Praying About the Decision to Homeschool Every Single Year

Sometimes people ask us about our future homeschool plans, and it’s hard to answer. I know what I want to do. I know what I think is best for at least one of my children at this point. However, I’m not sure if I can say the same thing about the rest of my children, as I’ve always thought that some of them may flourish better in a private school. My friend has recently started looking for private schools in houston and I’m not sure if this is something that I should be doing too. I just don’t know what to do at this point. But we’ve committed to praying about the decision to homeschool- every single year.

Praying About the Decision to Homeschool

This idea first struck me a few years ago. A mother of three, who was homeschooling one child while sending the other school age children to a private school, explained to me why they had made this choice. She told me, “Each year we commit to praying over our children’s education and the decisions we make for them.” . Instead of just saying, ‘They’re all going to do this,’ we spend time in prayer considering each child’s personality and needs. Then we make the decision based on what God is calling us to do.”

That thought resonated so deeply with me. I only had one tiny human at that point, but I previously had assumed we’d make those educational decisions once. When your child turns 5, you make the choice and stick with it, unless something isn’t clicking.

But that decision making process didn’t make much sense. God doesn’t want us to seek his guidance once, and then call it good. We should continually seek God’s guidance.

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 24:4-5

A Gentle Reminder

You would think that the amazing inspirational idea that this parent planted in my mind would have grown into fruition in a few years. But no. As we approached the enrollment cut-offs of the local preschools last winter, I started to panic. Not because I was worried about homeschooling preschool. This deadline made me panic about the future. Will my super-social child feel lonely if she doesn’t go to school? Will I be able to handle homeschooling with two little ones around? I turned this simple decision about homeschooling preschool into this huge internal battle about homeschooling from now until college.

In the midst of this internal struggle, we changed churches. In our new church home, God sent me a gentle reminder.

One Sunday, we chatted with the pastor and his wife, and we learned that they homeschool their children. And then we also learned that their youngest goes to a public school.

Our pastor told us, “We realized a few years back that we need to spend time praying over our children’s education each year. Sometimes we jump on the road that God tells us to take, we put our head down, and we keep going. But then we completely miss that God was trying to tell us to take the exit way back there.”

His wife added, “Our children are completely different! One decision wouldn’t work for them all.”

Of course! Why had I forgotten this beautiful idea? Instead, I viewed the decision that we had to make for the upcoming year as a set-in-stone decision that lasts forever.

But I’m Not A Quitter

I hope to homeschool my children, and that’s my plan. But there’s also an amazing Charlotte Mason school that I would love for my children to attend. Maybe God will lead us there at some point.

I can’t tell you what God’s plan will be for my child’s education 5 years down the road. But I can tell you that I’m not going to miss it. I’m not going to sacrifice God’s will for my life just so I can prove to myself that I’m not a quitter. Our current circumstances could change. Something could happen to my health or our finances, and homeschooling would not be a possibility anymore.

And that’s okay- because God’s plan is always better than my own.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18