*Guest post by Kelsey Scism
I’m not a homeschool mom. Nope. Couldn’t handle it. Here are five reasons why…
- I like spending time with my kids, but not all of them, all day, every minute.
- Teaching a little brain to read scares me to death. Diphthongs, digraphs, phonemic awareness, and decoding. Seriously, everything goes back to reading. What if I messed that up?
- Chemistry, Calculus, Biology, and Geometry. Someday they’re going to be ready for these. Will I be ready? Never.
- How would I get anything else done? If I’m teaching kindergarten, second, and fifth grade all day, who watches the two year old? Who does the laundry, dishes, cleaning, cooking?
- Never. A. Day. Off
I’m an outsider. And I think you homeschool moms are amazing. Here’s why…
You are everything.
You are the teacher, principal, para, food service worker, custodian, secretary, counselor, bus driver, athletic director, school nurse, librarian, curriculum director, and superintendent. You are all these things, all the time. You are an entire school.
You are courageous.
You don’t let the fear of homeschooling stop you. You don’t let the stereotypes, critics, and status quo determine what is best for your family.
You are constantly working.
You don’t get that quiet moment after sending the kids out the door to regroup, focus, and plan for your day. Your school day begins when the first one wakes and ends when the last falls asleep. There is no locking the door and leaving the building. Your teaching job is around the clock.
You work so hard.
Your lesson planning reaches multiple grade levels and subject areas. You grade, research, design, differentiate, and create. You plan field trips and connect with other homeschooling families. You advocate for your kids. All of this in addition to the hard work it takes to raise a family and maintain a home.
You are insightful.
You know the time of day when your kids work best and when they need breaks. You are not restricted by a bell chiming over the loudspeaker. You’ve deliberately built a schedule that fits your kids because you know them best.
You are flexible.
You recognize when your kids need more time on this or can breeze through that and then you adjust. When plans fall through, you change plans. You are an expert at improvising.
You are the decision-maker.
The lunch menu, curriculum, content, discipline, calendar – you make all these decisions. You don’t look to someone higher on the school system ladder, you consider, pray, and weigh the options. And you decide – everything.
You make textbooks out of moments.
You have the ability to turn a fight with a sibling into a lesson about the justice system. Together, you create in the kitchen all while learning about fractions and the chemistry of baking. You are the queen of making all things relevant.
You persevere.
When a lesson fails, you create a new one. When a child is being difficult, a pass to the principal’s office doesn’t solve it, you do. When you feel like you’ve failed, you wake up the next morning and try again.
You were created for this.
Not everyone is. Your creator placed the desire to homeschool in your soul. He gave you those little hearts and minds to shape into young men and women who He will use to change the world.
You teach.
You teach your kids to be amazing, independent, hard-working, motivated, awe-inspiring adults, just like their mom.
Kelsey is a former language arts teacher, mother of four, principal’s wife, and most importantly a Christian loving our Lord. As a teacher, she loved inspiring and encouraging her students. Today, she finds inspiration in the everyday moments as a stay-at-home mom and hopes to encourage others along the way. You can check out more from her at https://lovingourlord.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram @lovingourlordtogether.
