If you are reading this, it is because you are an important part of our lives. You are loved and cared for by us and we know that you too, love and care for us. That being said, I would for you to know about a decision we have made concerning our family. (Please be patient, I know this is long.)
August 2009. . . we sent our four girls off to school just as we have done every year for many years. I (Connie) sat in the quiet of my house that first day and relished in the quiet calm of the house, what a blessing to busy moms. That afternoon I picked up my girls and the busyness of the school year kicked in. Between our four girls, there were 3 schools, 8 pre AP classes and 17 teachers. That was just the school day. The afternoons were filled with homework, dance lessons, etc. Whew. . .this was going to be a busy year for sure! I put on my big girl pants, rolled up my sleeves and began the school year journey, just as every other parent out there did, right? A week into the school year, Emily, our now high school daughter, sat in her room, tears flowing as she tried to complete the many hours of homework that were assigned to her. I would often sit for hours with just her alone, going over vocabulary, explaining math (that I was reteaching myself) and helping with projects. That was just Emily, but remember, I have three other daughters, so any free time I had in the evening was filled with reading logs, conduct charts, AR books, homework, etc. One night Madeline sat at the counter working on a simple algebra worksheet while I cooked dinner. She did not understand what a variable was, so I took a break and explained to her what it was. She looked up at me and said, "Wow Mom, that was easy, I wish my teacher had explained it to me like that." It was at that moment that I thought, wow, I just taught her something! And so began our newest journey.
That night in bed, I mentioned to Brian what had happened at the counter that night, along with the other "teaching moments" I had had with the girls. I just mentioned in passing to him that maybe I should homeschool Emily next semester and if it works out, I could homeschool all four the following year. His reaction. . .I was CRAZY and I might actually strangle my daughters if I had to spend 24/7 with them while having the responsibility of teaching them on my shoulders. But, I did as I do with everything else in my life, I began MANY hours of research. The next day I went to the library and checked out 6 books on homeschooling and poured myself into them. I read front cover to back cover of each and every book. I read about statistics, the pros, the cons, methods, about schedules and curriculum and anything else I could find. I read blogs and websites, ordered catalogs, contacted homeschooling co-ops. . .but I wasn't convinced either way, I was confused! What was I thinking??? I had finally made it to the point where all four of my girls were gone 7 hours a day, their days planned by someone else, the work done for me. . .I really was crazy! But I could not let it go. Then it hit me. Research, no matter how educated I became on the subject, was not going to settle my heart. I needed to hand it over to the Lord.
September 2009 . . .We decided that it was best if we handed it over to the Lord and not mention it to anyone. We wanted this to be a decision that we made without worldly influence. I spent the next month committed to prayer. I would pray in the morning, I would pray in the carpool line and at night with Brian. The last few years I have really learned the power of prayer. I have seen God work in miraculous ways, like the healing of my mother-in-law and the adoption of my nephews, and I have seen him quietly and gently say NO. I had finally learned to listen, as most of you know a hard job for my talkative self! I knew that this was a time that I had to listen. I had to put away the books, the statistics and the opinions and I had to listen to the Lord. After all, it is He that loaned me these precious girls. "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it," (Psalm 24:1) We are merely temporary possessors (or stewards) of all the things that He owns, including my girls. My heart started to cave, and I began to know the answer, even though it scared the bageebees out of me! By October, not only was I considering homeschooling Emily, I was considering homeschooling all four. I knew the answer, now I just need to decide if I was going to obey. . .another hard job for my controlling self!
December 2009 . . .the semester was coming to an end, what was I to do? The girls came home for Christmas break and it was then that I knew for sure. I was bringing my girls home. Oh, I have my moments of, "Am I making the right decision?", "Am I going to mess my girls up?" I'm scared. I am scared that I won't be good enough or I will hate it or the kids will be miserable. I worry about all sorts of things that come along with having four kids all at home ALL DAY. In those moments of fear, I quietly think, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!" and I remind myself. . ."I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)
January 2010 . . .Over the last month or so, as we have began to tell people that we plan to homeschool, we have been met with responses ranging from, "Whatever for??" to "That's great!" Most of the time, however, we just get a simple, "Why?" People are cautiously curious and just as we are concerned about the well being of our girls, so are others that are a part of their lives. I have made a list of why we were homeschooling. I hope this helps you to understand why we have made this decision and I wanted to remember, especially in those moments of apprehension, why we decided to do things this way.
Why we decided to homeschool:
Let me say first that we have had a great experience and we have no ill thoughts towards the school or the teachers -- after all, we have entrusted many years of our girl's education to them.
Secondly, we know that homeschooling is not for everyone. Please do not feel that we are being judgmental of those that choose other educational options for their children.
That being said, here are our reasons:
1. With four children ages seven to fourteen I realize how fast the time is going. They are growing up, exploring their world, and learning new things every day. I want to be a part of that.
2. I don't think that my girls need seven hours a day of schooling along with additional hours of homework every evening.
3. My girls teachers are spending almost twice as many waking hours with them as I am. With a 7 hour school day and a mom that insists on early bedtimes (for adequate sleep), I am getting to spend about 3-4 waking hours with my girls. And those hours are filled with getting ready for school, eating breakfast, cooking supper, and getting ready for bed. Quality time is almost non-existent.
4. I want to know what my children are learning and be involved in the process. A classroom teacher (to no fault of their own) does not have the time to vividly describe and explain what is being taught. They have a scheduled amount of time and a classroom full of kids.
5. I want my kids to have the majority of their information coming from home -- not from peers. I remember school. I remember what I learned from my friends. I remember all the ways my thinking was skewed. I want my kids to have their world view filters built at home, not from their peers.
6. I want to help maintain sibling relationships. I want them love each other, to love being together. I want them to help one another, teach one another, and look out for one another.
7. These four girls are my calling. As a mom, I have been given a task from God to raise them in the way that they should go. It is my conviction that for me, that task involves teaching and educating them in all things -- reading, writing, cooking, home management, Bible, prayer, gift-giving, hygiene, and more. If they aren't here, I can't do that.
8. And last but not least. . . Because in my heart, I know it is right for our family at this time. Any fighting it on my part would be disobedience.
Now that we have explained our decision to homeschool, we ask that you respect our decision. We know that you will have questions and concerns, and that is fine. But please know that this was a decision that was prayerfully made. We might mess up, we might fail in some areas, our girls might not grow up to be rocket scientist. . .but really how many kids do? It is just as important, no, more important to us, that our girls grow up to be well rounded, kind, generous, loving, Godly women. And so now our journey begins, actually it will begin on January 18th.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and we hope that you will pray for and encourage us along the way. We love each and every one of you.
Brian and Connie Tanner
