Homeschool Mums Are Courageous!

Courage: The confidence to act in accordance with one's beliefs. (Free online dictionary)

Homeschool Mums live this out every day. We are going against the grain of society. Everyone else (okay not everyone, but some days it feels like it), sends their kids to conventional school. And little old me? Why, I keep my kids at home.

And so I live with the critical questions that certain family members make. The questions that strangers ask, the questions that even some of my best friends put out there sometimes…and the questions that I ask myself. It's a burden I would much rather do without!

I want to put it out there…

Yes! In the words of John Denver: "Some days are diamonds, some days are stones."

Yes! I question what I am doing. Do I have the strength? Is this what I really want? Yes to the later at the least.

Yes! I struggle with patience. So does everyone who has kids and is honest.

Yes! It's true, my house is not a home you would see in a magazine. But then I'm still not sure I would want that.

Yes! I'm human. Nothing "super mum" about what I do. We live out every day.

As a family, we have made choices. They suit us. We don't expect they will suit everyone else. I don't see the point in being critical about others choices to send their children to school. Our choices won't work for everyone else. To go against the tide of popular opinion is hard. But it seems our family does that not only in our homeschooling but also in our decisions regarding family size.

So what are the other options? I could go to work. And you know what, it would be easier in so many ways. I could send my kids to school, and it too would be easier in so many ways. But for us it's not about what is easier, it's about what we believe.

We homeschool because we believe in what we do. The bringing up of our children truly is the most important job we have and we will put all our energy into it (second only to our marriage). We believe that our children's ability to think freely and explore widely (and wildly) is really important. We believe that time spent together as family is also really important. We believe that our children should be abel to make friends with children and adults of all ages. And we also believe the Faith that we teach to our children in our home is invaluable.

Others homeschool for other reasons, that are valid in their own right. But each of us goes against the grain of society. And that makes homeschool mums courageous. Not super, not necessarily confident in everything, but courageous.

Not content to go where everyone else is headed, we tread the path less travelled.