“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Several years ago, my husband and I came face to face with the daunting reality that our son’s future was at stake. Having been born four months prematurely, he faced many challenges as a young child and still does today. Subsequently, we had to receive numerous services to support his growth and development, both at home and in the school setting, once he was school age.
Due to circumstances that were in the capable hands of God, we relocated from New York to Florida, where he continued to attend public school. However, we soon realized that he was extremely socialized, but not thriving academically, even in the best of schools in the district. As a result, we prayerfully determined that all things considered, it would be in his best interest for us to withdraw his enrollment from the local school.
Never before had the thought of homeschooling crossed my mind as a mom. We had just had yet another rough pregnancy, and our baby girl was born only a month before our relocation, so the idea of homeschooling was truly foreign to me because I didn’t really have any friends that were homeschooling at the time for me to bounce ideas off and get a good start. However, I knew of a few people in the community who were homeschooling their children for varying reasons, and eventually, I was intrigued by the idea of actually pulling my little guy out of public school to be his education coach at home.
I will admit that at first, I was oblivious to the challenges that would come our way as we navigated the homeschool journey. I was also a little nervous about the prospect of actually teaching my child subject matter that I wasn’t sure I was even qualified to communicate to him in a way that he would grasp and be able to reproduce. At that point in time, I decided that instead of getting overwhelmed about the whole thing, I would just choose to trust God to help me. It was then that I asked Him to really give me direction and peace about this new adventure that our family was about to embark upon.
After resigning myself to trusting God for assistance with the homeschool journey, I tapped into the resources available around me – other families who had made the decision to be home educators. Once the school year ended, and our son was no longer a student in the public school setting, we joined the homeschool group in our area and attended informal meetings on a monthly basis. There, I met different families and heard their testimonies about the journey to homeschooling. I was truly encouraged and never forgot one dad telling me that if we can get past year 3 as a homeschooling family, we are good to go.
What can I say? Thank you God! Four-and-a-half years later, here we are, and I will admit that it’s been a bumpy ride, but definitely a rewarding experience all around. There are days when I wonder what in the world I signed myself up for! However, I declare without hesitation, that through the ups and downs, it has been worth it all. Every frustration, all the uncertainties surrounding the choice of curricula that would work best for a child in his position, the constant queries from others about whether or not I made the right decision, me doubting myself from time to time, and just the fact that some days I felt like throwing in the proverbial towel, all have helped to shape my character that much more as a child of God.
Educating my son at home has no doubt presented its share of challenges because of all his special needs to begin with, but at the end of the day I can smile broadly because of the man he is becoming; because of the stepping stone that he is now standing upon. I vowed to God that I would put my life, hopes, and dreams on hold to ensure that he grows up and can take good care of himself, and that is exactly what I am doing today.
He is happier, and so am I, because he can be a mentor to his little sister, and teach her the value of commitment, honesty, and diligence, when it comes to education. I already see the fruit of home education in his personality and character, and because he has always been well-loved and popular wherever he goes, I am not concerned about him having friends or having people skills. Gratefully, our local homeschool network affords us many opportunities to interact, so much so that we have to graciously decline from time to time because there’s so much going on.
If I had to do it all over again, with God’s help, I really would! Be encouraged, you can do it!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, as we reflect upon Your amazing grace in our lives throughout the years, we are humbled to know that You love us so much and take great interest in the things that concern us. Today, we can look back upon the experiences that once challenged us, and smile because of the amazing accomplishments, which can only be credited to Your intervention in our lives. Thank You for coming to our rescue whenever we cry out to You in our moments of desperation, and please help us to know that we can always call upon You in faith, we humbly pray. Amen!
Written by: Shauna L. Menns
