Moms Who Do It Anyway

First, let me explain what kind of homeschool mom I am.

I hate it.

I love my boys to death (we're supposed to say that no matter what), but I don’t like teaching them. It takes forever and their little hands are so slow and they're so bad at things. I know I’m supposed to think it’s adorable that they suck at reading and writing and basic critical thinking and that they’re really good at making messes and crying for no logical reason. But yeah, no. I’m not a fan.

Still, I do it anyway.

I'm also not very organized. Keeping a portfolio is my nightmare. Remembering what they’re supposed to learn from day to day? Not so easy. I'm often surprised they're turning out smart. Many could do those parts better than me.

Still, I do it anyway.

But why? Why did I pull my eldest from school at age four and decide to homeschool my boys? There are lots of reasons. But here is a big one:

I need to teach them how to think so they can do what they must. And I need to do it now. When they’re seven and four years old.

Can anyone teach a kid how to think? Probably. And, yes, a true teacher will do this well (because teachers are amazing). But there is only one person alive who can show my kids how to think the way I do. And that’s me. Here, I’ll give you an example:

I’m reading to Jaxter (7yo) about the Vikings. We’ve been studying this people group for some time, and he knows all about them, enough to pull A’s on all his quizzes. Then comes a question on a practice quiz he hasn't seen before: What does the word “famine” mean?” He doesn’t know the answer, so we look it up, and I discuss some famines in history and the basic idea of a people group being without food.

Now, I know Jaxter pretty well, so I know right away to pause, even though we are rushing so he can get lunch with his grandma. He is thinking. When he does that, his face muscles loosen and his eyes get far away. He stays really still and says nothing for a long time.

Finally, he speaks. “Do famines really happen, mom? Like, in real life?”

“Yes, bud, they have happened all throughout history and they are happening even now. The examples I gave you are real.”

He looks up at me with big brown eyes. “Are there people who can help?”

I nod. “Yes. And if we have kindness and use our thinking, we can invent new ways to help. Maybe we can stop famines from happening altogether.”

I explain to him that the country we live in is very wealthy--one of the wealthiest in the world. Still, even if we have an abundance of money, we cannot just make food appear. The earth doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t accept our currencies. And while we can share what we have now, because there is more than enough for us here, one day, it may not be so easy.

We discuss the Vikings again. You see, when Jaxter and I first discussed their raids, weeks prior to our famine conversation, Jaxter’s initial reaction was that the Vikings were “bad guys” who stole food and silver and hurt people. I quickly explained my point of view. People are not bad. Even if they do bad things. And it isn’t fair to judge a group of people if you don’t understand their mindset.

I bring this up to Jaxter again. “Do you remember saying that the Vikings were bad? And now that we have discussed the Viking way of life, their goals and their family needs, and you know what famine is, do you understand their mindset?”

He nodded. “But Mom, what do I do if someone has a bad mindset?”

Goodness, I don’t know. Not for sure. But I give my best answer. “Jaxter, you use understanding and kindness and try not to destroy the person. A mindset is not a person. Mindsets can change. And as long as you do your best to be like Jesus--really like Him--then you will know what to do.”

Jaxter picks option D of the practice quiz’s multiple choice options, answering the question what does the word ‘famine’ mean with “there is no food.” What could have been a five second answer took ten minutes. And maybe it played a part in equipping a child who will become the kind of person who ends famines and loves Vikings.

I do not like being a homeschool mom. But I do it anyway. Because a mom is not a wiper of boogers. She’s not a hemmer of pants or a prepper of dinner. Those are just things she can do. Those, honestly, are things anyone can do. But what is priceless? Remembering the mission. Every human is a teacher. Every woman is a thinker. And whether your child is in school with you or in a building, you are the greatest gift their minds will ever receive.

When, and it will come, someone in your life asks you what a famine is, please, have your answer. Know yourself. Know what you believe, Understand what change you want to see in the world and hold your convictions firmly in your heart and loosely in your mind. Be willing to share yourself. Be willing to be wrong. Be willing.

One day, somewhere, famine will end. And it will be, in part, because you took the time to do it anyway.