All In Good Time

Deciding to homeschool, how to homeschool, who to homeschool and why in the world I want to homeschool has been a process over many years. Because there are so many factors involved, I've found it difficult to give simple, concise answers to questions I get from family and friends.

According to Albert Einstein:

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.

I hope that's not entirely true, since I usually think and feel so deeply that I can rarely explain myself simply in words. It's a challenge for me (hence the title of my blog). In the spirit of that challenge, I am going to write a few posts in an attempt to develop some simple, concise answers about my homeschooling decisions. What follows are not the simple, concise answers. I'm simply putting it all in words, first, in the hopes that maybe, perhaps, somehow I can come up with something simple to say in the end. I'm thinking....10 seconds or less? Wish me luck.

Let's begin with:

Why am I homeschooling Luke, but not Abby and Miri?

About two years ago, I started talking about homeschool with my children. Luke and Abby were very happy about the prospect, and I came close to beginning with them a year and a half ago. However, when the moment of decision came, I knew it was not the right time for a number of reasons. There were still too many uncertainties. I was disappointed. Luke and Abby were disappointed. I was sorry that I had led their hearts along in one direction only to make them do an about face- back to the classroom. They survived. And flourished. They've always loved school, and last year was no different. I stopped talking about homeschool and they stopped asking about it. I didn't want to bring it up again until I was sure that it was the right time.

This fall, I finally reached the point where I was absolutely sure that I wanted to homeschool my children. I prayed about that desire and my decision. But knowing how happy my children were in school, I knew that something had to change in order to bring them home. Their hearts had to turn back. I prayed for that. I prayed for each of my children. That when the time was right for them, they would want to come home.

The next day, out of the blue, Luke came to me and asked if he could be homeschooled. And he persisted. I knew he meant it. And I knew this was an answer to my prayers. When school got out for Christmas, it hit him that he would no longer be with all of his classmates and he felt sad and unsure. I suggested that he pray about it. Pray that if this was the right decision for him, he would be calm and happy. A day or so later he came to me and said: Mom! Guess What! I had a Christmas Miracle!!! I said a prayer about homeschool and I'm not sad anymore! I'm not nervous at all!" He quickly wrote it down in our Christmas Journal. He was misty-eyed when we went to say goodbye to his class and teacher this week, but still firm in his decision.

Abby and Miri have not yet had a change of heart.

Abby has such a wonderful teacher this year. The kind I want to hug and pronounce blessings to every time I see her. I am beyond pleased. I cannot tear her away from a teacher she adores, in a place where she is thriving. I am watching her and listening to her closely. Only a month or two ago, she was talking about all of the teachers she might get next year for 3rd grade. But just yesterday I heard her mention that she probably wouldn't be going back to school next fall. I have said nothing to encourage or discourage her in her feelings. I want her to be where she truly wants to be right now.

Miri is still elated with Kindergarten- though she plays around with the idea of homeschool. Both she and Abby enviously ask Luke about what he did for homeschool each day this week. Miri said yesterday: "Mom, after my class pajama party is over, I want to do homeschool." We'll see if she understands what she's really saying... She has such a cute kindergarten teacher (aren't all kindergarten teachers sweet?) I have mixed feelings about kindergarten- which I may or may not expand on later. Suffice it to say, so far it has been very good for Miri. She has the type of personality that has benefited by experiencing another society outside of home. And believe you me- I'm using that to my advantage- and hers.

I am confident that Abby and Miri will come around when they are ready.

All in Good Time