With the explosion of social media and microblogging, why should I still write an old fashioned (gasp- blogger) blog in the year 2019? The truth is, I think I spent most of 2018 trying to prayerfully answer this question for myself so that I could serve my readers (that's you!) better. Not just in my typical sporadic Heidi fashion, but in a way that enriches both of our lives.
I wear a lot of hats in my life as a small business owner that have nothing to do with maintaining this space. I am a wife and a mother. I am homeschooling my own children. I am building a life for us on our little homestead. I am a special needs parent. The truth is, I don't have to do this and it would make a lot of sense on paper to stop.
Except, I hear you moms.
I hear that you want another option for your family. I hear that your mama heart is telling you that what has always been done isn't the right choice for your family. I hear that you want to delay academics, parent gently, and ground your children in faith and virtues before academics. I hear that you want to homeschool your special needs child even though everyone says it can't be done, that you won't have any free time and that there's no need to burn yourself out like that. I hear that you want to make your own plan for high school rather than buy into a structured school at home program or push your child into college early.
I believe those inklings in your heart are the voice of the Holy Spirit inviting you to live your homeschool life more radically in line with God's overall plan for your life. I hear you and I believe there is another option.
So this year I am offering you permission. Permission to homeschool with your heart instead of a curriculum. Permission to do what doesn't make any sense on paper. Permission to homeschool with intentionality not driven by what has always been done or by what your best homeschool buddies are doing. Permission to let your homeschool serve your life, rather than forcing your life to serve your homeschool.
I want you to trust the seeds of the Holy Spirit in planning your homeschool and family life from this point forward.
Why? Because when you do that- there is a radical joy that comes from living the most trying of circumstances. There is a joy to be found in trusting God's plan for you rather than fighting it with whats always been done or what others think you should do.
This year I am going to put that goal at the center of everything I write here, in the curriculum I develop for my shop, and in the part of our life I choose to continue sharing on social media.
That's why I will blog in 2019.
It might be hard... I struggle with the same insecurities as all of you. I still wear all those other hats. There will be hiccups as I discern what to share and what to leave for other formats. So give me feedback- tell me what types of resources help you homeschool and parent intentionally. If I hit it out of the park, tell me. If I totally screw it up- tell me that too (maybe gently...).
As I near the high school halfway point with my oldest student, I am suddenly extra aware of the cost of not trusting those inklings of the Holy Spirit to slow down and just be. I am suddenly aware of how much the encouragement of other non-traditional homeschoolers has made a difference in our journey. I am grateful that every time I tried to stray off course, something pulled me back- often unexpected things.
Because we are still here. Doing our non-traditional Montessori-ish Catholic homeschool thing for more than 10 years now. And we are loving it, even when its hard.
And I hear your voice when you wistfully tell me that you could never do it (maybe meaning Montessori, or maybe another crazy seed that the Holy Spirit has planted in your homeschool heart).
I disagree, and this year I plan to show you how.
I want you to believe in yourself as much as I believe in you.
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| Our eclectic selves on Christmas Eve 2018. |
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