Lessons From Two Former Homeschoolers

Right now I am in Dallas spending the week with my two former students—my daughter, Theresa and my son, Stephen. I thought it would be interesting to ask them what they think were the best things about our homeschooling years. Here is their list of benefits.
• Being able to study what we wanted. Our curriculum was geared to what they were interested in. Drama, interior decorating, comedy, movie making, wedding planning, Jane Austen were all subjects of study in our school because those subjects intrigued my children. Those are some of the courses they remember and appreciate most.
Lesson: Take advantage of the opportunity to tailor your children’s studies to what they are passionate about, and it will stay with them.
• Being with each other. Because they weren’t subjected to the class system imposed by school children on each other, they got to freely like each other—in public and out in the open without fear of ridicule. So now they have good memories to bind them as young adults. Stephen, in fact, will be living with his sister for 5 weeks before her wedding.
Lesson: When your little ones are on each other’s nerves, and it’s driving you crazy, remember they are building relationships that will carry them through life.
• Developing confidence. Both of my kids carry themselves confidently, and I think being in a supportive, nurturing environment for their formative years helped develop that.
Lesson: Be your kids’ cheerleader. The rewards to their future selves are huge.
• Innocence. You become what surrounds you. I was criticized many times for trying to shield my children from the evils of the world. That they would end up unable to cope with reality. If only I could have protected them. But I was able to filter and guard, and that let them be little until they were ready to be big.
Lesson: Don’t be afraid of protecting your children. The world seeps under the doors and gets to your kids soon enough.
• I asked my daughter’s fiancé what he appreciated about my daughter that happened as a result of her homeschooling. He said her creativity. She can make do with what she has and create something beautiful. That was one of the goals that I wrote down when we first started. I wanted both of my children to be able to think creatively, and now they can.
Lesson: Pray for the Lord to show you what your goals should be and then trust Him to fulfill those goals.