Why We Chose to Homeschool: Second Generation Homeschool Mom Shares Why

I was homeschooled for five of my thirteen grade school years. So, I guess you can say I’m a “second generation” homeschooler. Growing up, we were not your typical homeschool family. My brother and I were happily attending public schools and had never considered anything else. We didn’t know many families who homeschooled and the ones we did know seemed weird (and I can say that in humility because now we are that weird family!)

It started when my brother had a rough year in seventh grade and my parents felt like his best option was to be home for a year. My mom had never considered homeschooling and felt pretty inadequate to be the one responsible for preparing a kid for high school. They decided to keep me in school that year so she could figure out the ropes on one kid at a time, plus I was in a sweet little elementary school and was thriving there.

Well, they survived the year homeschooling my brother, but he made a beeline back to public school as soon as that year was over. He would definitely say he enjoyed his time at home, but for many reasons (I’m guessing community was one of the biggest ones), he decided he wanted to be back in the action of school with his friends.  I, on the other hand, saw how he was getting to eat chicken fingers and homemade french fries for lunch and how he was finished with his school work at noon. Now that seemed like a good life! So we switched places the next school year. He started public high school and I came home.

The next three years were very sweet and very hard. I was really lonely. Like I said, we didn’t know very many homeschool families. Only one family that I knew well enough to be friends with, and since I had no siblings at home I just felt sad a lot of the time. But looking back, I see God’s grace to me during that season. We all know that the middle school years can be tumultuous. And it was no different for me. But the biggest influences in my life during those years were my mom and my youth pastor and wife. My thinking and perspective were shaped a lot (unbeknownst to me) and plus, I got to learn a lot about mothering because my youth pastor and his wife graciously shared their baby boy with me. My relationship with the Lord grew so much during those years. He met me in some dark places. 

After middle school, I was curious and ready to enter public school again. I felt like I was missing out on so much and I felt like God was leading me to engage with the world again. My parents supported my decision. I loved how my schooling was always a conversation with them. It was never something I was forced into (homeschooling or not). We would talk through it, weigh the pros and cons and make a decision. I went back to school for ninth and tenth grade. They were good years. I made a lot of friends and enjoyed my classes. But as my relationship with the Lord continued to grow and transform my life, I found myself desiring a simpler life. I wanted to be out of the rat race of high school. I wanted my time to be freed up to serve Jesus and others.

So, I made the jump and decided to come back home for my last two years of high school. Those two years were totally transformative. I was able to work part-time as a nanny for a sweet family with twin babies. I was able to go on long trips to the mountains with my grandparents, I was able to be with my Granddaddy in the hospital as he underwent open heart surgery, I was able to serve moms during the day by babysitting when all other babysitters were in school. And most of all, I had time every morning to steal away to my little playhouse-turned-prayer-cottage to spend time getting to know my Savior and Best Friend. I wouldn’t trade those days for all the high school popularity in the world. 

Stay Tuned for part two of our journey to homeschooling our own children!