Why I love to home educate my children? First and foremost, I really love being with my children. My eldest had to be in daycare off and on during her first 5 years of life and I hated it. Don't get me wrong, I loved work. I loved my job (Science Applications International Corporation) and I loved the people I worked with but I really missed being at home with my daughter and being a full-time mom. If there is a calling for motherhood and homeschooling that makes you miserable doing anything else, I had it. And I was surprised. I had plans of a big career until I held that precious cargo. All those future goals went by the wayside and my thoughts began drifting towards home.
I also was intrigued with the idea of homeschooling. There was so little on the subject at the time therefore I joined a local home school co-op when my daughter was only two so I could do my homework. Meanwhile, my husband began a partnership in a plumbing business that was doing well. We decided to take the plunge and give up my benefits and pay to come home right before her kindergarten year.
Our families thought we were nuts and had probably joined a cult. It didn't help that I did begin getting very involved in a Spirit-filled church when she was 2. Being so hungry for Truth and especially spiritual truth, I devoured the Word. I was involved in Bible Studies and in learning how to be a good mom, wife, and future home school mom. It pretty much consumed those first years of her life. Compared to the old me, I am absolutely sure it did appear that I had to have joined a cult to have changed so drastically. I know when they found out I wanted more than two children it made no sense at all to them. When I breastfed, my feminist mentors in life where appalled (especially when I did it for two years). When I wanted natural child birth, cloth diapers to save money, dress simply, give up career ambitions and more, they pretty much just shook their heads. But after 6 children they gave up on me and now are some of my biggest cheerleaders in life. Maybe by the time I had #8 they were just numb :D.
Before we were married, we had "the plan". We will have 3 children 3 years apart. I will finish my college education and we will move by a beach and we will live happily ever after. Well, God had other plans. We definitely didn't plan on homeschooling. We didn't have to throw away our dreams to follow God's plan for us but He has definitely changed our dreams. It has been a great adventure and I wouldn't trade it for anything. My next post will discuss what curriculum we began with and how we got where we are now.
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