This week we began our 5th year of homeschooling! I think about how scared I was when we first began. I had never even dreamed that I would be "one of those moms", but God had another plan.
We had just finished Katelyn's kindergarten year in public school where she struggled academically, and we were told that she would need to repeat kindergarten. During this same time frame Cameron was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Delay, NOS which is on the autism spectrum. It was a hard year, and we felt at a loss as to what to do. We sought expert advice, talked with school counselors, and doctors, finding very few answers. We finally made the decision that for the next school year, even though he was age appropriate for kindergarten, Cameron would benefit more to spend an extra year in the special needs behavioral program he was currently attending. Jeremy was finishing up his Master's degree and would simultaneously school Katelyn at home preparing her for first grade in public school. I would continue to work outside of the home.
In August, right before the school year started, God began unfolding his plans and opening doors we had no idea were even there! Jeremy was offered a full time job (AGR) National Guard job where he would be making a salary equal to what he had previously been making plus what I was making as a manager of a local bank. So, instead of Jeremy teaching Katelyn at home, I was able to leave my full time job and become a stay at home Mom! I was thrilled as God was granting the desires of my heart.
Our first year of homeschooling went great!! We used the ABEKA homeschool videos, and Katelyn thrived with the one on one teaching. Cameron made good progress in the behavioral program, and Katelyn was diagnosed with ADHD. Jeremy graduated with his master's degree, received his commission in the United States Army as a Chaplain, and in April we moved to our first active duty assignment, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.
We enrolled the kids for the next school year, Cameron in kindergarten and Katelyn in 1st grade, in the local public school. I had very little peace about this decision, but homeschooling long term was not the plan. We were not "one of those" families. The school year began, I tearfully loaded the kids on the school bus that first day, and became very active volunteering at the school several days a week. The kids would come home from school late in the afternoon and have notes and homework from their teachers of things I needed to work on with the kids. So after spending their day at school we would then spend the evening at home re-teaching the day's work with lots of tears while all of the neighborhood kids played outside. I had meetings after meetings with the teachers and special education advisers all of which who blew off my concerns reassuring me that the kids were doing fine. Listening to the counsel of the "experts" I began to adjust to our new normal, trusting that the kids were in fact doing fine.
October arrived, and it was time for the parent/teacher conferences. I arrived at the conferences expecting to hear great progress reports. The first conference was with Katelyn's teacher. She reported that Katelyn was struggling, but the teacher was confident that she would be okay. We just needed to work harder with her at home in the evenings. I felt discouraged as I entered Cameron's classroom, but was optimistic as to what the teacher would say......after all I had been assured earlier in the year that he was doing fine! Instead the teacher said "Cameron WILL fail this year, and THEN we will reassess his educational needs". WHAT?? I was done. Childhood was not meant to be this way. My kids COULD learn, and I was not going to give up on them. I spent the next few days tearfully in prayer, discussing with Jeremy, and seeking advice from teacher friends and the one homeschooling family that we knew. God had all ready impressed upon our hearts what we were suppose to do, but I was terrified to take that step. What if I failed??? The next week we withdrew the kids from public school. It was not a very popular decision among the "experts", and I was strongly encouraged to reconsider my decision. We researched, ordered curriculum, and began again our homeschooling journey trusting God to guide us.
Now, many years later, I still believe that we did and are doing what is right for our children. Homeschooling is not the easy answer but the right answer for our family. We work hard, have fun, and the kids ARE learning. We are able to provide them consistency in their education regardless of moving every other year, a curriculum that is chosen for their own specific learning style and pace, and have the flexibility to spend quality time as a family traveling and exploring not being tied to the traditional school year. Will we homeschool through high school? I believe so, but we will take each year as it comes seeking God's direction. As for now, we are excitedly embarking on our fifth year and are looking forward to and expecting a great year!
