Do you homeschool?

My first answer is always no. We don’t. Our kids go to a wonderful private Christian school (for the moment, anyway.)

But I spent a while this past weekend thinking about why in the world I feel like I’ve connected so strongly with a homeschooling community, if we don’t homeschool.

Know what I figured out? We do homeschool. (As my friend Aurie has told me a thousand times!)

I think my kiddos have plenty of down time in their days.

Right now we don’t homeschool their main academic subjects, but we have the same intentional hearts that lead other families to homeschool. We know that even though their school is wonderful, it’s not going to teach them everything they need to know.

We know that it’s our job to ensure they are getting the academic, and social, and biblical education they need–it doesn’t stop at the schoolhouse door. Responsibility for their education rests solely on our shoulders, regardless of whether we teach them full-time or not.

Does our “homeschool” look different than the majority of others? Probably. It takes a softer hand to teach lessons after they’ve already put in 4 or 6 hours of “real” school. But all homeschools look different from each other anyway–that’s what makes it so great.

This is what they do while they're "helping" me move fence.

Here’s the thing–all parents are teachers. Some just realize it and take it seriously and some don’t. Some waste it. Some ignore it. Some try to pawn it off on others.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned since losing my parents it’s this…you never know how much time you have so you need make the most of every moment. Every. Single. One.

Story time doesn’t have to be Green Eggs and Ham to be fun. TV time doesn’t have to be Looney Tunes to be recreational. We can surround our children with learning, with moral integrity, with biblical insights, even if they’re not being officially homeschooled. And we, as Christian parents, are called to do exactly that!

Man, doesn't that grass look impressive? {grin}

They can not afford for me to abdicate my responsibility to “teach them diligently unto thy children, and…talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:7) just because I have to put them on the bus in the morning. (Ok, we don’t ride a bus, but you get the point!)

They are certainly in our home when they lie down at night and when they get up in the morning. We sit with them at the table for two out of three meals a day. We walk along checking animals, watering animals, weeding gardens, feeding chickens…and I am purposed not to waste all these moments talking about TV shows or new pink shoes or the neighbor’s new car. (Some of them, maybe, but not all of them. {grin})

It's like a tree house on the ground.

One great thing the Conference did this past weekend was strengthen my resolve to be an intentional parent. I’m very excited about some of the character and worldview materials being produced by some of the Conference sponsors. We’re going to be trying out the We Choose Virtues sticker chart system and the new Who Is God? worldview series by Apologia for a while. I think both of them will be fun enough that the kids won’t mind more “learning stuff” after school.

If you’re a working parent, if your kids go outside the home for school, don’t be discouraged!! We’ve seen the Lord honor our efforts for two years now and I’m excited to start sharing some of the ways and means we’re trying to redeem the time.