Are you considering homeschooling, but wonder if you are cut out for it?  Do you fear that you are somehow going to mess up your children if you decide to educate them at home?  You are not alone!  

A sweet mama asked the following question on a homeschooling Facebook page.  I was drawn to her sincere plea for help and advice, and wrote a very lengthy reply.  With her kind permission, I am sharing it with you.

Her question:

I would love to hear from you about the following…  My hubby and I are making the decision between homeschool and public school. I homeschooled our kindergartener half of last school year, then put him in public school for the rest of the year after we moved.  I just haven’t been able to get homeschool out of my mind since, so we are re-approaching it.  We have lots of reasons why we want to homeschool, as well as concerns. We have three kids, 6, 4, 2 and a baby due in September. I just want to be sure I am up to the task, and I want to give my kids every chance to be successful in life. I don’t want to mess them up!  I would love to hear why you homeschool, how you handle the doubts, experiences, …etc! Thanks so much! This is proving to be a very difficult decision for us, but ultimately we want to do what is best for our little family.

My answer:

Thoughts such as, “can I really do this?” or “am I doing enough?” or “am I going to somehow mess up and ruin my children?” have been asked at some point by almost EVERY homeschool mom I have ever talked to.  I promise you are not alone!

We all have fears. We want what’s best for our children yet we are painfully aware of our weaknesses.  I have had so many moms say to me something like, “oh I don’t know how you do it all!  I could never homeschool, I can’t even get through helping with my kid’s homework!” They think they aren’t patient enough, smart enough, organized enough, motivated enough, or perfect enough.

Guess what, I’m not perfect either, none of us are, but luckily that’s not a requirement for homeschooling!  We can’t let our doubt in our abilities hold us back from what we feel is right for our children.

My advice would be that if you can’t get homeschooling out of your mind, it’s for a reason.  If both you and your husband feel that it may be right for your family, but the thing holding you back is your doubts in yourself, please know that you can do this!  Take a deep breath and know that you are enough.

If you feel led to homeschool, I believe the Lord’s grace and strength will be there for you.  Yes, you will have to face your weakness head on.  Yes, you will make mistakes.  Yes, it will be hard and you will have days you want to quit.  But with the Lord, all things are possible, even homeschooling.

If you can meet your children where they are, valuing them as unique individuals, be willing to learn and grow alongside them, and then be diligent in providing them opportunities to find joy in learning, you will be okay.  They come with a natural desire for learning and delight in discovery.  Our job is not to know everything, our job is to fan that flame of desire for learning and keep it bright.

We are the curators of our children’s education.  We don’t need to have all the knowledge in every subject in order to homeschool.  Today, of all times throughout history, we have access to anything and everything we could need.  An education greater than the kings, queens and leaders of the past is available at our fingertips, at the click of a button!

There are many different educational resources, curriculums, online courses, groups and co-ops.  So many ways to help our children find the knowledge they seek. (sometimes that can be overwhelming in itself, so check out our time-tested homeschool favorites here) There are many parents who have been where you are, and have found a way through the challenges you are facing.

I don’t want you to feel like I am pushing homeschool, because I’m not!  I know without a doubt that there are many different paths of education and that we have the blessing of being creative in following our feelings to do what is right for each one of our children.  

Just please know you are not alone!  God will help you in this choice, and we are here for you whenever you have questions and concerns.  You can do this mama!

So, how would YOU answer her question?  Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

P. S.   Marlene Peterson has a beautiful podcast and website that is a treasure trove of inspiration, encouragement, and resources. Check out the Well-Educated Heart, you are in for a treat! One of my other very favorite books to read whenever I start to get overwhelmed is Sarah MacKenzie’s book, Teaching From Rest.  She addresses the concerns and fears of homeschool moms and shares her thoughts and experiences in a beautiful way. She also has a podcast full of wonderful ideas, at Read-Aloud Revival.  The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart is another one I turn to, often.  It is filled with wisdom, tips, ideas and encouragement, and her Brave Writer podcast is exciting and excellent.

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