This weekend my 11-year-old son had a friend over for the day. The friend is someone my son has known for years through scouting. He isn’t homeschooled, and to the best of my knowledge he isn’t even weird. The day consisted of tons of video gaming, lots of physical horsing around, a bit of time out in the snow and lots and lots of random words and noises. Boys.

I love my boys. But after about the fourth or fifth hour, I began to think how my perspective of my son would be very different if this was all I knew of him. If he spent most of the day, five days a week away from me, immersed solely in the singular peer group which matched his age and grade. He would arrive home, freshly off a stinky, loud bus, decompress in front of a TV or device, likely mirror the behaviors he had witnessed all day without even thinking about it, and the family would spiral into the dreaded “witching hour” which in our house lasts at least two hours and often doesn’t stop until heads hit the pillow. (Nobody is saved from the “witch”; it doesn’t matter how or where you school your kids.)

Because I choose to homeschool my son, I am able to spend the entire day with him and because of this, I get to know the whole person. I see his quiet, cuddly side when he first wakes up, the spark in his eye when he understands a math concept before I’m even a third of the way through the explanation. I get to hear him read aloud without stopping and stumbling over every-other word, which has been a long, laborious journey for us. I get to watch him interact with his siblings and see the progression of maturity that my mom’s heart has been longing for. And, I’m also here to witness all the junk. The lack of self-control, responsibility, patience. (Gulp. It’s like I’m looking in a mirror…) But, I’m here to address those things immediately, in the moment, before his tween brain completely deletes them from his consciousness.

When I first considered homeschooling, I was terrified at the idea of spending the entire day with my kids. But now, I am honestly so so thankful for it. Not because everyday is wonderful, but because every day, something good happens and I’m here to see it and rejoice in it. Not because we don’t get on each other’s nerves because MAN, do we get on each other’s nerves! But because sometimes we don’t and even in those lousy moments we’re learning and growing. I’m thankful that I can honestly say that I feel like I really know my kids.

This revelation is not meant to pat myself on the back, or put anyone else down. I just wanted to share because it’s a benefit of homeschooling that I’m finally beginning to realize, after almost five years down this road. So for those beginner moms who may be struggling, or questioning if they are doing the right thing, I would say – hang in there, momma. It. Gets. Better.

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”
Romans 8:18

Yeah, it’s like that.