Keep Your Eye on the Prize

I was recently asked what I have found to be the greatest benefit of homeschooling. My emphatic answer was, “Growth in our Faith!!!!!!!!!”

Can I even express this enough? I am SO grateful to God. Despite their parents’ failings and imperfections, our children bear fruit in this godless world!! I am still in awe!!

Homeschooling has made it possible for our family to be active in church life. That lifestyle has been instilled in our children even into adulthood and secular college. But that doesn’t mean we can let our guard down–even in college!

How We Keep Our Guard Up

Pray constantly for your spouse, your marriage, and your children. Daily re-give your children to the Lord, for they are His children. Ask daily for Our Lady’s protection.

Ask Him daily for the graces to be the parent your children need, for He knows what they need before we do. Then don’t worry and enjoy the ride!

Our two college kids have continued to be active in their Catholic campus ministries, specifically lectoring at Mass and being involved in the pro-life movement.

My daughter helped start a Students for Life Chapter at the Newman Center in Hawaii, where there had yet to be one. In addition to being involved in the pro-life movement, my son helps run retreats at his campus.

My high schoolers are still attending Mass, Adoration, Reconciliation, and praying their Rosaries ON THEIR OWN!!! That and keeping each other accountable! I am sure this would never have happened without homeschooling and God’s grace.

How to Integrate Accountability

Confession! Frequent confession and living a sacramental life are so important. I often tell my children and others that the greatest gift in homeschooling is receiving

Jesus, God Himself, daily in Holy Communion–NOTHING is more significant! I can’t emphasize this enough. NOTHING is greater than the gifts Jesus has given us in the Sacraments, especially Holy Communion and Reconciliation. Once this perspective is in place, everything else falls in line.

Reaching Their Potential

Homeschooling has allowed us to tailor our children’s education to their interests. My oldest loved robotics, and we learned about robotics and ended up running an underwater robotic club ourselves. He is working on his master’s degree in civil and structural engineering.

Our second child loved the sciences, so we held science co-ops with their friends. She had extra time to work with the medical school outreach programs and volunteer at the local hospital. She has now been accepted into medical school and will attend in the fall.

I have two teens. One is in Civil Air Patrol because she is interested in flying. The other is on a Debate team. We will see what is in store for the little one. She LOVES animals and has a perpetual pet hospital, nursing every lizard, gecko, mouse, and bird the cat didn’t finish with. She would never be able to do this if she was in school.

Why I Chose Seton

I was asked why I chose Seton Home Study School. My mentor at the time said Seton and homeschooling are saving two generations: the parents and the child.

At that time, we also had two very holy retired priests, spiritual advisors of our homeschool group, who were very interested in getting the homeschool movement going.

They looked closely at the Seton curriculum and recommended it. Dad approved because he said it looked the most rigorous of all the other curriculums at the time.

What I love most about homeschooling is being able to attend daily Mass. This practice led to an awareness of the accountability we have to each other about living a sacramental life.

But what I love most about Seton Home Study School is that it has taught Mom and Dad (who were poorly catechized as children) about the faith. I love that, having five children, I now pretty much “know” what is expected of them through Seton. The older children help and encourage the younger ones. It is easy to follow and allows you to trust your parental instincts.

Your Homeschool is Unique

Over the years, I have received good advice from Seton Magazine and Dr. Mary Kay Clark’s book Catholic Home Schooling. I appreciate Dr. Clark’s advice that our homeschooling is unique to our family, not to compare ourselves to schools or other homeschooling families, and to be confident.

She also reminds us that a mother’s place is always in the home first. Our first and most important ministry is to our spouse and children to create a happy, peaceful home. Only when that is firm is it appropriate to take on other ministries.

Finally, be patient and forgiving of yourself and your family, and keep your eye on the Prize!