As we near the end of this homeschooling journey for my oldest (don’t worry I still have three more kids to go and many more years of homeschooling!) I can’t help but think about all of the worries I had early on. There were so many things that kept me awake at night…that almost stopped me from even starting this journey.

But God.

 Thankfully, He led me to press on and here we are. 

Yet, I wanted to address the major concerns I had, and to show you how they never really were an issue…because I know many of you out there may be in just the place I was 13 years ago…a scared mom feeling the calling to take this step but unsure of where it would lead.

And really…you will never know the outcome in the beginning. In fact, you aren’t supposed to. It is a journey that has to unfold as you go, and you need to trust God.

However, some of the most common fears I had, I can only imagine you might have as well…

• Socialization. I know, even typing that makes me cringe because we all know it is NOT even an issue…yet, there are still many who think it is. Bottom line after 13 years…my kids are beyond well socialized. And the kind of socialization that I would want for them. They are friends with all age groups (and not peer-dependent) and not just those their age/grade. They have relationships with little ones all the way up to adults. In fact, I have realized that the kind of socialization that takes place in a school setting isn’t really ideal, but the kind that has taken place because we homeschool is actually more fitting for “real life.”
• What will people think? This one for me was big, but I realize for many, it is a non-issue. But truly, my own stinkin’ pride got in the way early on. I didn’t want to be questioned about my decision or feel the need to “defend” it. Over the years though, I really do not rely on what people think, only what God thinks. I am answering to Him and not to man. But, truly, I  have also found that most people do not think I am crazy or weird, but are intrigued and generally interested in homeschooling (and if they do think it is weird, so be it! 😉 )
• Am I really capable to teach my children? Yes and no. I say that because am I really capable of anything in life? Not on my own, but with God of course. If He calls you to something, He will equip you. And NO you do not need a college degree or teaching certificate to teach your own children. The myriad of curriculum choices available these days and the world we live in where anyone can learn anything with all of the information available to us has changed that thinking. I want my children to ultimately become independent learners anyway. Our world has changed in that if you are able to research, you can learn anything. So absolutely, we are all able to teach our children and to teach them to teach themselves.
• Will I teach them enough? What is enough really? K-12 and then learning stops? Nope. I have taught them as much as I could as best as I could, knowing there will always be gaps. We never stop learning on this earth and the gaps will only ever be filled in heaven.

So, these are some of the bigger things that kept me awake at night early on. How about you? I would love to hear what worried you and if you still worry or how God has relieved those worries. Share in the comments below!

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Called Home: Finding Joy in Letting God Lead Your Homeschool

Real Homeschool: Letting Go of the Pinterest-Perfect and Instagram- Ideal Homeschool

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