Seasons of Homeschool - The Long Game

Just because it is hard, it doesn't mean it's time to throw in the towel. I've had to tell myself this every year - usually in February (after a long winter) and in October (when my well laid out plans fall apart). Every year, at least twice a year, I am ready to quit.

Recently, I've spent time reflecting on our 13 years of homeschooling. As my eldest prepares for graduation, I'm beginning to see the blessings in even the difficult seasons of our journey. Although often it felt like I barely survived, looking back, I see now how it made our family better. It shaped us into who we are. It has moved us towards the people God intends us to become.

While your family's homeschool journey may look very different from ours, I hope that in reading my story, you can also find God's fingerprints in yours.

The seasons of our homeschool can be characterized in many ways, but for this blog entry, I've chosen to identify the major obstacles, or 'walls', as a symbol for the milestones we can celebrate.

2010 - The Unique Learner Wall I was a brand new homeschool mom. I had a 4 year old, a 2 year old and one on the way. I did what I thought all teachers should do to prepare. I chose my curriculum, ordered all the corresponding books, and created a spreadsheet of lessons for each week of the year. Looking back, it would have been helpful to also learn about children's learning styles. I didn't know a lot about kids back then and I was shocked that my son didn't LOVE all the things I had spent months preparing for him. Eventually, he received a diagnosis for his learning differences and I finally felt like I had language and strategies to understand and help him. These strategies became immensely helpful in educating the remaining four children. 2015 - The Church Trauma Wall

The beloved church that raised me as an adult 'baby' Christian experienced a dark time, which left the community hurting, angry, confused and disappointed. Many of you have also experienced similar pain in your church communities. I felt I had to either leave the faith or rebuilt foundations. With the help of some amazing friends in the homeschool community, I found my footing. I moved on from this season with a deeper faith and a greater empathy for others. 2021 - The "This Isn't the Marriage I Signed Up For" Wall

You may have read my previous blog entry about our marriage. Since writing that entry, our marriage has continued to grow in commitment to love each other with more compassion and appreciation. By accepting and loving my husband for who he is (not who I want him to be), I can more fully embrace the calling God has for our family. More and more, I can see the beauty in who we are, instead of comparing our family to others.

2022 - The Mental Illness Wall

This was the year I learned that there are chemical differences in my brain that cause drastic fluctuations in my mood, my energy and my confidence. I thought bipolar was for people on the street who are clearly ‘crazy’. But did you know ‘normal’ people can have it too?! It was 10 months between my initial suspicion and receiving the official diagnosis of cyclothymia, a mild form of bipolar. This was a hard year, but it was crucial in helping me understand how to live with this dynamic mind. Now, I see my moods as a gift - providing me with a wide range of colours with which I can perceive the world. (If you suspect you or a loved one may be living with a form of bipolar, please reach out for help!)

2023 - The Teenager Wall  

This was a shock. I don’t know why I wasn’t more prepared. When I had two teenagers in the house, I was operating in parent-panic mode for about a year before I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I sought advice from everywhere and the same themes were coming up - these are the themes that I’m currently putting into practice with some success, I think! It's a bit too soon to tell, but ask me in a year or so and hopefully I’ll have more to say then!

So there is a brief history of our journey thus far. I know other families have bravely endured very difficult times including loss of income, death of loved ones and moving homes. For many families, homeschooling is not the best answer. If you are deciding not to homeschool, may God give you the peace and grace to move forward in your new direction. If you sense God's hand leading you to stay the course, despite current difficulties, know that one day, you will look back and see how this season was a blessing in disguise.

Whatever you chose, may God's presence be your comfort, your courage, your strength and your joy!