We all have difficulties to face, fears to overcome, and crazy things that life throws in our way. As homeschoolers, one of our greatest stresses as parent educators is “What if we’re just not enough?”
When a child attends public school, the parent has a false sense of security. The teachers are the ones involved in the day-to-day instruction, so the parent will often blame the teacher when things go wrong. They neglect to realize that the ultimate responsibility lies with those it truly matters to, the individual family.
As homeschoolers, we don’t have that buffer. We know exactly who is responsible, and it’s very important to use that our children be educated well, or we wouldn’t have started homeschooling in the first place.
As homeschool parents, we also tend feel a bit isolated. It can be difficult to find another parent we know personally who has survived the same challenges we’re now fighting – and uncomfortable to admit that we’re seeking support.
One solution for this is inspirational and encouraging books, written by other homeschoolers who have been there. Read them ahead of time, and refer back to them in times of crisis. There is always someone who has taken the path before you – take heart from them, and let God guide your steps.
Help, Lord, I’m Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler! published by The Old Schoolhouse, is a collection of essays in ebook format from parents who have successfully navigated the high school years, despite a variety of roadblocks. The homeschooling methods and the challenges vary, but common factors remain: a determination to do the best they can for their children, and a faith in God to help them through, knowing that with His guidance, anything is possible.
These are real families, with real circumstances. Their experiences range from homeschool only to homeschool/public school hybrid and transfers, and their reasons for homeschooling cover the entire spectrum: medical issues, learning disabilities, family preferences, extracurricular activities, and God’s will. There is something here that every family will connect with at some point: yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
So your children aren’t high school age yet, or you don’t have any special medical or learning issues. I’d still recommend that you check out this book, for a couple of reasons. First, that homeschooling may be easy sailing at the moment, things can always change. The problems and ideas that these families share aren’t just for those families – reading their stories as a whole helped me to realize that while the details may differ, many of the solutions have an underlying similarity and grace – we just need to seek it.
We ARE enough. We’re better then the alternatives, because it matters to us, the parents, more then it could possibly matter for anyone else. A book like Help, Lord, I’m Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler! can help us remember that – and give us strength and courage for the journey.
I found this book to be excellent encouragement as my oldest child completes his last year of middle school, and my only real complaint with it is a style issue. The quote circles in the center of some pages are a bit rough on the eyes, but that’s a slight visual annoyance, well worth ignoring for the wealth of positive affirmations!
Help, Lord, I’m Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler! can be purchased for $12.45 from The Old Schoolhouse Store.
If you’re looking for additional homeschooling high school resources, check out Homeschooling The High Schooler from The Old Schoolhouse Store. With a focus more on details then inspiration, it makes a good complementary text, and will allow you to cover most possible concerns between the two books.
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