My name is April, and I have two children. I have stayed at home with them their whole lives. It was natural to just continue taking care of my children and begin homeschooling them. My mom stayed home with me and my siblings, so I knew that I wanted to stay at home too. We have had to make many sacrifices in order for me to stay at home, but it has been completely worth it.
I knew I wanted to homeschool my children when I just couldn't send my little girl away. It was time to register her for kindergarten, but the more I thought about it, the more I didn't like the idea of having to conform our way of living to the American educational system. She was just a little girl who wanted to play and who wanted mommy to read books to her and who loved playing with her little brother. I couldn't stand the thought of her going to a building where I felt she wouldn't get what she really and truly needed. She wouldn't have an education based on the principles of God's Word. She would only get 20 minutes of recess each day. Our evenings would be more about conforming her to the system instead of having family time.
We started in the fall of 2010 and have never looked back. I have taken this homeschooling journey year by year, and every year, God gives me my instructions. I pray and let Him lead our family. I don't know if we will homeschool until they graduate, but I am still taking it year by year. My husband has also been great in supporting us and helping us with whatever we need. I am so thankful that he and I agree on homeschooling. There have been times that I wanted to take the easy way out and just send them away, but that thought doesn't last long.
God gives all of us everything that we need to take care of our families. When I read the Bible, God shows me how He wants me to live. I am thankful to Him that He gave me and my husband the conviction and the courage to stand up for what we believe in. Our children are precious, and we can't have these years back. We can only pray that He will show us what is best for our family and for the others we can help through church, homeschool groups, and other ministries.