Homeschooling FAQs

People often ask us questions about homeschooling, so with a new school year starting, I thought I would post some of the most common ones here...

Q: How do you decide whether or not it is God's will to homeschool your children?

A: First of all, determining whether you will homeschool is going to eventually come down simply to whether you want to do it or not. Homeschooling is a lot of work and is time consuming. It requires you to parent and discipline all day long. Some look at that and never try, others quickly give up. So, what would make a parent do something so crazy? In our case it simply comes down to two desires that outweigh the competing desires. First, we desire to be the primary influence in our children's lives by discipling them as much as possible. In short, someone is going to be with our children teaching them and influencing them throughout the bulk of their the day. It will either be teachers and peers, or us. We choose us. Second, we want to help our children to see and evaluate everything from a Christian worldview.

-Brian

Q: What are some of the benefits of homeschooling?

A: There are so many spiritual benefits to you that come along with homeschooling. Having your children around all day long is very sanctifying...and I'm listing that as a great positive. We truly want to be like Christ, right? I've found that He has used my children more toward that goal than marriage or trials or anything else.  Through my kids, the Lord has shown me sin that I never knew existed in my heart. And He has allowed this unveiling to drive me to pray for greater humility and dependence on Him. Trying to love children is such a great reminder of the unconditional, gracious love that we've been shown by the Lord. I have failed often, but am thankful that each day is a new opportunity to repent and ask forgiveness of my Lord and my kids. The cycle continues for good in the lives of your children, as they get to observe how a repentant sinner lives before the Lord and others. This day to day interaction has also helped me see my need to grow in unselfishness. It is always easy to do the most convenient, least stressful thing, and think of myself first. Homeschooling has really forced me to beg God for a tender, giving love for my children. -Myra

Q: How can I be sure that I would be able to do a good job teaching my children?

A: Everyone that sets out to homeschool their children lives with some degree of frustration and uncertainty; but whatever educational choice you make, that will be there because there is no perfect educational option.  I have felt anxiety over my skill at teaching a certain subject, over how to help specific children overcome their weaknesses and laziness, I've been distracted by other things that still need attention, and have struggled at times over just feeling overwhelmed. But God has met me at every turn with His grace and help and strength. One way he has done that is by providing curriculum, resources, and even other home educators to help, give input, and encourage us.

Being convinced of the great spiritual benefits to my children and me, I press on and keep praying for God to help me make progress in my weaknesses, and have wisdom to help my children with theirs. As the years have gone by, I can see that He has answered this prayer many times. We still have many children to go with only three graduated, and there are more lessons to be learned. But I know that God is faithful. As I've talked with many other moms that have chosen to send their children to school, the things that they are having to deal with, like immorality, drug use, ungodly peer influence all day long, anti-God agenda of the teachers and curriculum, and the lack of time to spend with their children in the Word-- I feel great hope for the struggles I'm facing each day. -Myra

Q: What has motivated you to keep homeschooling for so many years?

A: Homeschooling is an amazing opportunity for evangelism and discipleship. Above all else, this is what drives me on! When the Lord saved me 25 years ago, he put in my heart a desire for ministry. That's what took me to Guam on a short-term mission trip where I met Brian. And over the years of our marriage we have had many opportunities for ministry in the church. I've taught Bible studies and discipled women and loved it. But I have to say that the most rewarding and satisfying opportunity I've had is the evangelizing and discipling of my own children. And now the fruit of His word, as I've poured my life into my older children, is filling me with so much joy, that I can hardly describe it to you. My older children have become not only my close friends, but my sisters and brothers in Christ. Now they are encouraging me in my walk!! God desires to use you in the lives of your children. If He has chosen them, then He will ordain the means through which they will come. I want to be part of the means- a strong influence for the Gospel in their lives all day, every day that I can! Homeschooling affords a greater amount of time to build a relationship with your children for the sake of the Gospel. I'm so grateful for such an opportunity! -Myra

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Q and A: Finding Time for the Word

"As a mother of small children, I often feel defeated about my times of reading the Bible. It is difficult to find interruption-free times to study the word as I would like. With eight children in your home, how do you find time to concentrate on the word? Any tips?"

(I am asked this question often -- twice last week -- so I thought I would post it here.)

First, let me say that Satan would use anything to try and discourage us, and render us ineffective for the Lord. I have often struggled with feelings of "it's not enough" when I did fit in time in the word. Or, I felt that there should be a more elaborate structure to it, and since that rarely happened, I was just defeated and guilty. Instead of being encouraged by what I did read, I was discouraged, because the time was cut short by interruptions, or I dwelt on my inconsistency. That is simply an attack of the enemy! I have felt that way for many years, and have been so glad that my husband reminded me to just be thankful and choose to rejoice in the Lord and the time that I did have in His word!

When you have little children in your home, their waking hours can be so busy and often intense with discipline. I had to remind myself often when they were all little that their training, instruction, and care has to be the priority of my time when they were up, and if there wasn't hours of focused study time that was ok for this season.

I also learned that I had to work really hard to use the time when they were asleep to get in the word. (I always used a schedule with my children for naps, meals, etc. from their first day, because it was so helpful.) But I spent many "seasons" either pregnant or nursing a newborn and it was hard at times to get up before they did. During those times, I relied greatly on the teaching at church that I heard 3 times a week, and the little bits of time here and there to read and meditate on the word.

Of course, I am not advocating that you give up on reading your Bible because you can go to church, just to really try to take something away with you from all the teaching that you do get. And keep trying to figure out a time each day to pray and read the Word. Nothing ever worked for me for very long. I am still to this day having to periodically start over, and make a new plan when the old plan is no longer working. And that is ok! It's life. Sometimes I would just leave my Bible open on the kitchen counter and keep going by for little "snacks"! At other times, I would write one verse on a note card and put it in a place where I would see it often, like the kitchen window.

It helps to ease the frustration (of little time for intense study) for me by remembering that for most of history since Christ came, believers didn't even have their own Bibles and the only time they had to interact with the word was in their public gatherings. So they cherished what they did have and worked to apply it to their lives. Not that we should ever excuse ourselves if we choose to neglect the word, but for me, I am comforted to know that the Lord isn't standing by with a clipboard to keep track of my quiet times, and their length! That helps me when my children interrupt me or much of a sermon is lost to pew training. I just keep praying for the Lord to make me patient and gracious, to impact my heart with His word, and to help me not lose sight of the fact that these years are over in a flash!

I am actually able to get up earlier than everyone else now to spend time reading the Bible. Click here to see a post on my blog from a few months ago that tells what I'm doing now in my quiet times.

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