Decisions

Originally written September 2021

So many are dealing with decision: to home educate, explore public school, trust private school. I want to take a moment to encourage anyone faced with this that of course, you are not alone and your children will thrive if you choose to keep them home. Think about it: an intentional decision to spend more time with them and be their primary source for joy and learning. My dad said it best when they decided to pull us from our private school: “we can’t ruin them in a semester! — and if we do we can always send them somewhere to get fixed!” He wasn’t quite as flippant as it sounds, but there is a grain of truth there.

It has been my delight to speak with several mothers in the past weeks faced with the decision of what to do with school as a result of new public and private school mandates. The school for which I serve on the board has had their own in-depth conversations as we seek for what is best for the students. Everything can seem so high-stakes, and it is truly a heavy decision. However, I believe in the ability of parents to educate their children. Not giving their most precious responsibility over to the authority of others with questionable motives is a courageous move. I encourage those making the decision to homeschool to move forward and not question, but spend these last weeks in preparation to balance structure with freedom, discipline with inspiration.