What Homeschooling Has Taught Me

Will there be difficult days while homeschooling? Yes! Choosing to homeschool does not mean every day is perfect, everyone behaves, and it’s smooth sailing. Would it be easier to just send our kids on a bus, let someone else teach them, and see them 8 hours later? Maybe, but when parents choose to homeschool, it usually isn’t because it’s easier. It certainly comes with its challenges, but in my experience, those challenges have grown me as a woman and a mom. It has strengthened my patience and helped me understand how my kids are wired on a deeper level.

I have learned while homeschooling that my kids are not the only ones learning. I am learning every day with them, and rather than looking at it as a job or chore to do, it has become an enjoyable experience to share with my kids. Now, as I said, before, not every day is perfect. We certainly have days where we laugh together, and cry together, but the keyword here is together. My children and I are growing alongside each other. 

I have also learned that there are other ways. Children can learn other than what they teach in institutional schools. I was a public school student, so it was difficult for me to completely change my outlook and thinking on this topic, but I did. As I made those adjustments all the way back from the first year, we started homeschooling till now, I have seen my children grow and thrive in a way that is best for them.

I have not only seen my children grow academically, but also grow in their relationships with each other. It has been and continues to be an absolute joy to see my daughter help teach her little brother. There are times when I walk into one of their rooms, and she is down on the floor with him, reading one of his books to him. In these exact moments, I just stand there quietly and watch as I think about how this could have been a missed opportunity if they were in a traditional school. I think about how their relationship would not be where it is today if they didn’t have that extra time to be with each other. 

I truly feel that the homeschool lifestyle is much more than just teaching your kids their core subjects. For us, it’s deeper than that. It is looking at every moment as a teaching moment. It is more time to love and pour into your children. It is growing together whether we’re smiling or crying. All of this is worth the challenging days by far! Next time you have a rough day schooling your kids, remember it’s an opportunity for you to grow. Be thankful for those times!