There are tons of families turning to homeschooling in VA at the time of this writing in 2020.
Why Homeschool?
The way the schooling was managed during COVID-19 has opened many people's eyes to how fast educating can be accomplished with younger children. Families were also surprised at where their kids were educationally; all of the time home alone together revealed some gaps parents weren't aware of. There are also families concerned with the schedule the schools have come out with going forward, and those who think there may be another big interruption down the road. Finally, many say they were already on the fence about homeschooling and this past spring was the push they needed to pull their kids from school and take matters into their own hands. I've also been told that some teachers are not returning to their jobs because they want to make sure their own children are being educated consistently, so rather than go teach other people's kids, they are just going to worry about their own.
Is it just about math and reading?
Worrying about our own children and their specific education makes sense to me, whether you are a teacher by trade/gifting or not. I think it aligns with Scripture to train our children in the way they should go throughout the day...walking by the wayside, formally at a table, over breakfast...capitalizing on the opportunities that present themselves all throughout the day is what parenting is all about. Training children in life skills, good character, how to have healthy relationships, how to know and love God, and 'formal' education work beautifully as a cohesive project rather than a very segregated 'school life' and 'home life'. It is amazing how well you get to know your own kids when you are with them all the time. There is a dying to self that causes parenting to become profoundly satisfying as well. Family relationships become quite important when you are together all the time. It is not easy to avoid dealing with relationship challenges that need to be dealt with when you are together day in and day out. We all know that we can use 'busyness' and running here and there to avoid having discussions we prefer not to have. But is that really the sort of home dynamic we're after?
Is it too hard?
I won't say that homeschooling is easy. That would be like saying parenting is easy. Or marriage is easy. Nothing in life that is worthwhile is what I would call, 'easy'. But there are things in this life that can be unbelievably rewarding if you take them on as a project of which you are determined to succeed. You can homeschool if you want to! Even parents without a high school education can teach their children well at home. Materials are very user friendly...and the good news is, you aren't married to a curriculum. Pick something you think will work, do it, and next year if you don't like it, try something else. Trust that you are able to evaluate if something looks like it will work for you and your child or not, and then do it. Work the plan you came up with. Cathy Duffy has good reviews of curriculum, and our HEAV Convention has early sessions that go over the various methods of home educating. As with anything new, start where you are and do the work, and you will learn and grow along the way. That is ok. You don't know how to parent teens when you have children under 8. You don't need to know all there is to know about home educating when you have children that young, either. Give yourself time to learn and grow and just enjoy this season with your littles.
I'm not smart enough or organized enough to homeschool...
We all have shortcomings or areas we feel inferior in that make homeschooling a challenging adventure. Some issues overlap for everyone, but the degree of difficulty will vary, just as with homemaking. Cooking comes easier for some than others, but we all have to figure out the shopping and the feeding of the people. We all have issues with getting bored making the same things...cleaning is the same way. Some of us know how to clean and some women don't actually know how to clean. They don't know about cleaning a stove hood or a refrigerator, so they don't do it...but we can all learn, right? When homeschooling, you will learn right along with your children and eventually if you are like me, they will surpass you. You do not have to know all the things in order to successfully homeschool. You have to love your kids, pick a curriculum, and do the work each day. Anything works if the mother does!
Want to learn how to get started homeschooling in Virginia? Check this out!
Why Homeschool?
The way the schooling was managed during COVID-19 has opened many people's eyes to how fast educating can be accomplished with younger children. Families were also surprised at where their kids were educationally; all of the time home alone together revealed some gaps parents weren't aware of. There are also families concerned with the schedule the schools have come out with going forward, and those who think there may be another big interruption down the road. Finally, many say they were already on the fence about homeschooling and this past spring was the push they needed to pull their kids from school and take matters into their own hands. I've also been told that some teachers are not returning to their jobs because they want to make sure their own children are being educated consistently, so rather than go teach other people's kids, they are just going to worry about their own.
Worrying about our own children and their specific education makes sense to me, whether you are a teacher by trade/gifting or not. I think it aligns with Scripture to train our children in the way they should go throughout the day...walking by the wayside, formally at a table, over breakfast...capitalizing on the opportunities that present themselves all throughout the day is what parenting is all about. Training children in life skills, good character, how to have healthy relationships, how to know and love God, and 'formal' education work beautifully as a cohesive project rather than a very segregated 'school life' and 'home life'. It is amazing how well you get to know your own kids when you are with them all the time. There is a dying to self that causes parenting to become profoundly satisfying as well. Family relationships become quite important when you are together all the time. It is not easy to avoid dealing with relationship challenges that need to be dealt with when you are together day in and day out. We all know that we can use 'busyness' and running here and there to avoid having discussions we prefer not to have. But is that really the sort of home dynamic we're after?
I won't say that homeschooling is easy. That would be like saying parenting is easy. Or marriage is easy. Nothing in life that is worthwhile is what I would call, 'easy'. But there are things in this life that can be unbelievably rewarding if you take them on as a project of which you are determined to succeed. You can homeschool if you want to! Even parents without a high school education can teach their children well at home. Materials are very user friendly...and the good news is, you aren't married to a curriculum. Pick something you think will work, do it, and next year if you don't like it, try something else. Trust that you are able to evaluate if something looks like it will work for you and your child or not, and then do it. Work the plan you came up with. Cathy Duffy has good reviews of curriculum, and our HEAV Convention has early sessions that go over the various methods of home educating. As with anything new, start where you are and do the work, and you will learn and grow along the way. That is ok. You don't know how to parent teens when you have children under 8. You don't need to know all there is to know about home educating when you have children that young, either. Give yourself time to learn and grow and just enjoy this season with your littles.
We all have shortcomings or areas we feel inferior in that make homeschooling a challenging adventure. Some issues overlap for everyone, but the degree of difficulty will vary, just as with homemaking. Cooking comes easier for some than others, but we all have to figure out the shopping and the feeding of the people. We all have issues with getting bored making the same things...cleaning is the same way. Some of us know how to clean and some women don't actually know how to clean. They don't know about cleaning a stove hood or a refrigerator, so they don't do it...but we can all learn, right? When homeschooling, you will learn right along with your children and eventually if you are like me, they will surpass you. You do not have to know all the things in order to successfully homeschool. You have to love your kids, pick a curriculum, and do the work each day. Anything works if the mother does!
Want to learn how to get started homeschooling in Virginia? Check this out!
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