Five years ago when I was pregnant with our firstborn, before we knew whether we were welcoming a boy or a girl, I would tease my husband by saying, "I'm not ready to let this baby go to school yet! We're going to homeschool."
To this he would shake his head and roll his eyes and assure all the grands-to-be that we were not going to homeschool. They all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "He will talk some sense into her. He'll never agree to that," I could practically hear their thoughts.
Over the next few years, we gave great thought to school; we talked about it from time to time, both agreeing to pray about his (and any future children's) education.
As we watched our friends and family enroll their children in preschool programs, we waited to see what the next year would hold, then the next and the next. And every year it just seemed like for our family, traditional schooling just didn't seem to be the right fit.
Besides, our son had lots of interaction with kids his age. He and I attended a mother's group where he played alongside/with/despite his little friends while I had time with other moms. We participated in playgroups, visited playgrounds and the local kids' museum where he interacted with kids of all ages. We became active in church, where he had a classroom-type structure.
Time marched on, and my husband and I discussed, prayed, weighed all the possible options. Public school? Christian school? Even, gulp, the teased-about homeschool option?
Every one of the options had advantages and disadvantages. There were trade-offs for each, but when we weighed all the pros and the cons, the decision was clear.
My teasing had become anything but.
So, we've taken the plunge. Two months after our son turned four, we purchased a curriculum and began.
We're thankful that we live in a country where we have this option, and we realize it's not for everyone. But, it is for us. We're living by faith, not by sight.
This is, by far, the biggest undertaking of our lives- parenting our children and being their teachers. We do not see right now why God is leading us to make this choice. In time, He will reveal His purpose; for now, we are enjoying the start of our homeschooling journey.
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