Murfreesboro Homeschool Families | Murfreesboro Photographers

I am a photographer in Murfreesboro, but as many of you know, I am also a homeschool mom of three beautiful children! I have home schooled my thirteen year old daughter Sidney for the past three years, my sixteen year old son Tyler for one year, and now my five year old daughter Peyton will be starting Kindergarten at home as well. I have to admit that home schooling Tyler and Sidney has been super easy because they are pretty self-sufficient. They can read and follow directions. But with Peyton, that is not the case! and I feel that this may be the first of many posts about our homeschool adventures.

This is me being transparent. This is me being open and honest about what is truly going to be the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. I’m terrified! My biggest fear about home schooling has always been that I am going to mess them up. Sidney and Tyler both started out in public school so all I have known their entire lives has been about meeting standards and testing. One of the most difficult things for me to grasp has been the fact that I can throw all of that out of the window. I admit I have no idea what I am doing. But I have found an amazing support system through other home school families on FACEBOOK of all places. There is actually a group of local moms who also home school. And there is another group of home school moms in two different countries who are also professional photographers. BOTH groups have been a huge help to me already!

Today in one of those groups on Facebook, I posted my concern about whether or not I was cut out to be teaching Peyton at home. I still haven’t purchased a curriculum for her because I have no idea what I’m doing. I see other moms talking about this curriculum or that curriculum. Then I see moms talking about lapbook themes, workboxes, and supplements. And for the last several days I have actually entertained the idea of sending Peyton to public school long enough to get the basics. But then this morning when I posted my concern, several moms chimed in to encourage me and suggest certain all-inclusive Kindergarten curriculums. But one mom in particular seriously restored my confidence with one sentence. ”Set some goals for the year and have fun meeting them.”

“Set some goals for the year and have fun meeting them.”

I’m telling you internet… a lightbulb went off! My confidence has been restored! And I am confident that I can do this! I still find myself thinking about what she would be learning if she were in public school. I keep trying to compare our learning to state standards. When will I ever get over this? SERIOUSLY! ”Set some goals for the year and have fun meeting them.” So this is what I am doing. SETTING GOALS!

I am CERTAIN that I am doing the right thing. My only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner with Sidney and Tyler. These are years that will go by so quickly, and I can’t tell you how much my relationship with my children has changed since we started this journey. The horrific incident that my daughter had to go through while she was enrolled in public school actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. If it weren’t for that, we would have never attempted to home school. She has healed and has become stronger because of it. I hate that she had to go through what she went through, but we know that we were allowed to go through that time because THIS is where we are meant to be TODAY.

With that said, if you are a home school mom I’d love to hear from you! I’m not sure I can do this without support or without someone I can gather some confidence from. So introduce yourself in the comments, and if you have any wonderful resources I should check out PLEASE post a link or tell me about them. I am looking forward to this journey with others as well!