Tell us a little bit about your family dynamics. Right now, we are in the thick of teen-young adult years. We have one son who has already graduated and is now studying at Patrick Henry College and another son who is a senior and preparing for what’s next. Our others are in 10th, 9th, 7th and 5th grades. Five boys and one girl have always kept us very active! We are a family who serves! We are very involved in our local church- Jeremy is an elder and works in the tech booth, Sara is a women’s ministry leader, worship leader, and together Jeremy and Sara oversee the children’s ministry. With CHAP, Jeremy and Sara serve as the Convention Coordinators. Our heart has always been to help people, especially Christian homeschoolers.
How long have you been homeschooling? What was one of the main reasons you chose to homeschool? We homeschooled right from the start (2011 is the official year we began). We wanted to be the ones who shaped our children’s education. We believe education is discipleship and that the Lord calls us as parents to be the main influences in our children’s lives.
In what activities does your family participate? Three of our boys are on a homeschool basketball team that plays mostly Christian school teams from November through March. Two of our boys are in Civil Air Patrol. Our daughter plays guitar on our church’s worship team. We also hunt, fish and camp whenever we can and we volunteer with CHAP!
What have been your most helpful resources? CHAP has been our guiding light throughout all the years we have homeschooled. We attended the convention for the first time in 2011 and have gone ever since. The speakers and vendors have always been a great encouragement to us as we learn how to do this homeschool thing! Some of the most influential speakers we have met and stayed connected to through the convention are Heidi St. John, Voddie Baucham, Ken Ham, Kathy Koch, Jeanie Fulbright, Andrew Pudewa, Steve Demme, and so many more!
What educational philosophy/curriculum do you follow? Eclectic! We have fully embraced that not all kids learn the same and therefore there will be different curriculum styles that suit each of our kids. This is a moving target that we evaluate each year, as we are working our way through each subject.
What has been one of the highlights for you in homeschooling your children? TIME! We are so blessed to have these six amazing kids and homeschooling has given us the time it takes to truly know them and teach them to follow Christ in all of life.
What was your favorite field trip(s)? Probably going to the Ark Encounter! We had our trip scheduled right before Covid-19 and the shutdowns. As soon as things opened back up, we were able to reschedule. It was so wonderful to go and enjoy being out in the world again after such a terrible trial. We were amazed at the size and scope of the ark and refreshed in our faith in our Good Father who always makes a way for His children to be rescued!
What have you found to be a challenge in homeschooling? Any tips in dealing with that challenge? We have had many challenges throughout the years. One particular year we were starting our fourth boy in kindergarten. Something about number four seemed daunting to me. I didn’t know if I could handle everything required of me. So in order to help me keep my sanity that year, we switched to an all-encompassing DVD curriculum. This was a great help! I was able to outsource the direct teaching while still having a handle on what each of them were learning. The year that I expected to be out of control, instead was a strong year of growth for all of us. After that year, we went back to piecemealing our curriculum and have ever since. We are so thankful for the freedom to homeschool in whatever way best suits the needs of our family from year to year.
What advice would you give to someone who has just begun homeschooling? Just begin! Don’t wait until you think you have everything figured out; if you do that, you will never start! This is a learning experience for the whole family, and each year will bring new blessings and challenges. Embrace the chaos and keep on going in faith that you are the best person to teach your kids. No one knows or loves them better than you do!
