Homeschooling is the Most Wonderful, Fulfilling, and Challenging Things You’ll Ever Do.

Pregnant, sitting in my kitchen with a 5th grader, kindergartener and toddler and surrounded by boxes of homeschool curriculum, I was shaking.

“Where do I begin?”

My husband tricked me into homeschooling and elected me to be the teacher. I was NOT happy.

In tears, I told him I couldn’t do it.

It was too hard, too over-whelming, too confusing, and gosh-darn it! I didn’t want to be the one responsible for messing up our four (soon to be five) kids’ education.

My husband smiled.

“Nope. We’re homeschooling and you’re the teacher. All you need are some solid goals and some organization.”

I’d love to tell you I didn’t argue and complain, but that wouldn’t be true.

I was a nervous wreck and a hormonal mess so there was a teeny bit of drama from my side of the room.

Bless his heart. My husband never wavered in his conviction that we were called to be homeschoolers. I needed to be convinced because all I could see was my lack of ability and the fact that I had no idea what successful homeschooling looked like.

So my husband went right for my heart with a cup of coffee and a pen.

“By the time our kids graduate high school, what do we want them to accomplish and learn?” He took a sip and paused for my brain to sit down.

It took a few days, but we boiled a long list down to four core items. I had my oxygen mask on. I could breathe. “Maybe I could teach the kids after all…” We then named them Our Master Homeschool Goals.

Homeschooling is the most wonderful, fulfilling, and challenging thing I’ve ever done. I chuckle when I think about how freaked out I was in the beginning.

But honestly, I know I’m not alone.

Related: 5 Days to your best homeschool years

Many homeschool moms, like you and me, feel the same way when they first step foot onto the homeschooling trail, or when things get tough.

Have you been here too?

• Suddenly in over your head
• Overwhelmed by curriculum and lesson plans
• Confused about how to organize a day so that laundry, meals and teaching all happen on the same day
• Concerned that the wrong decisions will do permanent damage to your kids
• Stunned that the kids are sitting at your table expecting YOU to know what to do

One of the best decisions my husband and I ever made was to focus on what we now call the holy trinity of homeschooling: heart, attitude, and character instead of curriculum and lesson plans.

Over the years, many things have changed.

We now have FIVE sons ages 13-25.

The oldest is married, one is in college, two are in high school, and the “baby” is trying to survive the raging sea of middles school hormones.

We’ve taught them to read, write, analyze literature, solve equations, and complete science experiments.

But all those academics take a back seat to their hearts, attitudes, and character, even to this day.

When life crowds in and their sinful nature (or mine) raises its head, we are quick to push academics aside and deal with those foundational values.

• What does it profit them if they earn a octorate in astrophysics, but they’re mean-spirited?
• Who cares if they can solve quadratic equations, but they’re arrogant and unteachable?
• Why would we want them to write eloquent essays, but lack the ability to listen to others and truly communicate?

Mama, where ever you are in your homeschool journey, I’d encourage you to pour yourself a cup of something wonderful and draft your master homeschool goals.

I’ve found that so many mamas make the mistake I did back in the beginning. We begin planning our daily lessons, rather than plotting our homeschool destination. It’s never too late to establish your master homeschool goals.

All five of our sons are unique and have required each year of homeschool to be filled with different kids and styles of lessons and activities. We taught the kids from boxed curriculum sets, stackes of library books, homemade units and lessons, and borrowed parts and peices of various curriculum over the the years.

BUT, in our 20 years of homeschooling, our master goals have stayed the same.

By the time our sons graduate high school the boys will:

• Still love Jesus.
• Know their math facts inside out: adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, percents, measuring, etc.
• Be marinated in excellent literature and love reading (because reading unlocks everything else).
• Be excellent communicators: both written and oral.

Put your oxygen mask on.

Step away from the curriculum, lesson plans and to-do lists and really think about what core things you want your kids to master by the time they graduate high school. And don’t forget to homeschool from the Inside Out.

If you only glean one thing from me, let it be this… focus on the holy trinity of homeschooling: heart, attitude, and character of your children.

In the end, it will be all that really matters…

“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:7

My name is Rebekah Sayler, author of Homeschooling From the Inside Out, owner of A Better Way to Homeschool and homeschooling mom of five rambunctious sons. Yep. It’s as crazy as it sounds!

I am most thankful for the love and support of my husband of almost 30 years, Craig, for being my rock and best friend in this wildlife we created.

When I’m not dodging nerf bullets or stepping over piles of Legos, I create classes, printables, books, and resources to encourage Christian homeschool moms to trust the Lord in their journey. My heart’s passion is to share the truth that it is possible to educate your kids using God’s word as a guide while focusing on the holy trinity of homeschooling: heart, attitude, and character.

More from Bekki

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