wanted me to be the person to walk beside them, helping them discover who they are.  I would be brave.  For them.

The way it always was is no longer good enough.

School was not the enemy.  My children thrived in our local elementary school.  I was involved in the classrooms.  I went on every field trip.  It’s just that our family life, the way it was … was not enough.  It wasn’t enough that our children went to the best schools, lived in the best neighborhood, and participated in the best sports leagues.  It wasn’t enough that Dad worked 60 hour weeks and Mom worked 30 hour weeks.  Suddenly, the money, the business, the life … it wasn’t enough.  We gave it up and never looked back.

You make me wanna be brave.

I’d like to tell you that I’ve not had one day of doubt.  I’d LOVE to be able to say that I never struggle with lesson plans, sassy teens, and a cranky husband.  I’d like to pretend that I have it all figured out.  The reality is that I need to remind myself daily to be brave.

Be Brave

Momma.  This may be your first year or it may be your tenth.  I want to encourage you, be brave.

When your mother questions your parenting … be brave.

When your husband loses his job and you don’t know what tomorrow brings … be brave.

When you walk your kids to school because cancer has ripped your life apart … be brave.

When you struggle to make your child understand … be brave.

When people spread lies about you … be brave.

When you think you are not enough and can’t be a homeschool momma … BE BRAVE!

 

Brave by Nicole Nordeman; Songwriters – DEDRICK, CHRISTOPHER WARD / DP; Published by

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Similar Posts

6 Comments

  1. Oh!! I know that song! When my oldest son was first diagnosed with significant developmental delays and later on the autism spectrum, this was the song that really spoke to me! I played it over and over. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your story. 🙂

  2. This spoke to my heart! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. I want to print and read every now and then because I know those days will surely come for me as a first time homeschooler. Thanks!

    1. I’ve been homeschooling for 13 years, but still needed to hear this! I was diagnosed with terminal cancer, my husband has been laid off till spring, and we have autistic kiddos…..be brave should be my motto:)

  3. I need to remind myself this everyday. I remember the passion and fervor that I had when I embarked on this journey. Sometimes I must admit it is hard sometimes. You are right for me it was more than just education. It is our family. My family means so much more to me than just work work work work,. Not to knock anyone, because I know this is not for everyone. public schools is good for a lot of people. My daughter had good teachers. But as much fun as she had she would say “mommy I do not want to go to school.” In my heart and after much prayer I knew we had to take that step.
    I am blogging about it at http://homeschoolingmamacita.blogspot.com/.
    I really like finding new blogs, it is what helped me. I hope I can help others and be encouraged.
    Thank you again

  4. How do I deal with those parents/children that question my children daily about what they learned at home today. As if they don’t believe my children are capable of learning outside a public school system. This is my 1st year homeschooling my 3 children and so far the hardest part has been the ignorance of others. Any advice, from the more seasoned homeschooling parents, out there?? Thank you.

    1. As a first-year homeschooling family, I know those questions can be very hard to deal with! (Even those of us who have been homeschooling for many years don’t like to be interrogated like that!) I’m including a couple of links to some articles that you might want to read and get familiar with. I think the information will help you feel confident that you CAN educate your children very well, and I hope it will give you the confidence to let those who question you know that homeschooling really is a great educational option! My mother and grandmother were teachers, and they were very upset when I chose to homeschool many years ago. (We’ve been homeschooling for 18 years.) It took about 5 or 6 years for them to see that my children are very well educated, socially well-adjusted, etc. My mother came to me and admitted how she had felt and how she realized she’d been wrong to be unhappy about my homeschooling my children. I had not tried to “talk her into” changing her opinion. I simply taught my children and went about real life. It was wonderful when she told me that her opinion had changed! I thanked her and let her know that I appreciated her telling me how she feels now. Even if that had never happened, though, I still know that I made the right choice. You will gain more confidence over the years as you homeschool too. Blessings to you and your children as you begin homeschooling! http://www.hslda.org/docs/study/comp2001/HomeSchoolAchievement.pdf http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/HomeschoolingGrowsUp.pdf

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *