It doesn’t happen as frequently as it used to, but there are still times when someone finds out you homeschool, and you hold your breath waiting for her response. Will she be a public school teacher? That can be awkward. Will she begin asking endless questions about your child’s educational opportunities or performances? Or maybe
she will smile and say she homeschools too.

Most often, there seems to be this tension where the person believes I think I’m better than her because I homeschool. So I proceed to try and make it a bit less stressful by explaining that I’ve sent my kids to school at times and that I don’t believe homeschooling is the only way; it’s all about parental involvement. And I do believe that, no matter the type of education you have been given or choose to give, much of the success boils down to the involvement of the teacher and parent.

These days, we have a daughter who is mothering two little boys, a daughter launching out into her career, and a daughter attending the local university. Each day as I
interact with these gals, I notice that the benefits of homeschooling go way beyond the books. These gals are facing the adult years with grace, hard-work, and purpose!

Anne’s exposure to great literature, good teachers, and meaningful conversations throughout her teen years has developed a thought process that is years above her age. She was afforded the opportunity to have tutorial teachers who poured into her and challenged her in her faith and in her thinking. She doesn’t simply believe without thinking it through, studying it, and asking others.

This has been beneficial as her college professors come from differing backgrounds and belief systems. On her first day of class, her history professor announced boldly that students did not need to worry about believing in God in his class because there were no pastors in the room.

When it comes to the church and Christian universities, it makes me proud to watch this young lady gracefully stand up and question the status quo, bringing ideas and new ways of thinking to friends who have never been exposed to an alternative way of thinking.

It wasn’t her algebra class in homeschooling that produced thoughtfulness. It was the many conversations that allowed her to discover what she believes and were she  wants to go in life.

Abby graduated college and married in the same week. She’s always been a go-getter, and during her teen years she took it upon herself to learn how to silk screen t-shirts and build a part-time business. When she graduated from high school, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do in life, so she took a year to sit by my side and learn graphic design and computer programming.

This allowed her to understand her natural bent towards and love for creating. She enrolled in school with a specialty in hair coloring. Now I’m watching as she is building her clientele at the high-end hair salon where she works. She’s hard- working, savvy, and always planning how to better herself.

Homeschooling for Abby allowed her the time to explore and discover her passions.

Jenny is raising two amazing young boys in the beautiful state of Montana. When we FaceTime and discuss the day-to-day joys and challenges of motherhood, I am pleased as pickles over her determination to model hard-working, loving, kind, and Christ-like parenting alongside her husband. Her determination to stay at home with the boys led her to start her own baking company specializing in French dainties.

As the gal who could be found pondering the meaning of life and engaging with enthusiasm the roles of women in this world, it doesn’t surprise me that, as a mother, Jenny is putting just as much effort into making sure her children have the right foundation for life.

I believe firmly in the role and responsibility of homeschooling the core subjects and giving our children a strong academic footing. But when it comes to success as an adult, it’s the time in between the book work that seems to shape them the most.