Hi, I'm Kim and I'm a homeschooler--pt. 2

I daresay, that every homeschooling mom has heard something like the following: "Oh, you homeschool? I could NEVER do that." I find this assertion, both amusing and dismaying.

I'm amused because the statement assumes that I have some sort of special ability, skill, or character. The truth is, I'm just a mom. I'm really not trying to be humble here. I don't have a degree in education. I haven't read dozens of books on education, though I have read a few. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm not a particularly patient person. I'm also not one of those creative, fun, moms. I don't do crafts! I yell at my kids too much. I often wish I had more time to myself. I want to be organized but fail miserably. I'm a regular mom, with regular struggles, trying to be faithful to God as I raise my kids.

I'm dismayed because this statement shows a fundamental misunderstanding of education. We think that the process of educating our children is completely separate from the process of parenting our children. Education, we think, is something that professionals do. It needs to happen in the context of an institution with certain guidelines and structures in place. How can I homeschool if I don't have a place for a "school room" in my house? How am I going to make my 6 year old son sit still for 6 hours while I teach him? How can I possibly teach my child algebra when I never understood algebra? I don't have a school room, my son almost never sat still when he was 6, and still doesn't at 11, and I'll worry about algebra when we get there--which is coming faster than I want to admit. Regardless of these facts, learning happens. Sometimes the learning comes easy. Other times, not so much.

Sometimes the assertion that "I could never homeschool." is followed by something like, "My kids drive me crazy." or "My kids don't listen to me." Guess what? My kids drive me crazy sometimes, and they often don't listen to me. This is not a good thing. This is not something I should settle for or avoid by spending less time with my children. This is something that we need to work on. I need to be more patient, and gracious with my children. My children need to learn the blessings of submitting to parental authority. This is more likely to happen through practice and proximity.

There are certainly obstacles and challenges inherent in educating children at home. There are also obstacles and challenges inherent in educating children in an institution. I choose the former.