Why I Chose to Homeschool – 30 Years Ago

When my oldest son, Shawn, was just a year old, I had no idea the path God would gently lead me down.

I first heard about homeschooling while listening to Focus on the Family. Dr. James Dobson was interviewing Dr. Raymond Moore, and something about their conversation stirred my heart. It sounded intriguing – peaceful, even purposeful – but if I’m being honest, I didn’t think I could do it. I didn’t know a single person who homeschooled. It felt like something “other people” did… not me.

But God had a way of bringing what felt distant right into my everyday life.

Not long after, we began attending a new church, and to my surprise, it was filled with homeschooling families. Suddenly, what once felt unfamiliar became visible and real. These weren’t just ideas on a radio program – these were real families, living it out day by day.

Before becoming a mom, I had been a first-grade teacher. So as I listened to the ideas shared on that broadcast, something inside me quietly agreed. I had seen the classroom from the inside. I knew the challenges. I had watched children spend most of their day with other children, often picking up immature behaviors instead of being guided by maturity. I had seen how classrooms sometimes had to move at the pace of the lowest common denominator, leaving little room for children to truly soar.

And I understood the subtle shift that can happen – how children can begin to look more to their peers and teachers for direction than to their own parents.

So when I saw families who were choosing something different, something more intentional, I was drawn to it.

What truly captured my heart, though, was the beauty of the families themselves.

This church didn’t just have a few homeschoolers—they had a support group led by the pastor and his wife. There was community, encouragement, and shared purpose. I saw children who were respectful and joyful. I saw families who were close – truly enjoying one another.

And deep down, I knew… this is what I want.

I wanted to be with my children. I wanted to pour into them—not just in the margins of the day, but in the everyday moments that shape their hearts and lives. I loved teaching, and I didn’t want to give that up—but I also didn’t want to give up being present in my children’s lives.

Homeschooling felt like the best of both worlds.

As time went on, I began doing homeschool assessments for families in our group. That gave me a front-row seat to what homeschooling really looked like. I became familiar with different curricula, teaching styles, and approaches. And the more I saw, the more I loved it.

It wasn’t just about academics.

It was about relationships.
It was about character.
It was about a lifestyle that nurtured both learning and family.

And somewhere along the way, what once felt uncertain became completely settled in my heart:

Homeschooling wasn’t just something I could do…
It was something I wanted to do—wholeheartedly.

In fact, I knew it was the only way I wanted my children to be educated.