Homeschooling beyond the ABCs and 123s
I see it often. I hear it often. Homeschooling parents who have been home-educating for years suddenly question themselves again. Just like they did in the beginning, can I do this? They have to go back to “ REAL” school for high school, right? There’s no way I can homeschool middle school, let alone high school! I can’t teach algebra! I barely passed! What about prom? I mean, every child definitely needs the awkward experience of standing around hundreds of awkward teens in formal attire. (hear my sarcasm) Right? Wrong! I like to poke fun and keep it light-hearted, but honestly, something about homeschooling beyond the elementary years sends even the most experienced homeschool mom spiraling a little. I get it. I really do. While I never went down too deep into that spiraling thought black hole, I did feel some doubt start to creep in as we approached high school. I even felt pangs of sadness at the thought of abandoning our beloved morning basket time for more rigor and intensity needed and what I thought required to homeschool high school. (Spoiler: We still do morning basket two years into high school.) Turns out that homeschooling high school has been one of the greatest joys and blessings in my homeschooling journey.
God’s Got You
One thing I want to remind you all of, and one thing I had to remind myself of and occasionally still do, is that God has you covered. The same God who placed the conviction of the Holy Spirit in your heart to homeschool, to begin with, does not suddenly abandon you at the dawn of a new season in homeschooling. He’s there. He’s guiding. He honors our obedience. He will fully equip and provide what you need to homeschool in high school, just as he did when he prompted you to begin. If you feel worried and ill-equipped, pray and lay that burden at his feet because he’s called on you to do this work! He’s been leading and preparing you through the many earlier years of homeschooling to get here. Or showing you what you’ve needed to see in order to take the leap into homeschooling later in your kids' lives. It’s never too late. It’s always the right time to obey. So the question is, Do you trust him? Look at how the Lord has been faithful in your homeschool and life up until this point. Why would we not trust him now with some of the most pivotal years in our kids' lives?
Enjoy the Fruit
One of the absolute best parts of homeschooling older children is seeing the fruit begin to be produced in their lives. For years, you’ve been laying the foundations both spiritually and academically, and now you get to enjoy that labor. There are absolutely zero things better than getting to sit with your teens and discuss world events from a biblical standpoint, read a book at the same time and discuss, or have a meaningful conversation over their logic course. This has been one of my absolute favorite things about homeschooling my kids beyond the elementary years. I love getting to see them think deeply and have personal convictions as they really discover who they are in Christ and what it means to truly follow him. Our world and culture tell us to be afraid of teen and pre-teen years. Movies and books everywhere tell us that our teens will hate us and want to lock their doors and isolate themselves in their rooms for hours on end. While there are definitely challenges to homeschooling through the teen years (I’m talking to you, hormones), there is no other time in your child’s life when you should draw near to them more. The world is so persuasive, so convincing, and at times, so appealing. Our teens need us to share the truth with them daily and shield them from some temptations they are not strong enough to bear. They need us to love them and remind them where we go to find our answers. They need us to pray with them and for them. They need to be around the table with their siblings. They need to sleep longer than public school bells allow. They need encouragement from you. They NEED you. They might not need their shoes tied or help with their cursive handwriting sheet anymore, but your teen needs you. Homeschooling and spending every day with my kids as they walk out their teen years has been some of the most sanctifying mothering I’ve done. How gracious is our God that he allows us to see just enough fruit to keep us going? What an honor to spend my days loving and guiding my kids through their education back to Christ. They may only have a few more years left under my wing, and when you consider that, it makes it nearly impossible to want to send them away. Homeschooling teens is REWARDING with a capital R.
Advice
Don’t get hung up on the details. Transcripts and record-keeping will all be figured out. College testing and applications will come, and you’ll know what to do. Classes your teens take at home can easily be selected from various homeschool curriculum companies. It’s really no different than when you chose their pre-k curriculum. We’ve loved the resources we’ve found and pulled together in our homeschool to accomplish those higher grade credits, and that is why I remain committed to sharing our homeschooling journey through graduation. I want to be the friend that can come alongside and say This is what we did, and then you can take it and make it your own. Homeschooling higher grades is an absolute blast; don’t let anyone tell you any different.
This post was adapted from a guest blog post I wrote for Arrows and Applesauce.
