How in the world did I get here?

Where are my leaders at? My hands are "not raised" at this question, but are around my back, clasped tightly together. I am a natural follower. Not in the sense that if everyone was jumping off of a bridge I would too, but rather I follow the outcomes of other people's decisions.

In 2011, I gave birth to my first born son, while at the same time, a dear friend of mine was considering sending her five-year-old to kindergarten. Huge firsts for both of us; however, I had ample time to figure the "school thing" out. This dear friend of mine invited me to go with her to check out a local private school because she knew public school was a hard no. I sat in that sterile principle's office with my nervous friend and listened to him talk on and on about "educational" standards and yadda, yadda, yadda, all while having an unsettling feeling in both of our guts. We left that office and the look on her face said it all, "NO WAY."

Now, before anyone gets offended, I am not saying that public or private schools are good or bad. This was a moment of decision for my sweet friend.

Later that week she met with a community of homeschoolers known as Classical Conversations. They captivated her and she decided to join them as a homeschooling mom. I wish I could take back the bone-headed words that left my lips when she first told me she wanted to homeschool, but I can't. I said it. The question everyone asks when they find out we are homeschooling . . . "How are you going to socialize your children?" Insert eyeroll here.

This is the moment when I decided to follow her decision to homeschool, since I had four years to see how this was going to work out for her. I had four years of watching her learn along side her son. They played outside, attended park days, and joined a homeschooling community. I saw politeness, kindness, and a sense of humor that other kids their ages just didn't have. I noticed that her boys learned the value of hard work early on and they didn't mind playing with other kids both older or younger then themselves.

So, when my son was old enough to start school, I made the choice to homeschool. That was nine years ago! Are you wondering how my aspiring friend ended up on her homeschool journey? Well, she has two sons who both graduated from high school (a year early) and are pursuing careers in the medical field. Moreso, they are funny, kind, and god-fearing men. As for her, she has a junior high daughter she is still educating, runs a very successful co-op and is the administrator and founder of a new resource center for homeschooling families.

Is homeschooling easy? Definitely not!

Are there days that end with everyone crying? Sure.

Are there more good days than hard days? Oh yea!

Has it all been worth it? Yes.

If you are considering homeschooling, I would encourage you to pursue the Lord in this decision and let him lead you. Then, find a family that you can follow. A family with values that align with yours and whose children behave the way you want yours to behave. Find a family that inspires you, like I did, and make the choice to believe that you are the best teacher for your child.

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:5).

For more information on how begin homeschooling, click the "About Homeschooling" tab in the menu.

Written by: Mrs. Erin