Our Homeschool Beginnings

After attending a parenting seminar for the first time in our local church last 2008, my eyes were opened to the big picture of biblical parenting and its goal of passing on a Godly heritage to the next generation.  That seminar made an impact in my life, especially as a parent, and little did I know that it will also be a turning point for me and my husband.  After attending that seminar, God had planted a desire in my heart, that as a parent, to make a difference in our children's life and to take on the big challenge of passing on a Godly heritage to our children and to the next generation.  But how?  The desire that God had planted in my heart prompted me to delve deeper into how we can attain such a wonderful Godly legacy that we can pass on to our children.

You see, our two little angels are living proofs that God truly answers prayers and that God is indeed a God of miracles.  After five years of marriage and five years of waiting patiently in prayer and in expectation, God granted the desire of our hearts, and that is to have children of our own.  I must say that these children came into our life in God's wonderful and perfect time and in God's own miraculous ways.  It may be a difficult and high-risk pregnancy for both, but we believe that these children are God's precious gifts to us.  And as stewards of God's blessings, I believe that we are responsible to raise His children in His nurture and admonition.
 
I praise God that we have been blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who are homeschooling or have homeschooled their children.  After hearing their own homeschool stories and seeing the joys and fruits of homeschooling in them, it prompted me to know more about homeschooling.  I read several books about home education, visited some homeschool websites, interviewed a few homeschooling families, and attended a homeschool conference.  And after much prayer and meditation on God's Word, God had moved my husband and me to take that leap of faith to educate our children at home, starting with our firstborn.  I have set aside all my internationally-recognized I.T. certifications and my dream of climbing the corporate ladder in exchange for answering the call of ministering to our children through homeschool.  I believe that when we give God the opportunity to mold and train our children, just as Scripture says we should, our children will develop strong Godly character, and be wise in learning.  I also believe that establishing a Godly heritage begins with spending more time with the children and practicing what Deuteronomy 6:5-7 and Proverbs 22:6 say, which are essentially what home education is all about.

 

By the grace of God, we're going on our third year of homeschooling.  Somehow nowadays, my daughter and I have already adjusted to this kind of setup and have established a routine, and simply trying to enjoy homeschool like we are just conversing and playing.  I try to make our homeschool environment relaxed.  Though we have a designated school room at home complete with kiddy table and chairs and a huge whiteboard, sometimes we do our homeschooling outdoors or in bed or in the sofa.  One of the blessings of providing the children with a Biblical home education is the freedom to learn according to the child's passion, pace and style.  I have observed that our daughter is more of an auditory-visual learner while our son is more of the auditory-kinesthetic-visual type-in-one.  Music and movement, manipulatives, read-aloud books, interactive educational websites and software are very effective to them.  Our daughter loves to dance and sing, and has keen ear for music.  She learned her phonics, colors and shapes, geography, and some Bible verses, to name a few, through songs.  Another blessing of home education for us is that our little boy is quickly catching up with her big sister because he can get to sit in the class or Teacher Mama spends time "homeschooling" him as well (informally).

Homeschooling has given us the opportunity to better nurture our relationship as a married couple, as parents, and between the two siblings, to strengthen our bonds as family, to build confidence, and instill Godly values and character in our children.  Children grow up so fast.  Our long-awaited babies are now no longer babies.  Time with the family is too short especially when you are employed.  Homeschooling allows us to maximize that time and enjoy our children while they are still young and are more receptive to instructions and discipline.  Our primary purpose as parents is to protect our children so that they may become firmly rooted in faith and family.  The goal is not to isolate them, but to prepare them by laying the right foundation.  As we step out in faith, we just want God to be the foundation to all that our children learn.  I want my husband and myself to be the primary influence in our children's life, and not what society or culture dictates.  We want God to be the center of their life.

On a personal level, homeschooling has made a big impact in my life.  It has taught me the value of discipline, patience and being content and trusting in God.  Homeschooling very young children (especially when they have not gone to big school) would really entail a lot of patience because you have to teach them practically everything!  I also realized that homeschooling requires a lot of discipline on the part of the homeschooling parent, which includes the discipline of waking up early, doing our devotions everyday, starting the class on time, reviewing the lessons and preparing the materials at least a day before, and most importantly, living out and modeling what you are teaching, which is the most challenging part.  Now, I am more careful with what I say and what I do because children can copy us either positively or negatively.  Because I am now a full-time homemaker and homeschooling mother, we rely only on a single income, which means we now work on a tight budget, which also means less shopping, less eating out, and less vacation.  But even if this is reality for us, God has taught me to be content.  Looking back, when I was still working as an I.T. Consultant in a big multinational firm, I was earning a whopping income; jet setting from one province to another or one country to another as part of my job, however, I find it very stressful.  Before, I would ask myself what if I had gone back to my old I.T. job and rejoin my husband in doing consulting work since both of us are "certified" then seek a more high-paying job abroad.  We would be earning a huge income and may be living a more luxurious life.  But it would also mean less time for the children and less time for each other.  But then again, reality check, I would ask myself if this is the kind of life God wants us to have.  My husband and I have learned to be content and thankful with what God blesses us with and to be trusting in Him for all our needs - to homeschool and to simply live our life on a daily basis by the grace of God.  And it is my prayer that our children will learn to understand and do the same.  We may not have the latest in fashion, we may not have a big beautiful house and a posh car, but we still can enjoy life and the wonderful privilege of taking care of and ministering to our lambs.

By God's grace, as we journey through our homeschooling each day, we are learning to love and respect one another, to be patient and kind with one another, to be sensitive of each other's feelings, and to be encouraging and forgiving of one another day after day.  I always remind myself of what Colossians 3:2 says which is to "set our minds on things above, not on earthly things" and what Matthew 6:20 says which is to "store up for ourselves treasures in heaven".  These little souls are our precious treasures who are our first and foremost priority in "storing up" in heaven.  Nothing else matters in this world to me except seeing my children and our dear loved ones being with our Creator someday.  I know it is only by the grace of God through faith that they can be saved, and it would be my privilege to become God's instrument in sharing the Good News to them and in helping to mold them the way God has designed them to become.  I do not know for certain what the future will bring me and my loved ones, but one thing's for sure, I know there's Someone who loves me and my family unconditionally for who we are, and that I will always keep my faith and hope in Him, my God and Savior.