Busting the Homeschooling Myths #2 - I Am Not Qualified to Teach My Child

In the previous post in our homeschooling myth series, we showed you that homeschool is affordable and doesn't have to be expensive. We are going to move on to homeschooling myth #2.

Homeschooling myth #2: I could never do that! I am not qualified.

There are all sorts of answers to this. I could expound on the fact that you have probably taught your children their colors, their numbers, their shapes, how to do simple counting. Not to mention teaching them how to use the potty, walk, talk, and not to play in the street or touch a hot stove.
If you question the qualifications of most homeschoolers, they may point you to all of the above as an example of their skill. And that is fine, good even!

I can only speak for me and my opinion of it all - You tell me that I am not qualified to be a teacher and I am going to tell you: You are exactly right.  I am not qualified.

The task of educating a child is monumental and an undertaking that should not be taken lightly.  I also don't want to discredit all those that have been professionally educated, trained, and certified for the task. I applaud school teachers that have to manage 20 + kids, do all the paperwork, tailor the education of a single child so they will meet the guidelines of an IEP while still having to teach to all the other students, deal with administration, and cranky parents. I am not qualified to do any of that.

This was our school one morning :)  

But, I am not called to do any of that. I am called to manage my children. I am called to train my children up in the way they should go. I am called to parent my children.  As parents, we are all teachers to some degree. I just choose to not only impart to my children our family's values, life skills, and basic safety lessons, but also choose to teach them to read, write, and to work out math problems.

I know how to read. I know how to write. I know how to do a lot of math. I can teach all that I know. As my children grow, we will do a lot of learning together. I did pretty well in school. I did well in the small amount of time I spent in college. I am willing and eager to learn. I read books, I ask questions, and I regularly investigate ways to be better at what I do - whether that is keeping the house, raising my kids, dieting (ha) or homeschooling.  This is exactly what qualifies homeschooling parents.

When (and I am sure we will) we get to a subject that I have no desire to know about or am not smart enough to understand it, and my child wants to pursue it, then we will look into co-op classes, dual enrollment classes, online resources, and other homeschooling parents that may know everything there is to know about the subject. A lot of curricula is written quite well these days, and it can be very explanatory and easy to follow.

With all that said, I don't know everything, and I won't pretend to, but I do know this, if God has called me to this task, he will equip me to do it. I will find a way, because that is what I am called to do.