Mater's Corner: thoughts on homeschooling

When my husband and I penned the first draft of this blog he asked me if I wanted to write about my beliefs on what was a good education for homeschooling. I told him that I was not going to make some authoritative statement on what I think education should be. 

I grew up in an academic family. My parents are both college professors in the liberal arts. I had a very classical education at home and a Catholic education in school. I read a great deal. The content of our bookshelves was a great joy to me. As I got older I started pulling more and more novels down. Sometimes the novels were beyond what I was really capable of understanding at the time. Sometimes the novels were inappropriate. In any case, it was most definitely a very liberal education. 

With my own children I have been greatly humbled. They have taught me that education comes in all shapes and sizes and personalities. It is as multifaceted as they are. There are books all over our household. We've packed those books many many times over the years and brought them on each move. A couple of my children pick them up and read them for pleasure. There's one who wants nothing to do with reading. Nature is his biggest classroom. I let the kids watch lots of shows. I let them play online and build world's on Minecraft. I consider it an education when they hold a bunny on their lap or collect a small quail egg to put in the fridge. The world is our classroom. It scares me to homeschool them sometimes because I always worry that I am not doing enough. I worry they won't be smart enough. I worry I am not smart enough. People always ask me what curriculum I use for my children. My answer surprises them, I think. Well, for my eldest I use this one and for my second eldest this one and for my younger two a mix of these two, etc. It's fluid and I try to do what works for each child. Next year I don't think I will buy a curriculum. I primarily focus on doing reading, writing and math and then we're also studying Bible history. My eldest does her own thing. She's always been that way. Sometimes, in my fear I fight it. I freak out that she's going to miss something. I worry that she doesn't participate in the things her family finds interesting and learn with us. But you know what?! There are many many people like that. My own father was a mystery to his family. He was a book loving, asthmatic poet, Methodist turned Catholic in the deep South. My daughter's world is a mystery to me, but just because I don't understand doesn't mean that she's not learning. She is. She's also teaching me to open my mind and heart to how an education is not just being well read. There are so so many ways that we can learn. I'm still learning. I thought that I was not a curious person. For many many years I was sad and didn't really have any interests. Our move here has shown me that I do have many interests. I love so much to raise and care for animals. I love studying history with the kids and making connections to our faith. I still love to read. I have been enjoying reading all the novels my sixth grader is studying for Bible history. It delights me. He amazes me too because he finds so many things interesting that I would never have. I hope I can cling to these moments and thoughts because it is hard. It's hard keeping the house clean, cooking meals, homeschooling and raising 20 animals. It's hard and loud and messy and we're all in need of grace and forgiveness. I kinda like it though. Remind me of that next time I want to throw them all in school and take a nice long vacation.