Homeschooling my kids is not something I ever imagined myself doing. I attended public school as a kid so it was the only thing I knew. In fact, when I first started homeschooling, I aimed to duplicate the very institution I yanked my kids out of.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I received yet another call from the school about my son’s behavior. It was the fourth one that month alone! I was finally fed up and told the principal that I was withdrawing my son that day. Of course I was met with pushback and was told that wasn’t necessary. That they could get him the “proper” help he needed. I politely told them no and that it was my husband’s and my responsibility, not theirs, to help him.

There were only two months left in the school year when I brought my son home. Initially I only withdrew my second son from school as my oldest wasn’t getting into trouble and had decent grades. I had no idea what I was going to do but I knew I needed to address the behavior most importantly. I decided he needed to “earn” the right to even do school since it seemed he took it for granted.

I set up a strict schedule of indoor and outdoor chores. He cleaned bathrooms, washed walls and baseboards, deep cleaned the kitchen, mowed the lawn, amongst other things. By the end of the week, he was begging me to hit the books! Since it was the end of the school year (and I didn’t actually know what I was doing), I spent the remaining months getting reacquainted with my son.

To be honest, this was probably the toughest part. He went from being gone from home nine hours a day to being home all day.

Let’s park here for a bit…

This hit me in the gut and broke my heart. I didn’t know my son. He had been exposed to things and behaviors at school that were not acceptable in our home. I raised my kids to know God, we went to church every Sunday and midweek as well. Our family was very active in church and we volunteered too. We were “doing” everything “right”. So I thought.

I cried out to God and prayed for guidance. I felt the Lord lead me to read the book of Nehemiah. He spoke very clearly to my heart that there was a crack in our foundation and that we needed to rebuild. God proceeded to walk me through the book of Nehemiah and that became our guide to rebuilding our home. There was no doubt I needed to bring both my sons home and homeschool them. I needed to be more purposeful in their upbringing and not just assume biblical morals and values were being instilled because we attended church. We needed to actively live out Deuteronomy 6:6-7 which says, “these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3

Our decision to homeschool was met with much opposition. From family, to friends, even leaders in our church disagreed with our decision. I was told I wasn’t “qualified” to teach my kids because I was a high school drop out and didn’t have a college degree. I was told by the youth leader that my kids needed to be in public school because “they needed to be witnesses of Christ”, (they were 12 and 11 years old).

Despite all the negativity, I pressed forward. At the time I didn’t know how or what it would look like but I trusted God to lead us. It didn’t always look pretty but I stayed faithful to that which He called me. Many times I felt like a failure but I stayed the course. Now looking back over the last 12 years, I am confident we made the right choice. When I think of all the time I have with my kids versus had they been in public school, I wouldn’t trade this for anything. That time with them has given me the opportunity to bond with them in a way I honestly don’t think would have been possible if they were gone nine hours a day.

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” Philippians 3:12

Dear friends, if you have kids in the public school system, please do not think I am saying “homeschool is the only way”. While I am a strong supporter of homeschooling, I recognize that it’s not for everyone. If you get anything out of this post, may it be a reminder that as mothers and fathers, we have a higher calling for our children. That our time with them in our homes is so short and so incredibly precious. Cherish every moment with your children while they are young as time flies by so fast and we are not promised tomorrow. I strongly urge you to live out Deuteronomy 6:6-7…I can assure you it will be the best decision you ever make for your children and your children’s children. ❤️