When my teens were starting 9 th grade they nagged me to send them to public school. I felt sad, rejected and lonely when I sent them but I swallowed my pride because at that time it was what was best for them. I just thank God I was privileged to teach them at home for 5 and 7 years. They were some of the best years of my life.
OMGoodness I felt this. My daughter is in 6 grade and she is begging and found her even praying to go back to school. I had to swallow my pride as well, and just let her go and do what she wants. She was also feeling sad, and lonely (trips did not help and church gatherings), she’s the only child at home. I let go and let God.
Thank you for this video. We have 4 kids, ages 11, 9, 6 & 4. I homeschooled from the beginning with my oldest 3. I thought preschool was ridiculous and totally unnecessary. And then we had our 4th child and she has been an extremely challenging child. She is a ball of energy & requires almost constant attention & a ton of correction. This past year we put her in preschool. Lol. It has been such a blessing to all of us. I'm enjoying (well, much of the time) homeschooling my other kids now. Our youngest has really grown & is thriving at preschool. It was so humbling having to do this, but truly has blessed us all beyond measure. I don't judge others in this area any more. We have no idea what it's like to walk in others shoes. I'm so thankful for God's grace in all of this and I'm hopeful I can extend that grace to others now too. Your video was transparent & encouraging. 💕
I've also always thought preschool was stupid. But while I wouldn't call my younger son challenging, he's definitely requires more supervision than my older son did at his age. This year I'm sending him to preschool. It will be during what is now his naptime, so I won't be losing very much time with him, so I feel pretty good about the decision.
Thank you so much for this video. I wept through 90% of it b/c I'm contemplating prayerfully sending my own to public school. I'm pregnant with my 10th child, exhausted and feel incredibly overwhelmed with homeschooling them. I feel like I'm doing them a disservice at this point because of my inconsistency plus having them home all day has greatly intensified my stress. So thank you for just being open and honest. I know I was called by Yah to homeschool them 11 years ago but I am sensing a bit of closure as they get older. My eldest 2 already attend online private school and love it. Thank you again.
I’m here watching in tears. I’ve been battling with sending my kids back to public school. I’m not sure if the fight in me or if I’m being prideful. This season…I’m so exhausted mentally,physically, and spiritually . Prayers for your family.
@@KimmieNoel thank you, I’m a solo mom and was able to work from home last year. I have a 4 yr old, 5yr old and twin 18 month old. I no longer am in that project and am without a job..please keep me in prayer for clarity.
Thanks SO much for sharing this!! It resonated with me greatly! My daughter is back into school next Monday and I can relate to all the above, mainly pride! But I feel such a release and I'm thankful to God for helping me make this decision. Thanks again, all the way from Australia!
Oh wow, my heart aches with you in this! It's such a sanctification process to come to the point of compassion and grace for others and for ourselves around the concept of failure and when homeschooling is the best/when it's not. As long as you keep your focus on the best education for your child, her education is successful. You have laid down your life to serve all of your children. Bless you!
Yes! teaching your children to read is precious. We are not invincible and we are human and need help. This speaks to me! Thank you for sharing your heart 💜 I can tell you desire to encourage and be a 💡 light in this area of perfectionism and pride in homeschooling.
As a homeschool parent of Two adults now, who each spent time in a public school…one K and one HS ….both went on to graduate with multiple degrees from college, and one in seminary now. It’s not about the parent failing to do it all…it’s about doing what you think will give your child, each child, the best chance to excel. Thanks for touching on the spiritual side of your decision as well. For us it was about teaching our child spiritually as well, and where they ready for what they would face spiritually when they were outside our home as well as their education. My son, the public HS and I also tried to have those talks and bonding when he would get home…most of the time it was after work before bed, as he worked 20-30 hrs a week during his HS/dual credit 4 yrs…before he left home for college. I remember talking with moms of his still homeschooling friends during his HS year, about how I was already trying to make grab all the moments I could to instill those last wisdom moments with him before he left home, and her shock…he’s only a sophomore. My response was it will be here before we know it. At the time, I thought it was the difference of having already sent his older sibling to college, where her two still being homeschooled were HS sophomore and younger. After watching your video and thinking back, it was probably more of the fact I would get Sundays and maybe 1 hr a day with him between work and school, his dad just Sundays. She still had them 24/7 but when they slept…they didn’t get a jobs in HS. We need to focus on what’s best for our kids, cause that time is short. If our time is even more limited because of health or other issues we need to remember it’s about raising our children the best we can, and sometimes that’s getting them the resources/help from someone else. BUT ITS A JOY WHEN WE GET TO DO IT OURSELVES!
Thank you for making this video. I've been considering sending my preschooler to school for a couple days a week while we navigate some educational logistical and medical issues with other children in our family. Even homeschool moms and dads need to look outside their home for support on occasion to meet the needs of their family.
We just enrolled our 6 year old and she loves it out at Kindergarten! It has totally changed our family and homeschool life with the other kids to have the weight lifted.
I considered putting my 5yo in K (he’s our 4th child, we have 5) just so he could learn to read and I wouldn’t have to teach him (opposite of Leilani!) but decided to stay true to my personal calling/convictions and keep him home. God is working on me through homeschooling and my kids being with me everyday and I believe that is why he called me to homeschool before even having children!
I have the opposite guilt. My son was in public school from preschool to 1st and then I started homeschooling him. He's in the 4th grade now and I still regret it. I wish I could go back and never put him in public school.
Yes! I put my 3 oldest kids through public school. 2 have graduated. I see the damage it has done. I homeschool my younger two, and I so wish I would have homeschooled my older kids also.
When I was PG with #2, I needed a break, a little down time from #1, so off to Pre-K he went. It actually didn't give me as much down time as I anticipated, but it did help me walk more. LoL It does know good to beat ourselves up for the past. Just start today to make it the best and most you can, whatever that looks like homeschooling your kiddos. ❤️
Public school teacher here. I admire you so much for posting this video. Although I don't have children of my own, I'm a big believer in parents choosing what is best for their children. Sometimes that means homeschooling, or a private/charter school, or a public school. The most important thing is the wellbeing of the child and parents/guardians having those conversations with their children. I've had a few parents who made the decision to go to public school for a variety of reasons (I teach Sped) and many of them have told me the same - they feel overwhelming guilt for not continuing homeschooling. Many times it was a case of the child needing specialized services like speech therapy or resource curriculum that they couldn't provide at home. I also thought it was very brave of you to bring up the sometimes idealized image of homeschooling and how it doesn't always work out that way. I work with a lot of homeschooling parents for tutoring and there's so many options for education these days, and I tell parents that it's okay to try more than one method. Kudos to you for posting this video.
You definitely did the right thing, you looked after your child who was recovering & you ensured your other daughter’s schooling didn’t fall behind. You did exactly what all of your children needed at the time. The only way you could have failed your daughter would have been if you had let her not have any schooling at all. But you didn’t, you arranged schooling for her & you prioritised her education & learning over your pride & sentimental values, which I believe was the right decision for that short period of time
Leilani, thank you so much for your transparency! You are such a blessing to all of us. You have gifted us with a wealth of kindness, entertainment, and realness!
When my oldest two were kindergarten age, my third was diagnosed with autism. He is high functioning but between his needs and my oldest being a type 1 diabetic, I was beyond overwhelmed. We ended up putting all three of them into school for three years. I finally was able to convince my husband that homeschooling would be better. I am so glad to have them back. But I am also grateful for the time that they were in public school. The first two years they had great teachers who loved on them in amazing ways and helped when I was going through some rough things (including a 3 week stay in the hospital to try to keep our 5th child from being born too early). My 5th child is the only one who has never been to school. The older three never want to go back to school. I am grateful that they like being home with me. It is hard, and there are days I miss just being able to drop them off and go for coffee with a friend, but I know God has called me to disciple them and to guide them in a way that I was not able to do when they were in school. Thank you for sharing this! I still have guilt at times. Most people tell me they don't know how I could homeschool 5 kids, and honestly, with therapies and such, it can be overwhelming. My husband is military and so he is not always around, we have no family near us, and the last two years with Covid restrictions have been super hard. But God is good. And I just have to trust in him. I often feel like a failure and worry that I do not measure up or provide enough for the kids. But I guess that is pride too in a way. I will never be enough. Only God is. I am glad I don't have to be.
There is nothing to prove. This hit me hard. So many parents feel like they need to justify their decision to me about sending their kids to school, or assume that I must hate public school because we homeschool. Mama, they are your kids. You love them desperately, and God gave them to you. Who am I? It's okay. We are all trying our best, and I'm okay with where I am at, and I'm happy for you to do you. ❤️ Love this. Excellent video.
You are awesome! We should never let guilt, vulnerability, pride or fear control us but for a time we do. Thank you for being honest. We do what is best for our children. We do what will help them strive.
Last year I had to do an identity check to make sure I was homeschooling for the right reasons. My husband and I talked about what situations we could see ourselves sending our kids to school. Your situation was one of the ones that came up. I totally think you chose well and I love that you understood it didn't have to be a permanent decision but could be a temporary solution. Thank you for sharing this. You said it very well and it is a necessary conversation.
Thank you for sharing. When I was dealing with my baby’s medical challenges, I kept our oldest in preschool rather than starting K at home. I also needed to hire a part time nanny to help. That season broke me and taught me I can’t do it all. God is the only one who can. Now, as I’m choosing homeschool curriculum, I’m very aware of scope/sequence in case my kids need to go back into school. Things with my sick kiddo are so much better right now, but life (and health) is so unpredictable. I hold our future plans loosely.
Your words are bringing such freedom to my life. I want to keep listening to it over and over, and I’m sure I will continue to in future years. Thank you so much
Thanks for telling your story 💗 I feel your Momma heart through needing to put your child in public school for a season. I typically do not get defensive to people that are defensive about their excuses not to homeschool, but typically I see that their excuses are the exact thing I am going through. I will just tell my story and that it can be done and how I do it. I have never once been lashed out at with my response. They just typically don't respond. Most of this is all on social media women groups. I try to be encouraging when I see someone dealing with what I am, so they know they are not alone and it can be done 💗
❤️ It's very understandable to prioritize the most urgent needs of your children. It's heartbreaking. And I'm glad you shared this. Humility is definitely one of the harder requirements of being a Christian. Have a blessed week hun
Your honesty is admirable! I know this was hard to talk about! You're such an encouragement to SO many people!! Thank you for sharing your experience and your heart!
I'm sorry you're hurting. I'm glad you are able to do what's best for your kids. That you're willing to do what's best for your kids even when it kind of sucks for you. That's the best we can do.
It's incredibly brave to decide to homeschool but it's more so to homeschool and have to use public school and face other homeschoolers judgements. You do what you can and you are a brilliant mum from Victoria (home Educating the mad lads)
Thank you so much for this. It really isn't talked about enough and it brought me to tears to know im not alone In all the guilt, etc. But I'll be sending me daughter to 2nd grade public school for the first time and I am so scared! 😭
I love your heart and I love your channel. I have learned so so SO much from you and always look forward to whatever wisdom you have to share. And even in the tough topics, there is a lightness and joy that is refreshing. 💗❤️
My oldest has always been in public school and still is she refuses to let me homeschool her she is so involved in school and I won't take that from her . My oldest son was always in public school and struggled , was in two districts , 3 schools , I homeschooled for 3 months , and then finally in March last year I decided to finally bring him home for good. And now I homeschool with my youngest. It works for our family . I just have have to do what's right for us and for each kid too.
I love what you shared here. I have to say that before I homeschooled, I also felt so pushed to explain why we chose HSing first, especially since I was homeschooled. I wanted to homeschool, and I did believe it was best for my kids, but it simply wasn't possible at the moment...and it made me feel so defensive. Now, at times, I feel on the other side....tempted to overexplain why we HS to our non-homeschooling friends....and compare and defend. But learning that there is no need. My decisions are mine, and theirs are theirs. In the end, we all want the same things for our kids - and just as we're all diverse, so are our kids' needs and our decisions to meet those needs. Great video!
One of the first pieces of advice my husband got when we decided to start homeschooling was that there may be seasons where we put them in public school. While I hope we don't enter any of those seasons (as I'm sure most hope the same) I can totally understand all you mentioned. One of my children has an autoimmune disorder and going through the diagnosis and how much their life was changing as well as all the decisions, emotions, and everything else was so hard. I can only imagine how terrifying heart surgery and recovery for your child can be. It was wonderful to hear your story and know that it's not the end of the world if we enter into a season where public school is the best option and there doesn't have to be shame in that.
I think if God has called you to homeschool that’s why you would feel guilt. If it’s not your calling I would agree it’s more just of a pride issue. But I have thought about putting my kids in school (the boys lol) for a year just to have a quiet break...but you’re right there is nothing to prove. God has called me to this and I need to lean on Him, regardless if that was sending my children to school for a season or not, even in the hard times! Love this video. Great advice ❤️ love all the scripture and your focus on putting Him first! ❤️ continue glorifyingGod with your channel! And don’t continue in feeling that guilt. You have all these years now with her!!
@@LivingWithEve We need to be honest and vulnerable as mother's. We don't need to be super mum's, just mum's trying there best for the kids and husband.
My husband actually deals with this issue in reverse. He is actually the full time homeschool parent since I have a full time job. His job is being a musician , symphony teaching etc. But his full time job is teaching our special needs son. We feel like we constantly have to explain why we want to homeschool because honestly people never think that the dad could stay at home and it’s hard going against the society “norm” . He sometime has really bad days where he feels guilty not being able to fully financially support the family but truly it’s others thoughts and nothing is wrong with him. I am always trying to encourage him that he is not failing!
I respect you so so much for making this. No faff to the point and voiced something that really is not spoken about especially on this level. I never comment on videos but just reaching out to say a heartfelt thank you
Leilani! Thank you so much for sharing this ❤️ this was such a blessing to me. You were able to verbalize some of those feelings I have. Love you girl! 😊
I always thought I would homeschool...until I had kids. 😆 Seriously though, all kids are so different. I use to do daycare for 1 year olds. Some would be climbing the shelves and some I could sit down and have a conversation over brunch. I'll give you one guess which personality are my kids. 😉
I know this is an older video, but I’m glad I watched. First of all, I started homeschooling just my oldest (of 4) was in gr 3, my youngest (who has Down syndrome too) was 1, and I had a 4 yr old and 6 yr old too. My husband was homeschooled and from his childhood he remembers so many homeschool moms who were burnt out and overwhelmed with it all. So he insisted I get a nanny to come 15 hours a week to help out with the 1 and 4 year olds. As you saint, Leilani, I had so much resistance due to pride. I thought I should be able to do it on my own! And if I can’t, then I’m not really good enough. Well, we just finished our 4th year of homeschooling and having our nanny. She has been soooo helpful and such a blessing. A second thing I wanted to mention is that my youngest with DS is now 5 and will be in kindergarten in a public school. She has done a couple years of specialized preschool and has loved it so much! I’ve been pretty torn about sending her while I homeschool my other three (gr 3,5,7) but I know it’ll be so good for her, and it’ll make it easier for us to get some school work done while she’s in school… I do feel guilty about having that feeling of “relief”, but I’ve also tried to let go a bit and trust that this WILL be good for her and for all of us. We’ll see how this year goes, and perhaps homeschooling is in her future, but we’ll take it a year at a time. Thanks for all your great videos, Leilani 😊❤️
@@LivingWithEve Thanks, Leilani. 😊 I am curious about how you juggle teaching the older kids and keeping Naomi occupied. The days I had Annie at home last year were doable, but she always ended up on a screen by the end… - Carolyn
@@violingirl1349 I would be lying if I said I never used the iPad. But I did. A lot of it is family. My mother in law comes over once a week. On Mondays my husband runs Naomi to all her therapies. So I just have to worry about Wednesday through Friday. The kids have a lot of independent work and when we do it together, Naomi has her cars that’s she plays with or I give her a snack. Sometime the kids rotate playing with her too. I should probably make a day in the life video. Your not the first person to ask me.
@@LivingWithEve Thanks for getting back to me! That’s so great you have your mother in law to help out, and your husband around on Mondays. From your videos it looks like you have the odd day where you all have to get in the van and “road school” while Naomi has her therapies. This coming year my goal is to do our family subjects while Annie’s at kindergarten in the mornings (I wish I could teach her at home, but I believe it will be best for all of us and her to have her in a kindergarten class this year) then have the kids take turns with her while we finish up independent work after lunch… We’ll see how it all goes! I’m praying about the details. 🙏🏻 Thanks again for all your insight and ideas and videos!
I was t to say this too, it’s ok to be a failure. It’s ok to fail at something and move on. Failure does not have to equal shame. Failure may not have the consequences that you fear. Don’t be afraid. You don’t need to have an excuse, or a reason, or even an “I tried” to leave homeschooling. It’s ok to fail and if you are fighting your failure, you aren’t growing from it. Fail hard and be vulnerable and humble. If any moms are worried because you don’t want to fail - that is either the thing that makes you great or the thing that is holding you back
Wow. My mom sending me to public school at third grade after homeschooling was seriously the best thing my parents could have chose for me. I thrived in public school!!
I never had the dream of homeschooling, I'm having to more out of necessity because the school system where I am does not have adequate support to handle my kiddo's behaviors; I am resentful of both parents with kids doing well in regular school AND the people who are happily living their dream of homeschooling successfully 😂🤣
There’s only so much we can do.. alone ❤️ i think its important to make space for those areas where we cant be perfect! In community is where we find covering. The school system is a tool.
I run my business from home and im constantly toying with the idea of send my 4kids to public school. 🥴 But i know that God called me to this and if i have to allow my small business to grow at a snail pace then so be it (for now) because this mission field is the top priority for me.
You are such a blessing to the women who get to see your videos and I’m sure to many you know in “real life.” I wanted to say thank you also for the tip about popcorn with the littles who have some tummy trouble. I haven’t tried it yet but I’m interested to see if it helps my little.
We couldn’t homeschool without help!!! We have a big move but we know that we will still have help. My family in Australia can’t wait for time with my kids. I’m glad my older kids are pre teens and a teenager. I’ve taught pre teens to read but they had some teaching b4 we pulled them out. We need to remember we are human!!! I don’t think homeschool mums are better than others. I didn’t think we could homeschool so we sent our kids to private school and we had just moved from Sydney to the U.K. as we where hearing that a family member may not be well and she wasn’t. I was busy with caring for this family member. I didn’t have time to do the research into homeschooling and my son was about to start year 1 in Sydney.
Yes I had similar happen - in one of my previous lives... I feel like I've lived a few different lives, because epic shit happens and nothing can ever be the same again - and it changes you, and it changes everything, so in that previous life we were living very happily in the rainforest, I had a 14 mth ols, a 3 yr old, 5 yr old, 11 year old, 15 yr old step daughter, and had just found out I was pregnant again - I had just gotten back to our very rural oasis with all the party food as we were having a big party that weekend for my then partners birthday, we had hauled everything upstairs - it was a 4 story house! I'd just sat down to breastfeed the baby when I got "the call" my partner had had a motorbike accident, don't speed - but hurry love, we are still trying to stabilize him... What does stabilize mean? You need to come quick... I live an hour away. We got there just after they put him into a medically induced coma so that he could be flown down to the city - another hour and a half away. When we got there I was told he had "injuries inconsistent with life" - that started a battle between me - and his father, and the hospital as I refused to turn his machines off. The kids and I were homeless for 6 months to stand by his side and fight for him - we never seen our house again (it was a rental) friends eventually packed it up for me. 2 months in a coma, a year in hospital - it took us a year and a half to come back home to the mountains. A month into everything the hospital told me I couldn't keep bringing the kids to the hospital everyday all day - they knew we were homeless, it was all in the paper, and on the news - the younger 4 *had* to go to school and childcare. It was heartbreaking, we just wanted to be together - there was constant medical dramas happening with my partner, we were told he was about to die nearly every day for the first few months, there were so many surgeries etc etc we just wanted to be there together if and when it happened - nope I didn't have a choice, if I wanted to stand as his sentinel the kids couldn't be there... I do wish I had stood more firmly in keeping my youngest breastfed baby with me, he was separated from the 3 and 5 year old, and the 11 year old was at a school. The kids were already traumatized by what was happening with their dad - and they had never been away from me - ever. My ex is lucky they haven't invented time machines yet.
Wow. I don't know why this showed up on my recommended videos today. I'm so sorry you felt shame about this. Its really humble to acknowledge the pride. Shame can also come from a religious spirit whispering accusations. You made a spirit led decision that was best for your whole family in that particular season. You're a great mom and the Lord used that year.
Not shame hon do what's best for your family. Do whats best for your kids your family. Wish we would just love each other more not judge no matter homeschool or public school. Be there for each other no matter homeschool charter private or public it's like nurse or formula babies or stay at home or go to work moms don't judge encourage each other thank you so much for explain this. This is hard thank you so much.
My cousin homeschooled now her son lives with them never dated a girl ever he is 29 years old. He works but has low paying job his social skills need improvement good he has lot of problems. I told my cousin she needs to get him counseling she won't listen to me.
I don’t think that you should feel bad about that there are certain things in life that is beyond our control. And also the Lord provided what we need when we need it. I think that this was the sending you the support that you need at time. May the Lord rectify our situation ameen
After being homeschooled myself (until I demanded to be put in public school) it's interesting to see the mothers still doing this. Good on you for putting your childs developement above your own.
We do it because we love our kids and want to actually spend time with them. Maybe your homeschool experience wasnt the best - that doesn’t mean that every homeschooler is suffering
@@sheena3 that's the reccuring thing right there. Because YOU wanted. The stereotype of "homeschool moms" became a thing for a reason. the moms doing it were wanting to control or supervise every moment with their child's existence which is selfish and not optimal for social development. I'm almost 40 and over the years I've met a lot of people that were homeschooled and only one guy that was happy that decision was made for him because of his learning disabilities. When I was in groups meeting other kids that were homeschooled I noticed a common narrative that should be noted as well. Kids homeschooled for "religious reasons" which seemed to be the main common correlation. Teaching children a redacted or alternative curriculum so that they either grow up having less than ideal preparation for adulthood or more commonly a child that resents you for not giving them the opportunity to develop and learn like normal kids.
@Sheena He doesn't get it because he clearly had a very controlling parent. Not every parent is like his, and not every parent does it for religious reasons. That's foolish of him to assume.
@Dumpster meat buffet You're right. The government does a MUCH better job of running programs. For instance, the Veterans Hospitals, the DMV, Social Security, Border Security, Internet freedom, the national budget...I could go on. I worked for the government, sir, and they don't give a d@mn about anyone's kids-or you for that matter. Most parents DO care about their kids. That's the difference. I'm sorry you had a bad experience but so did I...in public school. I WISH my mom would have homeschooled me. I didn't learn jack from public school.
Thank you for sharing, I know that must of been hard, and I don't know if this is the right or wrong time to ask you, I am so anxious about getting my grandchildren portfolio's evaluated, can you, when you can, please let me know if you will still be doing the evaluation's, I am keeping you and your family in my prayers. May the Lord GOD continue to bless you, and give you the strength you need. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you have a wonderful and blessed day.
@@LivingWithEve I have emailed you before, you asked me to wait awhile, since our evations are not due until September, Thank you so much for taking the time to read my comment, and responding to me, I look forward to speaking to you in the future, God willing, thank you again, and may the the love, joy and peace of God be with you and your family.
We found a Christian school in our area that teaches the Abeka curriculum. In the Fall they will no longer be homeschooled. Our children are ready to have someone else teach them. There are days when our children don't do any assignments at all. My oldest son is the reason why I am putting our children into a Christian school. I want my children to learn not to be at home like it's summer vacation everyday. I told our three children that the grass is not green on the other side. Just because you all are going to school doesn't mean it's going to be better. Also I told them that they would have homework, projects and other assignments. They all seem okay with it being that way. But let me tell you, I have to do what I have to do to protect my mental health. Being at home for the last 4 years was messing with my mental state. We will wake up at 5: 00 in the morning and wouldn't really start school until 8:00/9:00 am. By the time my husband came home from work they still hadn't completed a full day of work. Homeschool is not for every child. So we're doing homeschool until May. In September they will be at a Christian school. Do I feel some type of way about that? Yes. I will miss our children being here to keep me company. Of course I may cry at the beginning. At the end of the day, it's what's needed. If it doesn't work out then we can go back to homeschooling.
I love this video. Thanks for sharing your feelings with us. It was very encouraging. Do you have videos about how to manage homeschool (1st and 4th grades this fall) with a new baby?
Not really, I started YT when Naomi was around 2. But the advice I would give is just to work around your baby's schedule and find time to sit with your kids one on one at least once a day.
I’m stuck in a terrible cycle myself being an i schooler life schooler style. I don’t want my child easting her childhood learning useless stuff like what an adverb is, but I need someone to help her with her dyslexia. Either I give up to the school district and get free help or save every penny and pay for services. I don't even things will work nor help her. Not sure what to do. My anger is at this system that is set up to force me to give up in order to get real help.
Sending all kids to school; free of cost! they get an education, i get 8 hours off to actually work a job and provide an income to the family that can benefit the kids. Plus a job is a very rewarding thing for a woman (and men of course). And the kids get taught by someone with 5 years of college/uni, i.e. people that know how to teach, and know how the minds of small kids work. Win win in my book.
In everything we do we get feedback. We adjust and continue to do things that’s best for our childrens safety. No judgment but don’t be guilted into sending your children to school bc they want to. My 8 year old cousin want to swim in the pool in winter. Kicked screamed cried. Okayyy no. We can talk about your emotions and what’s going on inside. But the final decision is yours. If there are hardships death that’s understandable but your children begging to go bc of neighborhood friends is interesting.
I don't know why you don't think people don't talk about it, people talk about this just Google quitting homeschooling. Everyone thinks they are pioneering something. You don't know if something is pride. Most of the time, people have convictions and any conviction should be stuck with because they are God given. Now if that is not your reason for homeschooling that is fine but if it is, if that is a God given conviction then you're issue is with God. We feel guilty because our conscious, our Spirit is not giving us peace to let us know we are making the wrong decisions. Sometimes we look at the short term outcome and if it wasn't a problem then we think all is well then it is not. My thing with homeschoolers is that it doesn't make sense to talk so badly about public school. If someone wants to send their kids to school and they have absolute peace and no guilt then that is from God. If you homeschool and you don't have peace, then you should send your kids to school. If you don't have peace sending them to school, then you should not go against your conscience. You should have a clear conscience and if you don't then that is not of God, no matter what you feel. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. So many choices and no consulting and asking God should I do this? You are not perfect, no one is. You need God, you need the Holy Spirit. Sometimes He used other people, sometimes He just uses Himself and you just trust, leap and leave the consequences to him. Someone giving you advice does not mean that is from God if it was from God they would acknowledge Him, for you to ask Him, pray with you and wait for the answer. They would not be full of their own opinions on what you should do and just because a lot of people say something that does not mean it is God's counsel you are getting even if they are Christians. In general, if you are not perfect then that means you will fail. Failure is how you learn if you are wise. That is prideful to refuse to admit that you did fail. What is wrong with failure? We will fail our kids, we will fail ourselves and we keep going and strive to do better. I didn't hear you say to pray, ask God, nothing but you are encouraging people that if they feel they need to quit they should without guilt. Sister, in all love, that is reckless. I understand you will not understand this because you obviously do not know how to seek Him, but the way you came to the decision to do that was all based on what you saw and not on getting direction from God. Life should be shaped around God's desires and the convictions He gives us and all things and decisions made to fit that and not made to fit what we want. Maybe your husband could have helped more, maybe you could have just taken a break to focus on your other child. Maybe God didn't want your daughter to learn what you would have taught her at that moment. Maybe He wanted to cultivate something in her by her being home. You will never know that now. We all make decisions. We all will have to answer for them. Guilt is there for a reason and it alerts you to right and wrong, the fruit of the Spirit is peace. The deciding factor should be peace not whatever temporary good outcome you have. May God draw you close.
I also need to put this out there, know where your convictions are coming from. Due to going to church and the influence of other Christians over time you can pick up convictions that are not from the Holy Spirit because you are not listening to Him but to others. So trace your convictions, when did you start to feel this was wrong? Does God tell me in His word it is wrong? Did God put this on my heart or did someone else? Esther and Daniel and Meshach and Shadrach and Abednego and Joseph himself, were all given into the hands of idol worshippers for learning or molding and these children were put into these situations by God. Though David's kids had tutors and obviously all royal children and other children taught by their parents probably to read and write (in Leviticus they are told to write the law on door posts and teach them to their children. Now these people lived in Egypt so it could be that they had their language but they knew.their ancestors and later on had written records of their genealogies so I believe they always kept a record of genealogies), the point is there is no command to homeschool. So anyone saying public school is absolutely wrong is either basing that on their own convictions and other things gathered in scripture. The point is, we are to live blamelessly with clear consciences. If something makes you feel guilty it is against your conscience but make sure that the convictions are God given and not people given.
There are charter schools your kids can have a hybrid experience. Also did you have other homeschoolers around your children with children? Community is crucial. I’m not buying but my kids can go for about 2 days a week. It’s a no for me.
"I would do anything to keep my children alive, even if it means sending them to school"?! Oh, dear.. You make it sound like we (normal people, most of the world) grew up and learnt curriculum and social skills in concentration camps.
I homeschool and its my first year and all the videos I have found are all about how to just power thru it. But what if powering through is emotionally killing you? I am so angry and so depressed every single day. I have to quit. I cant do it anymore. But every video makes you feel guilty for putting your kid back into school
My first year homeschooling my oldest (1st grade) was 2020-2021, and I am now in my second year (and needing to start the second kid as well). I spent the ENTIRE 2021 calendar year in a downward health spiral - we also moved December 2020 and I ended 2021 pregnant....all of this with my 4 littles at home. I managed to do about 10 actual days of homeschool in the entire 2021 year all together. My facilitator this fall just nodded and said "yeah, those seasons of life happen. And it's okay." You will have years of difficulty, and seasons of radical change - no matter how your kid is educated. I was in and out of homeschooling 2-3 times as a kid, and went to 4 different elementary schools because of moving; I attended cyber school in grade 7, then PS from grade 8-12. I came out the other end as a well-adjusted honor-roll student despite the fact that, on paper, my education LOOKS erratic AF. Sometimes just powering through is the answer, sometimes dropping down to bare minimum is the answer, sometimes 8 months off is the answer, and sometimes outsourcing to a school system is the answer. I know it's hard to not feel guilty, but do what you need to do - no matter what choice you make for your child's education, as a loving parent, it will be the right choice.
