I was honestly planning to write a different post today. Homeschool truths weren’t in my radar. I had set up a list of potential blog topics and I knew which I wanted to share first. But then something happened. I recently attended Homeschool Super Heroes Week, an online event organized by Kerry Beck from How to Homeschool My Child. I didn’t have time to watch all of the videos, but I recently found that I had one open in an extra tab and was lucky that it still let me press play.

You Are Enough

Kelly Warner, of Hope in the Chaos, shared a session called “You Are Enough: Fighting Homeschool Doubt with Truth.” As someone who already receives her newsletter (I included Kelly’s blog in my roundup of digital resources we used in our first year), when I saw the title, I thought it would be worth listening to, but I wasn’t expecting anything profound. That’s where I was mistaken. Listening to this session made me stop and think, stop and appreciate, stop and take notes.

In this session, Kelly talks about how easy it is to doubt yourself as a homeschool mom. She shows her truth and her vulnerabilities. As a veteran homeschool mom that has taught her children through all grades for the past 10 years, Kelly shared how she’s made the mistakes, she’s done it wrong in every way possible. But based on these mistakes, she is able to humbly share ways to fight and overcome the doubt we inevitably feel as homeschool moms.

Belief and Impact

Although Kelly gave tips for overcoming doubt (with truth, knowledge, and dependence), fear (with faith, truth), and worry (with the Word), the biggest thing that Kelly shared was her belief. She believes that each homeschool mom has the ability to succeed, she wants us to survive and thrive. She believes that God has placed us here to love, nurture, grow, and teach our children. That God chose us for a reason, that He knows we can do it, and she wants us to believe in ourselves too.

I admit that I am someone that usually needs a distraction in order to better pay attention. I’ll intentionally do a jigsaw puzzle or play a game on my phone while I listen to a podcast or masterclass. I even brought my knitting to do during class several times in grad school. If what I’m listening to is “easy” for my mind to process, it will easily wander because it thrives on challenge. This is all to say that when Kelly began to speak about her 5 homeschool truths, I dropped everything. No distractions. She had me hooked. It was that powerful, that profound and impactful.

5 Homeschool Truths (and My Personal Interpretations)

1. No one loves your kids more than you do, except for God Himself.

Every time that I look at my children, I have so much love. I didn’t know it was possible before I became a mom, but each day that love increases. I’ve actually spoken to a friend about this. Being a mom is one of the greatest gifts in the world because we have hearts that grow larger every day. My love for my children is infinite and ever-growing.

2. No one knows your kids better than you.

I have been around for all of the moments. I’ve been there for their tears and their smiles, for their screams and their laughs. I know what annoys them, what excites them, and what they like and don’t like. I know that when they get older, things will change and I won’t know them as well, but I’ll likely know them better than anyone else knows them for a long time.

3. No one is invested in your kids nearly as much as you are.

Even if we just think in terms of genetics (their success guarantees our DNA will go to the next generation), of course we’re invested! But outside of that, I want my children to succeed because of how much I love them. Their success leads them toward greater happiness, greater possibilities, and greater appreciation.

4. No one is concerned for your child’s future as much as you are.

Following on that last thought, their success leads to greater happiness, but that doesn’t mean I want to choose their future. If they want to be doctors or lawyers, great! Or if they want to be ballerinas or artists, great! If they want to be police officers or firefighters, great! If they want to be something that’s not so glamorous or isn’t thought to be a “good” job, but they love what they do? Great! I’m invested in their current and future happiness, not their paycheck.

5. There’s not one better teacher in this world for your children than you.

From the moment my children were born, I’ve been teaching them. From nursing, to making noises and speaking, to waving and some baby sign language, to learning to get dressed and walking. It just makes sense that I continue to educate my children. And if I don’t know everything (believe me… I definitely don’t know everything), then I can learn WITH my children.

But besides all that, God chose ME to be the mother of my children. He chose my husband to be their father. He chose them to be siblings and to be our children. Who am I to doubt God’s choices.

Kelly also shared several verses to go along with these truths, which I’ll leave here for you too look up in your Bible translation of choice – Luke 6:40, Proverbs 22:6, Romans 12:2, Galatians 6:9, Proverbs 31:27. Along with action steps: journal it out, network with other homeschoolers to find community, and celebrate the wins.

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.

James 1:5

A True Hope in the Chaos

Kelly Warner’s blog is called Hope in the Chaos. Even if I hadn’t snuck a peek to see why she named it that, I would think it appropriate. In the stories she shared from her own family, or how she is to her readers and listeners, she provides hope. I’ve been lucky enough to pull through my initial doubts about homeschooling and find some confidence, but I know that there will always be ebbs and flows in life. My confidence will waver. I may not always feel like I made the best choice for my children. But I know that I can check out Kelly’s newsletter, blog, or Facebook group to find inspiration and hope. Plus, I can always click back for a refresher on these homeschool truths.

Thanks for joining us today In Our Homeschool.