First week of homeschool is done

Yes, we've survived our first week beautifully. We're all adjusting pretty well. I think that the girls are enjoying it so far.

However, DD1 might have been a little confused. She asked me when she was going to Kindergarten at St.Joseph's. I replied that she was not going anymore and that this was Kindergarten for her. She paused a while and remarked, "Oh, you changed your mind?"

I think that having DS still go to St. Joseph is confusing the girls a little bit. Maybe they kinda see homeschooling as "pretend" school? I don't know how I'll be able to address that. Maybe as the year goes by, they'll have a better understanding of what we're doing. Right now, this feels right to me.

I was talking to SIL the other night. She serves as a youth worker in our community. In one of their leadership trainings, the speaker mentioned the need to create an optional culture. It is a culture that we can present to our youth that is different from the current violence/sex/un-Catholic culture that we are living in. That resonated a lot with me. Yes, I think that I am presenting my children with an optional culture, an alternative culture. I can say to them, "Look, this is the world we live in but we do not have to live the way most other people do. There is an option. We can live in this world and have fun and still be good disciples of Christ."

I believe that this is my reason for homeschooling my children. The reason I've been giving is that I want to give my children a Catholic education. I can, however, get that from our parochial school. Even if money were no object, something in my heart tells me that I am called to homeschool. I have not been able to articulate my reasons until today.

I want to create an optional culture for my children. It is not a counter culture as that connotes turning our backs to the world. God created the world and thus I believe that the world is still good. Sin has damaged it but it is still essentially good. Our role is to find those that are good and use them to glorify God. As St. Ignatius of Loyola stated,
"Man is created to praise, reverence and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. All other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help him fulfill the end for which he is created. It follows from this that one must use other created things in so far as they help towards one’s end, and free oneself from them in so far as they are obstacles to one’s end."

Homeschooling my children will allow us to be more discerning. We can live in this world and enjoy the goodness in the world but also free ourselves from the bad. I do not want to shelter them in that they become naive. In fact, I want them to be aware so that we may be adequately equipped to defeat the bad. I pray that God will sustain me and the rest of my family to make wise choices, be discerning so that all that we think, say and do will only bring greater glory to God.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

2 comments:

Aja Abney | Monday, September 07, 2009 3:56:00 PM

Well said, Joy! I am thrilled to hear that your first week went so well! We start up again tomorrow and it will be our third year. I LOVE the beginning of a new school year. :)

donna | Wednesday, September 09, 2009 5:02:00 AM

great post! you said it so well. i'm so glad i reconnected with you, you're so wise and truly a great parent.