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For many moms, the idea of homeschooling sounds nice, but it can feel too far out of reach. And I get it. Teaching kids at home without a supportive community and access to resources can appear to be a daunting task.

But it doesn’t have to be. 

Sometimes, you just need to hear from someone who’s a little further along to know that you can do it, too! Thankfully, there are women who are willing to share their experiences in hopes that your journey in educating your childrenwill be a little easier.

I sat down with fellow homeschool mom Amber O’Neal Johnston on the latest episode of The Sister Circle Podcast. She began homeschooling when her oldest was in preschool and hasn’t looked back since. But her experience hasn’t been without its share of adversity.

Amber has pushed past a lack of representation in the available homeschool curriculum and intentionally cultivated a village for her family. 

I found myself nodding along as Amber shared her experiences with:

  • cultivating a homeschool community
  • creating a diverse curriculum
  • finding value in being outside
  • “world schooling” as a family

Sometimes, you choose homeschool for your family, but other times, homeschool chooses you.

That’s how it was for the Hurst family.

I had no plans to homeschool my children initially. However, when my oldest daughter experienced difficulty keeping up in her academics and needed some focused support, I knew that it was in her best interest to teach her myself.

The intention was to homeschool for a little while.

What I didn’t know was that I would continue to homeschool for almost twenty years. We have now been on the homeschool journey with all five of our children. Over time, home education has proven to be the best option of learning for my family. And along the way, I’ve discovered that being my children’s teacher has been an amazing gift to me.

If you are considering the homeschool path, let me offer this wisdom as someone who’s been in the game for some time now. Start slow and give yourself the grace to take this thing one year at a time. If one day you decide to go down a different path for your child’s education, that’s perfectly okay. You have to do what’s best for you and your family.

No matter where your children learn, you can achieve the goal of fostering a sense of belonging and a love of learning in your home.

So here’s my encouragement to you. Find people who can walk alongside you as you raise your children. People who can keep you lifted in prayer and show up for you. And as you learn more about the world around you, bring your children along. Introduce them to books, music, art, and places that can ignite a fire within them to learn. Before long, you will notice that your children aren’t the only ones growing in their awareness of the world. As they learn, you will too.

When doubt begins to creep in, and you don’t feel like you have what it takes to encourage your children to learn, take a step back. Remind yourself that God handpicked you to be their mom. Everything you need to guide them is already within you.

Highlights from Today’s Episode

  • cultivating a homeschool community
  • creating a diverse curriculum 
  • finding value in being outside
  • “world schooling” as a family

Related Resources

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Other Stuff to Check Out

Let’s Talk!

  1. What steps can you take to cultivate an environment of learning for your children?
  2. How can you introduce your children to the diverse world that they live in?
  3. How can you build or strengthen the community surrounding your family?

 

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