Parent to Parent

Column Host MaryAnn Gaver

Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

For most families, school is under way after a break for summer fun. So, as you transition into fall, I encourage you to tackle teaching with a fresh enthusiasm by recalling the reasons you started homeschooling in the first place.

HSLDA has long asserted that homeschooling offers families a priceless opportunity to give their children a quality education built on a solid moral and philosophical foundation consistent with their family’s beliefs. Whether your initial reasons for homeschooling were academic, social, philosophical, or religious, it’s helpful to review those reasons, along with the plain and simple fact that homeschooling makes sense and works.

This fall, discuss the following questions with your spouse:

• What are the top three reasons we chose to homeschool? Has homeschooling justified those reasons? Why do we continue to homeschool?
• What do we think God is accomplishing through our teaching?
• What would our family do if we lost our freedom to homeschool?
• Do our children understand why we homeschool them?

Hopefully, reviewing why you homeschool and what God is accomplishing in your family through homeschooling will refresh you and inspire you with new ideas for making your children’s education more interesting and effective than ever before.

MaryAnn Gaver and her husband, Jay, have been homeschooling their twin sons for eight years.

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Raising Adults

I chose to homeschool my children to be sure they were learning and mastering the concepts in their daily work and to teach them sound principles from God’s Word. My daughters enjoyed working and learning in a nurturing environment and with a flexible schedule which enabled them to pursue combined interests including writing, composing and performing music, typing, and learning graphic and web design.

I wanted to see my daughters grow and develop into people who would show respect for others and for themselves, a monumental task in today’s society.

I wouldn’t trade the one-on-one time I’ve had with them or the often hilarious and heart-tugging memories that have come with homeschooling.

My vision for my daughters is to see them loving God with all their hearts and serve Him with everything they do, no matter what career path they choose.

Growing Closer & Blessing Others

One of the greatest blessings we have enjoyed from homeschooling has been family closeness. Each of our seven children has a very sweet relationship with Mom, Dad, and siblings. They see us in good and bad times and watch us call to our heavenly Father for everything.

Another gift is seeing the blessing our children are to others: in church and with extended family, friends, or strangers. God uses their good behavior, great conversational skills, and honorable character in many ways. We give God the glory for our children and who they are. After 11 years and one graduate, homeschooling just gets better and better.